Dawn Monette thought she had learned all there was to know about juggling once she had read an instruction book and taught herself the basic three-ball cascade. Then a chance encounter with the Vancouver Juggling Club changed the course of her life.
B次元官网网址淭hey started teaching me things immediately,B次元官网网址� says Monette, who lived in Vancouver at the time. B次元官网网址淚 met a man and he told me to come to the Victoria Juggling Festival 2005. When I came here, my mind was blown. I had no idea juggling was so involved, that it had so much versatility, so many facets.B次元官网网址�
When Monette attended the Victoria festival, run by the University of Victoria Juggling Club, she immediately decided to transfer from Capilano University to the University of Victoria. She would take on organizing the 2008, 2009 and 2013 festivals, the latter set to take the city this weekend.
Monette, better known to some as Dawn Dreams, sits at the clubB次元官网网址檚 table, stacked high with hula hoops, clubs, balls, devil sticks and cigar boxes within the universityB次元官网网址檚 Student Union Building during club days. She sports silver glitter around her eyes and smiles wide as she likens her experience at the 2005 event to Blind MelonB次元官网网址檚 music video for their 1992 song No Rain.
B次元官网网址淭he girlB次元官网网址檚 dancing on stage in a bumble bee costume and goes home and cries a whole lot,B次元官网网址� Monette says. B次元官网网址淎t the end of the video, she opens the gates and thereB次元官网网址檚 a field filled with bumble bee people just like her, dancing around and being silly. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the feeling I had when I arrived at that festival.B次元官网网址�
Monette was enthralled watching contact juggling crystal balls, now a specialty of Dawn Dreams, along with her hoop work. This weekend Monette and co. host a variety of jugglers from across genres, with performances and workshops planned from Friday afternoon (Jan. 18), until Sunday at Central middle school, 1280 Fort St. The gala event, featuring Japanese breakdancing juggler Komei Aoki, among other international acts, is set for 8 p.m. Saturday at The Metro Theatre, 1411 Quadra St.
The festival also provides an opportunity for the club to show off their new moves, says Ava James, a member since 2001. James has been a juggler most of her life since first watching a performance on the Ed Sullivan Show when she was 10. All these years later, sheB次元官网网址檚 still drawn to the beauty of the activity.
B次元官网网址淭here are so many combinations,B次元官网网址� says James, whose ball, ring and devil stick work involves fewer back crosses than some of her younger counterparts. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 always possible to learn another trick, but it gets a lot harder when you get up toward your late-50s. You donB次元官网网址檛 have the same reflexes.B次元官网网址�
Club president Patrick Conley joined the group after about three years of experience with the classic three-ball cascade. Since that time heB次元官网网址檚 added cigar box juggling to his repertoire, a skill more about catching than throwing and playing with the shape of a box, he explains. A graceful demo involving green, yellow and pink cigar boxes in flight back up his claim.
Though the club is a student-run organization, it is open to the community and welcomes new members.
B次元官网网址淎nyone can pick up a ball and throw it in a creative and wonderful way and find a sense of satisfaction from that. WeB次元官网网址檙e open to anybody. B次元官网网址� How young, how old a person is, thatB次元官网网址檚 not really of use to us, itB次元官网网址檚 just: B次元官网网址榃hat can you show me? What can you create?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Monette says. B次元官网网址淥ur community ranges from young to old, either gender, every walk of life in general and itB次元官网网址檚 as old as dirt.B次元官网网址�
Tickets to the Victoria Juggling and Flow Fest range from $10 for the day to $35 for a weekend pass (including the gala event), with hefty student, senior and youth discounts. Visit web.uvic.ca/~juggling for tickets or email juggling@uvic.ca for more club details.
