Weather Can't Wash Away Fun in Toledo

by Rob Street 

 

1997 was not only the 50th anniversary of the IJA convention, it was the 20th anniversary of the European juggling convention. 

 

Europe chose to hold its big event in Torino, Italy, and it promised to be a good one. Months before, discounted prebooking was available over the internet and through country representatives. 

 

It was dark when I arrived and pitched my tent, and so possibly I could have chosen a better spot. But no one expected the incredible amount of rain we received that night and the following one! I assumed that my tent would hold up, but I wasn't prepared for the lake that came in under both sides. Myself and many others ended up in non-tent sleeping places that night. Credit is due to the organizers for opening up the gym at night as sleeping quarters for washed-out people. It made a big difference to a lot of people, myself included, who used that chance to dry out. 

 

The public show was certainly a high- light. It was opened by an Egyptian diabolist, very fast and very slick. There were a couple of local acts, the presence of which I personally agree with, even if the standard is perhaps not quite as high as some of the pros that come on. "Feeding the Fish," performed a stunning ball routine, except for the 879 flash photos they endured during its course. "2 be 2," a passing/stealing team from Canada, did a terrific routine with good-music, choreography, juggling and stunts. Haggis and Charlie from the UK did basically the street act they normally perform, but adapted it slightly for the stage. They are so good at it, and always leave me rolling in the aisles! Then there was Rod Laver, who performed seven ping pong balls in the mouth as his finale. 

 

One other highlight had to be the world champion pizza dough spinner, whose three-minute act involved spinning up a couple of pizza doughs so fast and furiously you wouldn't believe it. Great!  

 

The renegade-style show after the parade had been televised in toto for the local people, and the message had gone out that they should come to the public show. In all I think there were about 3,000 locals at the show, a remarkable figure that should make the treasurers happy. 

 

However the ticket situation was a fiasco. Upon entry to the convention, we were issued with a ticket for the show, which had to be exchanged for another ticket later on. This fact was not particularly well publicized, and many people hadn't changed their tickets. 

 

Getting into the show got scary, too. A great many people were forced to move through a very narrow gate, and there was an almighty crush. This narrow entrance, coupled with Europeans' predilection for not queuing made for some danger, I thought. Ah well! Hindsight is always good! 

 

In general though, the convention ran smoothly. The door guards omnipresent and visible, which prevents the convention losing money to interlopers. The venue was excellent, with a large swimming pool complex just outside, for which someone had organized us all cut prices. The site was large and there didn't seem to be space problems. 

 

Mention must be given to the Edinburgh people as well, who are doing the 1998 convention. They were much in evidence at Torino, armed with multi-lingual informational brochures. They did really well to get all that sorted a whole year in advance. 

 

Ok, boring stuff over, what did I actually get out of the convention. Aside from the public show, I was privy to the Gandinis' new piece, which they put on in the gym. These six jugglers / dancers based in London perform a highly artistic, visually stimulating juggling and dance show, about an hour long. They twist themselves through each other, and share complicated patterns in apparently unfathomable ways. 

 

For the first few days I did very little juggling and spent most of my time meeting people, watching other jugglers and relaxing at the pool. It seems that with a week-long convention this is the way to go - don't tire yourself out, and take in the atmosphere of the place. Eventually I did get to some juggling, mainly mega difficult double-layered counting patterns, patterns from hell. 

 

Other things that I didn't quite enjoy so much was having to avoid the little presents that the many dogs on site left for us all, and the propensity of some to ignore no-smoking areas. I don't have a picture of someone taking a drag under one of these signs, but it wouldn't have been hard to get one! All in all though, I'm glad I went to Torino, and please look me up in Edinburgh!

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Edinburgh Organizers Invite An Extended Stay

 

The 1998 European Juggling Convention will be August 3-8 in Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, and will coincide with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest performing arts festival in Europe and possible the world. 

The Fringe Festival begins the same day as the convention finishes, so festival coordinator Johnny Hopper hopes all jugglers can come and visit Edinburgh for an extended stay. 

 

For more festival information, contact Hopper at: Edinburgh Scotland. Or Dave Meah; ; Edinburgh; Scotland; See the festival web page for complete information and registration form.