46-1,p16

REVIEWS

BY CRAIG THOMAS

Hat Juggling and Manipulation with Andy Head. Produced by The Idea Machine, Inc. Running Time: Approx. 40 minutes. Price: $29.95.

Although video is an ideal way to catalog and view lots of standard prop techniques, it is an especially good way to learn about those stunts that are not so common. Some jugglers thank goodness - specialize in weird, wacky and wonderful things. But finding them long enough to learn some of their skills can be almost impossible. So when unusual videos come to me, I'm even more interested.

Andy Heads Hat Juggling and Manipulation is a top-notch video, with excellent visual and audio standards. Ken Benge's Idea Machine has obviously put in the time and attention to detail that make this tape an excellent resource. Anyone studying this video will come away with a solid and substantial core of hat manipulation techniques that could be the start of another one of those specialists I talked about.

The video begins with a short sequence of Andy Head doing spins, placements, flips, body dynamics and silly faces. Head, the 1985 IJA champion, is very smooth and graceful, with an engaging presence. As he begins to describe his act and techniques, he stays with us, talking directly to the camera, and always searching for just the right way to describe something. He comes across as a thoughtful and creative artist and is a pleasure to watch.

The video is well divided into logical sections, introduced by title and sound sequences. Some of the categories are: The Hat (where he describes in detail what to look for and how to reconstruct the best kind of hat for manipulations); Spins (single, finger, and crown); Removals and Replacements (just changing the angle of the hand can make a whole new visual impression); Rolls (on arms, back, up and down); Flips; Placements (lots of eccentric possibilities here); Comical placement possibilities; and Swinging, to name a few. Head makes it all look easy, of course!

Brief interviews with Andy Head sitting and just talking break up the lessons in just the right way, giving us additional insights to his approach. Head's enthusiasm is catching. Pay particular attention to his suggestions at the end regarding how to create your own unique techniques.

If you have any interest at all in hat juggling and manipulation, this is a must have video. Extremely well-produced, with clear-cut goals and structure, it will repay continued viewings.

Highlights from the 46th Annual International Jugglers Association Juggling Festival, Fargo, 1993. Produced by IJA Videos. Running Time: Approx.: I hour, 52 minutes. Price: $35.

lJA Videos has again produced a solid, imaginative and fun video that recounts the annual festival, this time from Fargo, N.D. For those of us who were unable to attend, the video is a terrific presentation of the varieties of juggling and performance that occurred. I'm sure that many will also want to have their own copy to relive the memories and maybe catch some events they missed while there.

The various segments are held together through a kind of western-drawled narration. The video begins with brief excerpts of various teaching sessions: diabolo, devil stick, frisbees, pins, balls, hats and so forth. Adding a few titles in here would not only have given credit to the various teachers, but would also help those of us looking for good instructors.

The Junior championships, hosted by Dave Walbridge, come next. Jay Gilligan's slick gold medal routine, Corey Hoelcker's smooth silver medal presentation, and Jason Kariotis' bronze winner are well-documented. We also see bits of the acts of Joey Cousin, Charlie Peachcock, Brian Pankey, and Mike Sackett.

There is a very funny segment where Steven and Jennifer Salberg actually get married (they walk down the aisle under a canopy of passed pins that threatens to give way at any moment)! Then a hilarious segment from the Renegade Stage acts is shown, including People's Choice award winner, Masahiro Mizuno, and his umbrella act. You will also see grown men playing with dolls, fathers forcing their young children to stand at attention while balanced in the air, a pyromaniac juggling three fire balls, a gunslinger who isn't shy about actually firing, and other absolutely silly things that will make you wish you had been there.

My only wish is that the camera could have somehow been put in the audience's point of view. What we get has been filmed from upstage and sometimes obstructs our video view of the performers' tricks and facial expressions.

