Page 9 Winter 1996 - 97
|
Affiliates Report by
Deena Frooman, IJA Affiliates Director
Get
set for 1997 and make plans to be in
As
jugglers, many of us are involved individually or as an affiliate
with civic and community service projects. I would like everyone to
send me reports of their service work in 1997 so I can make a huge
juggling! community service display in Pittsburgh.
Many
thanks to Jerry Carson for compiling the Clubs & Affiliates
Newsletter for the past couple of years. He has now resigned from
this volunteer post, and we're looking for a replacement. Call me if
you're interested.
Remember
in 1997 to "Give Blood, It's the Best Drop You'll Ever
Make." Our goal for IJA affiliates and clubs for 1997 is a
collective 100
As
always, if you are an individual who wants to start a juggling club,
contact me. One of our goals is to have an affiliate in every state
in the US and Canada, and in as many other countries as possible.
Several US states are missing from our list at this point, so get
organized if you live in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada
or West Virginia! And keep those festival reports coming in!
Dan
Says D.C. Fest
There's
a lot of festival
action in the
With
four or five active juggling clubs in the area,\~nd as home to the
nation's only juggling store, Washington is surely a juggling Mecca.
The character of the ciry adds mystique to the festival. The site of
last year's fourth annual festival w,as just around the comer from CIA
headquarters. On our way out for a latenight snack, we passed by
cars with Saudi diplomatic plates parked outside halfmilliondollar
home;;, a parry obviously in full swing inside. The Kuwaiti
ambassador's residence is on the hill just down the street. It's a
wild town, and we add juggling to the mayhem!
A
hard-working dedicated team of volunteers makes this festival happen
every year. Their guiding principle has been that the D.C. festival
should always be free. Donations are accepted at the door, the hat is
passed at the public show and raffle tickers abound, but there's no
admission, no charging for lessons, anti no ticket sales to the public
show.
And
the public DOES show for this festival, in large numbers. Fest
organizer Becky Hunter is fast becoming a master at promoting the
event in l0cal media. The '96 fest had about 200 jugglers from all
over, and the public show was packed.
Finding
a good performance space for the show is hard. Air conditioned halls
in the sticky summer heat are nor cheap. The '96 public show wound up
in the gym, augmented by lights, black curtains and a sound system.
Even
under variable conditions, the show draws first class acts. Greg
Kennedy chose D.C. to unveil his "Hemispheres" act, which
later carried him to gold in Rapid City. Tu Vu, who took second place
in the Intermediate World Footbag Championships, amazed jugglers with
footwork like they'd never seen, including twoin-one foot
combinations. Charlie Peachock was in rare form even in the heat,
dazzling with his precision on balls, rings and clubs.
Add
to that mix of visiting dignitaries an eclectic collection of notable
local jugglers. Neil Stammer of Juggling Capitol fame shows off devil
stick moves too fast to follow. Lisa Polinori, The Unicycle Lady, does
three clubs while wheel walking. Ray rolls his crystals, there's
combat on the grass under bright blue skies, and the evening's fire
juggling fun is interrupted only by Becky hollering out that the
festival is officially in the black for another year!
So
pack it in until next spring. You'll find me heading for the nation's
capitol, with my prop bag over my shoulder. See you there! |