NOTES

 

Galaxy of the Stars in Connersville, Ind., included juggling by the young Vlastek Vallason, who was reported to be juggling eight rings... Shane Hansen did a fast­paced routine with balls, rings and torches in the Gran Cirque de Noel in San Diego.

 

There is some good -- though unusual -- baby news for jugglers. Two couples had their first child way early, and in unexpected circumstances. L.J. Newton, wife of Reg Bacon, gave birth to Gardiner N. Bacon on August 15 by herself in her Newburyport, Mass., home. Gardiner was six weeks early, but the contractions LJ. thought were false turned out to be very real! Before she could get to the hospital or call an ambulance, Gardiner was in her arms. LJ. was back performing with Reg at the first of October, and they played Bally's Park Place in Atlantic City in the middle of the month.

Nina Cheney and Jacob Mills are new parents of Callie Grace Mills, born equally unexpectedly on August 8. The couple was on its way to a performance at the Vermont Comedy Festival when Nina went into labor -- ten weeks early -- in Cleveland. Jacob had to leave his wife and new child there to do a solo show in Vermont. The couple has resumed their normal performance schedule, with Callie waiting in the wings.

 

Karen Quest has been juggling with the Pickle Family Circus recently. In one skit she played Pandora, emerging from Pandora's Box to unleash a furious juggling routine on the world. It ended with four people executing a 14-cIub passing line. She also performed box stacking and whip cracking in a Wild West skit. John Gilkey also juggled with the Pickles, doing a seven ball bounce, among other things.

 

Pat Davison and Lauren have been doing their juggling and rola bola acts in night clubs. They most recently appeared in "The Best of Burlesque" at the Naples Dinner Theatre in Florida.

 

Andrew Allen, whose new stage name is Neil Stammer, became the first Westerner to perform with Soviet artistes in the Moscow Circus in 30 years when he appeared with that show in October. It was his second appearance there this year, but in June he was part of a W. German troupe giving a Moscow Circus performance. While in Moscow, Allen got some instruction from Violetta Kiss, who also instructed Sergei Ignatov.

 

Billy Gillen of Brooklyn, N.Y., claims to have set some underwater juggling records recently. Using 3-1/2 pound Exerballs, Gillen did 327 throws with three balls while submerged and breathing through a snorkle. He also did 29 throws with four of the heavyweight juggling balls while holding his breath.

 

Carol Dunn of Seattle, Wash., got a bit part as a juggler in a Soviet circus last summer. Dunn was working at a summer camp in Odessa, and rushed to greet circus performers when they arrived at camp for a performance. When she arrived to see the performance, they handed her a costume and put her in the ring 10 minutes later. Unprepared but enthusiastic, Dunn did some impromptu club juggling, club passing and hat manipulation.