| Story of the festival by Charles
Shapiro: One hundred and forty-five jugglers and twenty-two yo-yo
players attended the
thirtieth annual Groundhog Day Jugglers Festival, held at the Yaarab
Shrine Temple on Ponce de Leon Avenue in downtown Atlanta. The
weather was mild and sunny as jugglers from across the country
congregated to throw things, spin things, and gossip for two and a
half days of learning, play, teaching, and competition.
Notable new group passing patterns starting to emerge this year
included the Long Skinny Feast, various feast and famine variants, and
multiple variants on two-handed feeds. There seemed to be slightly fewer
complex asymmetrical multi-part patterns this year. Also notable was
an actual game of combat which broke out late Saturday afternoon in
the middle of the gym floor. Many individual jugglers worked on
various trap-catches with clubs, as well as a variety of individual
numbers and variant props.
Three prop vendors sold at the festival this year, as well as an
assortment of other folks hawking portraits, massages, tickets and
charities. The on-site food vendors made it easy to catch a meal as
needed without having to leave the fun for a restaurant. Photos and a
notable scrapbook covering the last 30 years of Atlanta Jugglers
Association history were also on display.
The Yo-Yo competition Saturday morning featured 24 contestants doing
both compulsory and free-style yo-yo tricks. Georgia's Adam Brewster
finished third in what was described as "a very competitive field".
Samm Scott of Virginia took first. The freestyle yo-yoing in the
contest involved a lot of tricky string manipulation as well as long
throws.
Eight acts competed in the public show Saturday afternoon, introduced
by the always powerful Seed and Feed Marching Abominables. The band was broomed by our own Bruce Plott, garbed in the
famous "Dammit Bruce" red T-shirt. A surprise visit from IJA
champions Team Rootberry also livened up the show with some
sword-swallowing and juggling of table-saw blades with handles.
Atlanta's own Keith McNeil led off the competition with a number of
Grown-Up tricks, including juggling four balls and one club in a
5-ball pattern. A tiny blond baton-twirler named Ashley Ellis walked
off with the "Most Staggering" award for an act which included a
three-baton juggle, some club work, and a fine costume and
haircut. David Ferman took "Most Inconceivable" for his performance
with 5 and 7 balls, and Kenny Toombs won "Most Astonishing" for a
versatile act which included some difficult 3-club tricks and advanced
contact juggling done with up to six acrylic balls.
Mike Gardiner smoothly emceed the Midnight Cabaret, which featured six
acts. It opened with Mike's short bit on playing the piano, then made
a strong start with champion yo-yoist Katelyn Anton, whose aerial
stylings with one and two yo-yos are more stage-friendly than average.
New groundhog winner Kenny Toombs followed with some of his
path-breaking contact juggling, then our own Rick Purtee demonstrated
some diabolo moves. Rich Steenblik next played three haunting and
beautiful melodies on a Swiss Hang, an ovoid steel drum played with the
hands. John Nations closed the show with some new material including
a new ball routine.
Sunday started late but went smoothly with lots of juggling, passing,
and the usual huggin' and cryin' as people left the festival. The
post-Groundhog Day dinner was a combination 50th birthday party at
Panahar Restaurant attended by most of the Atlanta Jugglers
Association as well as a contingent of fencers, jugglers, and computer
people. Things broke up late Sunday night as the last of us staggered
off into the night to sleep it off in our hovels.
--Charles Shapiro |
