European Director Discusses Juggling Abroad

By Toby Philpott, European Director London,England

 

Last September the British had to get off their island. The 5th European Convention was held, for the first time, on the mainland. All thanks to Jens Brix Christiansen and Peter Johansen for their organization of the event in Copenhagen.

 

In previous years we British have been well aware of the "International" in our title because people from all over Europe have come to Britain for the convention. Going to a convention in a non English-speaking country made this even more vivid for me.

 

The universal appeal of juggling as a means of communicating was very evident in both the juggling sessions and Public Show. I particularly enjoyed exchanging a few multiplex ideas, in smiles and gestures, with Vlademirov. He was in town with the Bulgarian Circus, and paid us a brief visit to demonstrate some fast club work.

 

I originally learned juggling by mimicry, copying a street performer I saw in San Francisco in 1971. I never spoke to him, but within a few months I was using juggling and magic as a way to speak to people I met in Mexico. From this I gained enough enthusiasm to battle the unpredictable weather in the streets of England.

 

Since then, juggling has remained the backbone of my work, although I have never been a sequined hero performing superhuman feats.

 

As an all-too-human clown/juggler, I have wandered through schools, parks, television studios, theatres, hospitals and many cities I might never have otherwise visited. It has led to meeting all sorts of people, both as audiences and as students in workshops. I began teaching to have other jugglers around to play with. Now I meet more and more jugglers, and enjoy finding out how they learned. It is often ,possible to trace the chain back to people I know, or even to people I have taught, which gives me a small glow of pride.

 

I would like to strengthen the juggling network in Europe. Though I am only fluent in English, I would like to receive information on resources allover Europe. This includes names and addresses of prop makers; useful materials or ideas for constructing home-made props; news of regular classes or meetings; information on schools that include juggling in their curriculum; up-to-date gossip on the legal and financial possibilities of street performing in various countries.

 

Although I have been actively promoting juggling, I have only recently become involved with IJA business. I'd like to thank Lindsay Leslie (my predecessor) and Lynn Thomas (organizer of the first European Convention). Thanks also to Tim Batson, who kept the ball rolling with later conventions and a regular class in London.

 

The 1983 6th European Convention will be September 16-18 in the Salle Polyvalante of Laval, in the department of Mayenne, France. We hope it will have a distinctive European flavor. However, jugglers from allover the world are invited to attend, to assure that it is a truly "International" event!

 

Motion School Set for Summer

 

The School for Movement Theatre will be hosting their summer movement program for the fourth consecutive year in Elkins, West Virginia. A variety of diverse and intense classes in clowning, mime, puppetry, music, dance, masks, and movement will be offered by artists from throughout the USA.

 

Many familiar faces to the School for Movement Theatre will be returning to teach during the first session, June 26 - July 7. They include Avner Eisenberg, a noteworthy clown; Peter-Franklin White, choreographer, instructor, director and author: E. Reid Gilben, administrator of the International Mimes and Pantominists:

 

Highlighting the program will be a National Mime Conference held between the two sessions, July 7-9. For additional information, contact Mike Pedretti, the School for Movement Theatre, Davis and Elkins College, Elkins, West Virginia.

 

Juggling a la Middle Ages