Vladik Miagkostoupov and his parents walked unnoticed into the summer IJA Festival. But he left that afternoon posing for pictures, signing autographs and leaving on­lookers wondering how a tiny kid could perform a five-club steal from his father with such ease.

 

A day later the 11-year-old Russian left his first mark on the international juggling scene by winning the 1995 Juniors Championship in his first-ever competition.

 

It was not his first performance, but his prior appearances were with showgirls, rather than other jugglers. Vladik had previously been a substitute variety performer in the "Rocketts" show at the Flamingo Hilton, and his Juniors performance contained the same elements that earned him that spot: strong personality, poise, acrobatics and fast-paced tempo that has "Las Vegas" written all over it.

 

In his championships act, he bounded onto the stage running from side to side, pumping up the crowd and flirting with the women in front. His flashy professional act worked up to five clubs and seven balls with hardly a drop, then he did five lighted balls on a freestanding ladder for a finale.

 

It was also his first IJA festival. He knew few of the jugglers at the beginning of the week, but IJA members began introducing themselves to him after watching him practice. His warm-up session in the juggling hall included pirouettes during a five club cascade, six-club flashes, a seven-ball cascade and a clean eight-ball flash.

 

Vladik started juggling five years ago at the age of seven, just after his family moved to the United States from his birthplace in Russia. His father, Anatoli, performed with the Moscow Circus for a dozen years starting in 1980. Consequently, Vladik has been exposed to various performers since he was one.

 

He said his father didn't push him into jug­gling, but taught him to juggle three balls after he asked to learn at age 6-1/2. Now his father, who performs at Bally's, also is his coach, an arrangement they both say works well. Vladik says dad isn't a harsh taskmaster "unless I'm really lazy." Vladik practices juggling at home an average of two or three hours daily:

 

"If he juggled every day for five hours, he would be like a robot. If you practice with concentration, two hours is enough," said Anatoli, sometimes looking to his son - who speaks perfect English - to provide the word he wants.

 

Though Vladik says he's interested in being one of the world's best jugglers and possibly breaking world records, juggling isn't his only talent. Ultimately he may be better known for acting. He had a brief role in a J.C.. Penney television commercial, and has auditioned for at least one other commercial. Anatoli said he could see his son doing sit­coms in the future. Vladik also is a dancer who performs occasionally with the Las Vegas Civic Ballet, and an acrobat who does flips, splits and handstands.

 

"I'm very proud of him, but he shouldn't hear all this," Anatoli said. "He is a good performer, maybe better than me. He is very shy and quiet in person, but onstage he is very different."

 

For now Vladik is content to perform occasionally when he gets the call from the Hilton. If the show signs a one-year contract extension at the casino/hotel, its producers plan to make Vladik a permanent fixture in the show. To his father, it doesn't matter if Vladik chooses juggling as a career. "I want to see him as a good performer, not necessarily a juggler," Anatoli said.

 

Still, Anatoli concedes that he and his father's eyes welled up with tears when Vladik reacted to a Russian tradition on his first birthday. The tradition calls on families to set out various toys representing different careers on the floor at their children's first birthday party. The first toy the child picks supposedly indicates the career he or she will follow.

 

"Vladik held the juggling clubs," Anatoli said.

 

Gerry Tritz covers state government for the Jefferson City News Tribune in Missouri's capital city. He lives with Frodo, his pet iguana.