43-1,p20

"What's Most Important"

Part II by Sergei Ignatov

Translation by Christopher Majka from an article in a Soviet circus magazine.

Photos courtesy of Karl-Heinz Ziethen.

Marcel Marceau once said that in the artistic process what is most important is not the work itself but the preparation for it.

It's eleven o'clock in the morning - I begin my rehearsal. An enthusiasm for any subject gives cohesiveness to the technique of a juggler. I devote an equal amount of time, energy and attention to balls, rings and clubs.

I begin with balls. I spend about half an hour working with between one and five balls in front of a mirror. The most important thing is the alignment of the body and giving the utmost attention to maximally relaxing the muscles. This is possible only with the proper placement of the pelvis and even shoulders. The rehearsal of a trick should proceed from the simple to the complex. The correct posture and an equal amount of time spent on throws from the left hand as well the right, enables one to achieve an exact rhythm. And because one hand is less developed than the other, it's essential to give it particular attention. I begin with a number of balls which anyone can master - two. Rhythmically I throw one from each hand. After that I work with three, four, five and so on. Eventually you arrive at a number of objects which are difficult to control. After this it's essential to return to the tricks which one does well and use them to check one's posture and alignment. I rehearse for about an hour and a quarter with balls.

Then I take a five or ten minute break, clear out my head and let tense or tired parts of my body relax.

I then spend a little over an hour working with rings. I try to breath smoothly and easily throughout the whole rehearsal. I never stop breathing.

When you change juggling objects you engage a different group of muscles. I rehearse with rings using the same system I use with balls. Clubs are the most difficult objects to juggle. They can strongly develop one's juggling technique. Independent of the correct placement of the body, it's possible to grip a club tightly and throw it altogether incorrectly. Problems appear in the technique of instantaneous correction of errors. And if these aren't immediately mastered then they become habitual and grow to gigantic proportions. I spend about an hour working with clubs.

After I stop rehearsing I spend about 25 minutes stretching those muscles which are especially tired. Every time you feel such internal fatigue you should also feel a sense of elevation and pleasure from your work.

The time is 3:15. I return to the circus hotel. At circus school it was wonderful when, for a period of three years, there was an extraordinary teacher around me who could continually correct and direct me towards my goals. We created together but it remains for me alone to continue after graduating.