Juggling Legends Make It Easy to Relax

by Russ Kaufman 

 

One of the highlights of the 50th IJA Festival for me was having the unexpected opportunity on championships night of sitting near some of the world's greatest jugglers, IJA Founding Fathers, and other IJA notables. Sitting next to me was Sergei Ignatov, and next to him was Karl-Heinz Ziethen and Ignatov's daughter, Katya. In the row behind me was this year's IJA Historical Achievement Award recipient, Ernst Kuhn-Montego. And behind Montego were some of. - the IJA Founding Fathers. At first, I was quiet and intimidat ed. But my fears were quickly dissipated by the people I hold in such high esteem. That night, I learned what fine outgoing and personable people they are, in addition to their skill as jugglers and commitment to the IJA. 

 

Ignatov is no doubt one of the world's greatest technical jugglers, but he is also one of the least pretentious and easy-going people I melt at the festival. He was more than happy be to answer my questions between competitors about how his shoulders were doing, his many recent performances in Germany, his training of his daughter, and his plans to return to the festival in Primm next year. 

 

But I also saw another side of Ignatov. As other performers came to chat with him, he talked not about what he was doing, but showed genuine interest in what they were doing. Talking with Jack Kalvan of Clockwork, Ignatov wanted to know what they had added to the show since he last saw them, and if there were any major changes in the act or the music. During many of the performances by competitors, Ignatov was literally at the edge of his seat  watching intently and commenting on their creativity. The whole night, I did not hear a single negative remark from him - only positive praise and encouragement of others. 

 

Art Jennings' contributions to our organization (as well as his other creative endeavors, charity, and volunteer work with the.BqvScants,1.are legendary. But this Founding Father and recipient of this year's Award of Excellence also shared with us a story about the time he first met Ignatov. Jennings recalled thinking that it was ironic that one of the world's most famous jugglers insisted on carrying the "Bum Juggler's" luggage, refusing to let Jennings carry his own bags even one step of the way! 

 

While I was talking to Ignatov, Ernst Kuhn- Montego was chatting in Japanese with some of the Japanese jugglers seated in front of us. I studied in Japan for a year, and one of my under- graduate degree majors was in Japanese language, so when Montego could not recall how to say "a long time ago" in Japanese, I told him. It turned out that Ernst had performed throughout Japan a couple of decades ago and had learned . some of the language. We talked a bit about Topan and his recent surgery. 

 

For me, this year's festival turned out to be the most "international" of them all. Ignatov was talking to his daughter in Russian, to Karl-Heinz Ziethen in German, and to me and other Americans in English. At the same time, Montego was speaking to his wife in Spanish, to Karl-Heinz in German, to the jugglers in front of us in Japanese, and to me in both Japanese and English. Truly an international experience! 

 

I learned on championships night what I guess I knew all along - that many IJA members from amateurs to F the well-known, have a genuine commitment to the IJA and the art of juggling. They also share a bond . and camaraderie with their fellow jugglers - irregardless of back- grounds and language barriers. We are fortunate in having many jugglers from around the world who care about juggling and the IJA, and  also to have time at festivals each year to juggle and get to know one another. 

 

(IJA life member Russ Kaufman is former Baltimore Jugglers Association President, was Newsletter Editor at the IJA's 42nd annual convention, and is a former Juggler's World staff writer. He, his wife, Mona, and four-year old son, Danny, live in Owings Mills, Maryland.)