by Jerry Martin

 

August 5, 1997: What a splendid summer evening! After a lovely drive through the western Pennsylvania countryside (literally: the road tunnels under the mountains), emerging on a breathtaking span over the Monongahela River straight into downtown Pittsburgh, to the splendor of the elegant Byham Theatre (where the ceiling is high enough to be populated by angels) and the now-familiar ritual balloon barrage marked the gathering of the tribes.

 

Whetting everyone's appetite with a tasty array of Juniors and Teams juggling talent, emcees ("master chefs?") Jon Wee and Owen Morse served up the main course: the "Nationals"... the "Seniors"... (fanfare, please:) The 1997IjA Individual Championships!!

 

Mike Price drew the post position. Mike is a native of Oshkosh, Wis., and is a regular at Midwestern U.S. juggling festivals. He warmed up with three balls (and a few tap dance steps - very handy in case of drops!), kicked up two more, multiplexed them a bit, then nailed a five ball cascade with claw throws, and a shower. Adding two more balls, Mike cascaded seven, including some under the leg throws. (Can you tell that he "retired" from Juniors only last year?)

 

His set continued with a fast-paced club routine, including a head balance kickback, and climaxed by kicking a fifth club into a cascade, featuring individual back crosses and under the leg throws. Mike finished with his signature tall unicycle, free-mounted in place. Idling atop that perch, he Mills Messed three clubs, tried some back crosses, did a two club drop back, and launched five into a cascade.

 

Greg Forbes has the best of both worlds: a satisfying job as an electrical engineer in the Washington, D.C., area, and a secret identity as Otto Mann, juggler extraordinaire. Alter ego Otto was the evening's second contender, mixing many original ideas (including an overhead fist bounce, controlled collisions, and force bouncing, all using stage balls) with traditional tests of juggling skill (smoothly adding a fourth and then a fifth ball to the pattern without stopping). His novel use of traffic cones as prop stands for individual balls provided additional surprises as he twirled and juggled them as well. His safety-orange vest was a real crowd-pleaser, too!

 

Otto/Greg learned to juggle long before encountering other jugglers. Now he's an avid festival goer, and calls festival audiences "the most appreciative crowd you could ever have." Try competing, he recommends, commenting, "Even if you don't make it, your act is better for the practice."

 

Next, Julian Pittman provided a theatrical interlude: costumed in onyx spandex and a Lloyd Webber "Phantom" mask, Pittman presented a lyrical display of classical large ball manipulation. Spinning balls were curled, transferred under the leg, and more. From a sitting position, he did a crisp backwards roll, keeping balls spinning on each hand and on a mouth stick as the crowd cheered its approval. The Phantom of the Byham concluded by handling five rings as three - two pairs were each thrown as "singles" - which then melted into a full cascade of five.

 

Then, a complete change of pace - up-tempo rock music and a killer vest heralded a Vegas-style burst of club juggling, including under the leg everies, shower and backcrosses.

 

Off stage, Pittman is studying juggling's potential as a behavior therapy at the College of William and Mary. He cites Albert Lucas and Benji Hill as his wellsprings of inspiration and mentorship.

 

Matt Henry projects a lot of good-natured fun when he juggles, which must be good for business: Matt is a full time professional performer, currently doing five shows a day at Disney World. For the challenge of his first championships set (he had never competed before), Matt included some spiffy combinations using silicone balls and a devil stick, such as dropping the stick from a chin balance into a four ball pattern and cascading all five props. He also pulled off a very clean six ball circular bounce pattern, while sinking slowly into a kneeling position - and never stopped smiling!                                .

 

Matt's act also incorporated a number of sight gags, ending with a delightful routine in which balls are kept rolling on an inclined ironing board, eventually bouncing their way into his laundry basket. In spite of wearing underwear on his head (or, perhaps, because of it), the judges awarded him this year's bronze medal.

 

From the playful to the post-modern: Jay Gilligan took the stage, using a small lamp, juggling rings, and dance to energize an otherwise spare space. Gilligan, who says, "I go where the music takes me," presented a piece that continually underscored the visual impact of the rings. He blended backhanded catches, tosses from the side, and pancake flips with static arrangements and rearrangements of the bright yellow circles into chains, triangles, and spatial shapes. He concluded the piece with pancake flipping five rings and a flash/pulldown of eight rings, finally winding down to extinguish the light from the lamp.

 

Gilligan's commitment to his art is as inspiring as it is exhausting. In Pittsburgh he also competed in Teams, presented a solo work in the Cascade of Stars, and was a Jon Held dancer.

 

When Brian Patz arrived in Pittsburgh, he wasn't certain he'd compete. Experience has taught him that between technique and attitude, it's the attitude that really demands the most focus. Once he decided that he could relax and have fun with his contest set, the rest followed naturally and netted him this year's silver medal. His unabashed '70s disco dance style played well, and helped highlight his solid juggling skills. His club work was fast and precise (including under the leg throws with five), and the audience clapped along with the music during his cigar box segment. He concluded with juggling rings, garnishing the catches with snappy twirls, and finished with pulldowns from five and seven.

 

Although he outgrew the Juniors championships several years ago, Patz continues to be a stalwart supporter of that tradition as a mentor to a junior juggler.

 

Vladik Miagkostoupov topped off the evening with classic circus juggling and a distinct Vegas flair. Reprising his 1995 gold medal Juniors routine, Vladik combined acrobatics with fast-paced juggling, doing splits during his three ball opener. With four clubs he showed off behind the back throws, two-up pirouettes, single spins, and a shower. With five clubs, he did three-up half pirouettes, three-up full pirouettes, and back crosses. With six clubs - well, he juggled them, okay?

 

Back to balls, Vladik worked his way up to a five ball three-up double pirouette. Then he nailed a seven ball cascade with a five-up pirouette. He flashed eight balls, with encouragement from the audience. From atop a freestanding ladder, this amazing 13-year-old juggled five clubs, then seven balls, and finally five glow balls with the theater lights off.

 

For his solid technique and personable performing style, the judges awarded Vladik the 1997IjA Individual Championships Gold medal.

 

Albert Lucas made a special trip to Pittsburgh to personally congratulate the competitors and to dispense the medals and the trophy that bears his name. Dan Holzman and Arthur Lewbel earned everyone's gratitude for their Herculean efforts and their steadfast devotion to organizing and staging a very successful competition. Thanks, too, to the prelims and finals judges for their part in this very exciting event!