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By Francisco
Alvarez (condenced
by Jeremy Johnson)
Juggling come from the Latin word
Jaculator, meaning: a thrower (of anything).
The first graphic representations
of jugglers appear in paintings on the walls of Egyptian
tombs, particularly in those on the east bank of the Nile.
Greek vases of early period also represented juggling.
The Ancient Chinese were skillful
crafstmen and they created one of the oldest props in juggling.
Known as le diable in France, in America it is known as
the diabolo. The diabolo was originally made from bamboo
and was smaller than modern day diabolos.
China and Japan influenced juggling.
The spinning of plates on slender rods, and some contortionsim
combined with juggling has been popular with the Chinese
for centuries and the tossing of little sticks and balancing,
rolling, and bouncing a medium-sized ball on various parts
of the body is preferred by the Japanese. This style in
which a ball was bounced and otherwise worked on various
part of the body, is very ancient and was widespread. There
is evidence in old manuscripts and prints that this style
was practiced, either as sport or entertainment, in the
darkest parts of India, Burma, and Indonesia. But today,
the style is generally accepted as Japanese.
Throughout the Middle Ages the working
juggler remained emphatically the servant of the marketplace,
the travelling fair, or the dusty road where he would perform
for a few coins in exchange for food or clothing. At the
time of Newton's breakthrough in scientific research, Itinerant
entertainers were common and jugglers traveled from city
to city carrying their equipment in small bags tied to their
belts. Very few names of jugglers from that period exist.
The kind of work then poular was cannonballs, devil sticks,
and ball tossing. During this time jugglers were viewed
with suspicion and not without reason. Juggling was often
practiced by vagabonds, rogues, and outlaws. To compound
the problem, jugglers had no way of leaving their accomplishments
for posterity. Whereas other men could leave documents,
paintings, and musical manuscripts, jugglers could do nothing
of the sort. To illustrate the ignominious light in which
jugglers were viewed, I quote:
"Qual mestiers es plus aontos,
deser joglar o laire?"
"Which is a more shameful calling, to be a jongleur
or a thief?"
On April 3, 1793, the Ricketts Circus
had its grand opening in Philadelphia. George Washington,
who was present, witnessed, among other things, a performance
by John Bill Ricketts. Ricketts is best remembered as the
circus owner, but he was also a performer who could do some
juggling on horseback.
In 1836 P.T. Barnum returned from
an unsuccessful tour and part of the failure was blamed
on the juggler,a Signor Antonio. Signore spun plates and
balanced guns and bayonets on his nose. He performed some
of these tricks while walking on stilts. Barnum,, finally
became successful with the help from his promotional genius.
Barnum was the founder the biggest museum in the united
States and his connection with circus history is legendary.
Shows were now better organized and
the printed program became popular. This made it easier
for future researchers to pinpoint names and dates. One
of the first names to appear is that of Carl Rappo (1800-1854).
Rappo is said to have been a great juggler and the teacher
of one Karl Johann Schaffer. Schaffer had two sons that
followed in his footsteps and this family became one of
the first and greatest in juggling history.
January 29, 1880 is believed to be
when William Claude Dukenfield was born in West Philadelphia.
In 1889 William Claude walked into a vaudeville theater
and saw a juggling act, the Byrne Brothers. He liked their
cigar box routine and decided to practice juggling. The
vaudeville show that had inspired W.C. was a comparatively
new form of entertainment. It had started in Boston in 1883.
In 1885 a 26-year-old juggler made
his debut in a London circus. The juggler was Paul Cinquevalli.
At a very early age Cinquevalli had ventured into the entertainment
world as an acrobat, but he had an unfortunat accident.
Durring his acrobats he had been exposed to juggling and
after his accident he started to pursue juggling.
Since the Civil War, gun spinning
and balancing had been popular. But the guns and bayonets
were soon replaced by clubs. The Indian Club is probably
older than vaudeville, though in the beginning it was mainly
used for twirling and swinging. A popular club swinger of
the day was Gus Hill, who had been a producer of burlesque
shows. Some of Hill's clubs were very large, with huge bellies
and short handles. A club 30 inches long was not unusual.
