Gene: I notice that when you rehearse you do each part of your act for a certain amount of time rather than just randomly practicing. Is that how you practice?

Brunn: J do have a particular way of warming up. But what works for me doesn.t work for every­body else. I work like this: I practice the act method­ically, but for the half-hour before the performance I do absolutely nothing - just put on my make-up and stretch. I do very little juggling before going on stage so I am almost fresh when I get out there. I know many people who almost juggle themselves onto the stage, though. My sister, Lottie, practices until the last moment. Everybody has a different way of warming up. I think it is just what you get used to.

 

Gene: A few years ago you had an operation and were not able to work. What happened?

Brunn: My problem started in 1970 when I had an accident on stage. The stage manager forgot to lower the stage at the Lido in Paris. I suffered a hip injury and was out of the show for 10 days.

That was the beginning. I worked with pain for six years, then stopped working to have an operation. I didn't know for 18 months if the operation would be successful and neither did the doctor. I wasn't able to put my leg down, so I rehearsed sitting in chairs. The only thing I could keep in condition were my neck muscles, which I use a lot.

Gene: What was that first show like when you returned?

 

Brunn: I was not ready. I should not have done it really, but it was a terrific thrill. I was very happy to work again, but something was wrong. I had to have another operation. They had installed metal inside my hip and it created friction. I went back to France to have the metal removed and had to stop working again for a couple of months. Then I had two wrist operations for pinched nerves from walking on crutches. Let me tell you something.  After having these operations I'm happy just to be walking!

 

Geno: Have you always used the flamenco style of music in your act?

 

Brunn: No. When I first came to America I used Chopin. Everything was very, very fast with tricks and tumbling. I wanted to change it into a differ­ent form of presentation... and am still working on it. My act is always changing, never stagnant.

Gene: How about your props? For someone who works so intensely for so many years. your props must be tremendously important.

Brunn: There is a man in Pennsylvania who makes these balls for me. I did the Johnny Carson show quite a while ago and mentioned to Johnny that it was very hard to get good rubber balance balls. A man in Pennsylvania, George Bowman, phoned the NBC studio to say he could make some. I went to Lebanon, Pennsylvania to have him make a mold for me. It is very strange... He has made them for me for 15 or 20 years now. but recently they came out a little bit different. I talked with Mr. Bowman and told him the balls were different.

He said they were the same, but called me back in a week and said I was right, a new man was cutting the rubber just a little bit different. Bowman  was amazed that I noticed such a small difference.

Gene: How about your headpiece and mouth­piece?

 

Brunn: My father made the first type for me.  But I have a cousin who works for Mercedes Benz in Germany who makes the ball bearings for the steering wheels. He made me some very good sticks. My hoops are plexiglass, which I have

used since plexiglass first came into existence. I used to do eight, nine and ten hoops but stopped because the weight made my arms tire too quickly.

 

Gene: You must be very attached to those props.

 

Brunn: I never leave them alone, especially when traveling. The first bad experience I ever had was when I flew from Germany to Spain. It was the first time I ever flew and I didn't let the air out of the balls. When I arrived all the balls had blown up and broken just like eggs. So I learned my lesson!