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IJA Festival
Jul. 20th, 2006 09:39 amToday is the fourth day of the International Jugglers Association Festival, which just happens to be in Portland this year. In about an hour I will once again treck to the Oregon Convention Center to enjoy a drop-filled day of workshop and socializing with people that are on my own level of geekyness. I finally had to suck it up and join the IJA in order to attend the festival. I am going to be SO broke after this week... usually I am tempted to spend way too much money at festivals, and it is even worse with six days in which to browse the merchants. Last night I attended the IJA youth individual championships, and OMG they were amaizing. The gold medal winner was a diaboloist from Tiwan and I suspect he may b trained for being a diabolo dancer. The silver medial went to a kid who just turned 13 and was awasome. He did a "juglers chirstmas" and actually made it work withoiut being too gimicky. It didn't hurt that he is still really a kid, not a teenager in appearance and in the way he acts - the whole thing was frikkin' adorible and amaizing. The adult championships are tonight, and I am prepared to be blown away.
Today I am SO SORE! All of that squatting down to pick of dropped props for hours and hours is starting to take a tole, the backs of my legs, my abs, and of course my arm muscles are all feeling some weird perma-burn. I obviously need to spend more time socializing and watching the uber jugglers.
I took a 5-ball workshop the day before yesturday that consisted of drills with 2, 3, and 4 balls that should help with learning 5 balls. It seemed retty helpfull, and I have been practicing some every day in the juggling area of the main exhibit hall. One thing that would realy help with my 5 ball practice at home if having ceilings hgher than 7'9". It is really hard to make a tall enough pattern when things keep crashing into the ceiling. Today I am attending Dave Finigan's 5 ball workshop at noon which should also be good. He is the guys who advocates having a partner to help you by catching your five throuws, you catch his fiver throws, and so on so you only have o work on half of the moves at once. It will be interesting to see him teach in person.
I could probabaly go on and on writing about this for hours, but I will end now with the comment that if anyone in Portland is interested in attending on e of the shows that is open to the public, you can buy tickets at the door, and they are bound to be awesome. I am bringing my parents, Z and a friend, and Hank to the Friday night public show called the Cascade of Stars. It starts at 8pm and costs $15. You can also get a one day spectator pass to the festival for $5 and tomorrow is going to rock because among other things we are having the extreem juggling competition.
Today I am SO SORE! All of that squatting down to pick of dropped props for hours and hours is starting to take a tole, the backs of my legs, my abs, and of course my arm muscles are all feeling some weird perma-burn. I obviously need to spend more time socializing and watching the uber jugglers.
I took a 5-ball workshop the day before yesturday that consisted of drills with 2, 3, and 4 balls that should help with learning 5 balls. It seemed retty helpfull, and I have been practicing some every day in the juggling area of the main exhibit hall. One thing that would realy help with my 5 ball practice at home if having ceilings hgher than 7'9". It is really hard to make a tall enough pattern when things keep crashing into the ceiling. Today I am attending Dave Finigan's 5 ball workshop at noon which should also be good. He is the guys who advocates having a partner to help you by catching your five throuws, you catch his fiver throws, and so on so you only have o work on half of the moves at once. It will be interesting to see him teach in person.
I could probabaly go on and on writing about this for hours, but I will end now with the comment that if anyone in Portland is interested in attending on e of the shows that is open to the public, you can buy tickets at the door, and they are bound to be awesome. I am bringing my parents, Z and a friend, and Hank to the Friday night public show called the Cascade of Stars. It starts at 8pm and costs $15. You can also get a one day spectator pass to the festival for $5 and tomorrow is going to rock because among other things we are having the extreem juggling competition.