The Senior championships follow, hosted by David Deeble and Dan Bennett. It highlights Fritz. Grobe's aggressively serious yet precise performance for the gold medal. The silver medal acts, Hill and Gunter as a team and Jill Westover, show off some very fluid, difficult tricks, and Eric Wenoker wows with his smooth ball routine off the floor for bronze. Also included are Offbeat Juggling (Dave and Rob). The number of entrants was surprisingly small. .

Following the seniors we see bits of the objects competition, games, and the Baltimore Three Ball Open - which is again unfortunately filmed from behind the performers! To wrap up, there are extended selections from the Cascade Of Stars night. That includes Dan Holzman's droll comments, and bits of the acts from Air Jazz, Jay Gilligan, Michael Menes (Founders Award Winner), Dan Menendez (with his amazing bounce piano), Rob and Linda Peck, and Jeff Mason (the 1988 Seniors Champ).

Finishing off the show is special guest Gregory Popovich, who was also parade Grand Marshall and received the IJA Award of Excellence. His high energy and precision juggling, balancing and vaulting are a terrific finish to a really well-done video.

1993 Portland Juggling Festival. Produced by the "No Problem, Easy Pickup" Portland Jugglers and Flaming Sparrow Press (Box 82289, Portland, OR, 97282.) Running Time: Approx. 55 minutes. Price: $17.95.

If you'd like to get more of a regional American feel, videos like the "1993 Portland Juggling Festival" may be just for you. Although the audio and video quality is not always optimal, this is an enjoyable and often exciting view of an enthusiastic and talented group of people.

The video is edited into sections. An introduction shows the gyms, lecture halls and classrooms where the activities took place. The ball tricks section (to some nice musical accompaniment that helps the viewing) is full of showers, cascades, spins, and three, four and five-ball patterns.

There's also "Messes, Lanes, and Multiplex" and "Lariats." The latter is interesting, but the man doing most of it, clearly teaching others, is never attributed. "Object Manipulation" shows plates, hoops, devil sticks, hats, diablos, batons, cups and balls. "Balancing" shows rope walking, bongo board, ladder, and ball spinning. In "Unicycling," I believe the unattributed teacher is Rob Brown. In a final section on "Clubs," the focus is on passing and single patterns.

Although this is not a teaching tape by any means, there is often just enough time with a performer and a pattern that, with judicious use of slow motion and stop action, a viewer might pick up a number of new tricks. Mostly, though, it is simply a pleasure to watch such a wide variety of talents all enjoying the art of juggling. The image quality varies quite a bit from sequence to sequence (some pictures are quite over-exposed), but enough detail is usually there so that it is not annoying.

I appreciated that the musical accompaniment varied over the length of the tape and made the production much easier to listen to than all the normal ambient sounds we might have gotten in a straight recording. The editing is good and doesn't linger too long on anyone section.

The final section, "Show Time," is worth the price of the tape by itself. Six acts in a row are energetic, funny, highly-skilled, and will repay repeated viewings. Neil Stammer does a wonderful, sharp and aggressive devil stick routine, then tops it off with superb three-, five- and seven-ball routines that will leave you panting and cheering. Rob Brown performs a relaxed and clever routine with various unicycles, especially with his "Thirteen ways to get on a Unicycle."

Kenny Shults demonstrates hacky sack skill and concentration that I never dreamed existed. Elliot Cutler does a droll, fast-patter routine with a plumber's helper. Rudi Galindo and Roger Fountain pull off a lit-balls in the dark routine that conjures up creatures in the night, both funny and foreboding. Rhys Thomas winds up the affair with patter, an audience participant, and dangerous sharp objects juggled while perched on a tripleboarded bongo board. The whole show is presented so well, with such energy and good fun, that you will enjoy watching this part of the tape many times over.

Although the quality of the video is somewhat uneven, the terrific stunts and pleasant jugglers help us overlook most of it. This is an excellent video library addition to those who are looking for fresh ideas in acts as well as teachers who might want to show the variety of juggling creativity that is out there

across the land.