As if strength and skill were related
and inextricable qualities, the juggling of heavy objects
was in vogue at the end of the nineteenth and beginning
of the twentieth century. Herr Holtum was a popular "heavyweight"
juggler of that time. But the most outstanding "heavies"
were Paul Spadoni and Paul Conchas.
On October, 1907 Cinquevalli went
on tour and then retired from the stage.
Harry Lind made his professional
debut in 1900. Harry Lind in his late years became the leading
manufacturer of clubs and co-founder of the International
Jugglers' Association. Edward Van Wyck, who had preceded
Lind in the manufacture of clubs, is said to have sold his
patterns and manufacturing ideas to Lind, who continued
to make the best wooden juggling clubs until his death in
1967.
Dumbbells and Indian clubs were the
main props. Some time after this, sporting goods shops began
selling an "exhibition" club, for those more interested
in swinging than exercise. These were the forerunners of
the club specially made for jugglers as we know it today.
Edward Van Wyck seems to have been the first to make these
clubs, but quite possibly someone preceded Van Wyck.
The most outstanding names are Pierre
Amoros, Rapoli, Selma Braatz, Kara, and Salerno were very
distinguished. Pierre Amoros juggled nine balls, a trick
which prompted Rastelli (in later years) to juggle ten in
order to surpass him. Lodo Leo Rapoli was a great manipulator
of small balls; he performed such complex tricks with six
and seven balls, that most jugglers found them impossible
to do with four and five balls. Regarding Kara and Salerno,
it seems that Kara was the better technician, Salerno the
better showman. Essentially, though, these men were object
jugglers who displayed a great deal of polish, and were
the founder of a style to be known as "gentlemen jugglers."
In the summer of 1918 word came from
London - Paul Cinquevalli was dead.
Late 1923, Elly, Willfred DuBois,
Paul Nolan were some of the juggler of that time.
Rastelli made his New York debut
on November 18, 1923 at the Hippodrome theater.
It became clear at the end of the
1920s and beginning of the 1930s that, Rastelli had made
the most memorable contribution to the art of juggling.
Kara and Salerno, It is no disparagement
to place these men above the others. Indeed other great
- perhaps much greater - jugglers had existed such as Pat
McBann, the Shaffers, Rapoli, Pierre Amoros, James E. Darmody
On Sunday afternoon, March 24, 1929,
Nat S. Green reviewed a young juggler at the New Palace
in Chicago: "Bobby May, a youthful newcomer, was one
of the cleverest jugglers seen here this season and went
over great. Less talk and more pantomime would help this
young man reach the top." Bobby May died on November
7, 1981.
Rastelli received a small but deep
cut on his gum accidentally inflickted by his mouthstick
and it became infected, and on December 13, 1931 he died
as a result of that infection.
Despite the popularity of stick-and-ball,
other styles of juggling were also flourishing. Indian clubs
were extremely popular. The outstanding club-passing acts
were the Three Swifts, the Five Elgins and the Juggling
Jewels. The outstanding single people doing clubs was Bobby
May, and the most comical of the club jugglers were Stan
Kavanaugh, and Bob DuPont. The best foot juggler, doing
his entire act while lying on his back, was James Evans.
The best hoop-rolling act - Howard Nichols. Other artist
of that period were: Charles Carrer, Davey, Gaston Palmer,
Ivanoff, Piletto, Felovis, the Littlejohns, Moran and Wiser.
The death of vaudeville did not come about suddenly. Vaudeville
remained in a moribund state from about 1929 to 1950. The
variety form of entertainment might have survived one severe
blow. But there were three! Radio,sound motion pictures,
and television.
Juggler Dies - Kara, the gentleman
juggler, died in Munich on April 9, 1939.
Adolf Behrend Salerno died on December
10, 1945. He was the last of "the three" who left
their brilliant mark at the end of the nineteenth and beginning
of the twentieth century.
The International Jugglers Association
was formed in June, 1947. The founder of this organization
are: Harry Lind, Bernard Joyce, George Barvinchak, Jack
Greene, F.R. Dunham, Eddie Johnson, Roger Montandon, and
Art Jennings.
In 1948, Francis Brunn made his New
York debut at the old Madison Square Garden.
2001, juggling has gained popularity
and there are many who juggle as a hobby, also there are
many who perform professionaly as well.
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