JW: That four club routine was certainly one of the best ever done on an IJA stage, tell us a little about it.

 

 CM: There were certain passages in it, like the four clubs to slow music, that were incredibly exposed. People don't do clubs to slow music because they're naturally clunky, not like crystal balls. I couldn't risk a drop there because the whole effect was an atmosphere that I had to maintain.

 

The riskiest trick was during this dramatic music when I pirouette right into splits. The two you throw up have to be just right or it's hard to go into splits. I also did splits in a circle, crossing my hands under. I did propellers with the clubs facing out, two in each hand. Then some triple over singles with various tricks, including be­hind the back throws.

 

JW: And how about describing some of the rest of the routine for those who didn't make it to Baltimore.

 

CM: The first thing was four rings, inspired by Japanese decoration actually. It was a pose where I started on the floor showing two rings, then I twirl them open to show that I have four. I learned that just for the routine, while I was practicing in Japan. I really didn't want to do rings at all, but the music had rings written all over it.

 

I did some simple things with four rings, put them on my music stand and picked up five balls from an attache case. I started down in the "pretzel position," and rose up as music drew me. I did some multiplex variations, then a full pirouette with three high, timed perfectly to three hard, sudden notes in the music. Then there was the five ball trick I haven't seen anyone else do, where you do a three ball flash and throw two over top so they cross simultaneously. I finished with a neck catch and pose to a pause in the music.

 

It looks like it's over, but it starts up again. I did the second half of the five ball routine to one of Gershwin's waltzes. I did overthrows with the same ball going back and forth, a half shower, a half pirouette onto one knee, then juggling five balls in a split. I got up out of the split and walked over to the music stand. There was a little move there at end that made people laugh. It's hard in a musical routine to find some thing to make people laugh, but Gershwin music is good for that -- capricious and unpredictable. It gives you moments you can take advantage of with surprise moves and poses.