Organizers:

Wil Allyn, Visionary
Co-Founder of the 'Congress of Jugglers', that DC area juggling fest, he used to organize, used to produce and emcee the show, now he just shows up and takes the credit. He has honed and escalated his organization and delegation skills to a level of consciousness where it appears that he has accomplished much, assists in everything, yet does very little. What little he does he does well, he also has an amazing skill of thinking on his seat, diverting blame or making mountains out of mole hills, depending on the situation. No one knows exactly why he is involved, but he is believed to be invaluable to the process. Today when Wil isn't MotionFesting, he performs for free, his avocation is network marketing, where he teaches performing for free, based on unlimited future returns, you can contact him here.

Philip DePalo, Secretary & Treasurer of the Laughter Arts Foundation
Phil has been performing for five years and now he is entertaining audiences with his Fire & Steel show on Carnival Cruise Lines. He is excited to be working for MotionFest. Phil is part of the main backbone of this conference and sits on the Board of Directors for the Laughter Arts Foundation, Inc. Phil makes sure everyone stays together and does not stray off the road.  Phil is a Senior at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County studying Information Systems and Spanish.  Phil has done small work in digital imaging and video development.  As if all of this were not enough, he is a paramedic top responder at the Woodlawn Volunteer Fire Department specializing in EMS and Technical Rescue such as Swiftwater and Dive Rescue.  You can find out more about him at www.philipdepalo.com.

Michael Rosman, President of the Laughter Arts Foundation
Winner of two Maryland State Individual Artist Grant Awards for Solo Theatrical Performance, Michael began his career in 1985 as a street performer at Harborplace. Since then he has performed for people of all ages around the world. He has been picked for 13 national and regional NACA showcases and has performed at over 100 college and universities. A favorite of cruise ship audiences, Michael has also been seen as the featured variety performer at the Showboat Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. He studied at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown College as well as at the Celebration Barn. He also studied and performed at the Mid-Atlantic Movement Theatre Festival. Michael's personal web site is here.

Todd Strong, Uber President
Todd was the juggling teacher at the National Circus School of France and Die Etage circus school in Berlin. Todd is the author of several books on juggling-related skills: "The Devil Stick Book", "The Diabolo Book", "Diabolo für Fortgeschrittene", and "The Dice Stacking Book". Visit Perceptual Motion, Todd's web page.

Cybelle Pomeroy
Cybelle has been working full force behind this MotionFest. She has been performing strong in the Maryland Renaissance Festival for many years now and we have finally captured her sense of organization.  Cybelle has been an intricate part of many other small festivals and conferences and her skills and experience will be put to good use, especially at 3 am in the morning.

Wes Holly
The MotionFest liaison, Wes has helped us communicate with our world renown instructors all over the globe.  Without him, we may not have had any good instructors and would need to resort to using Michael to teach us something...good luck there!  In addition to his communications, Wes is also a performer and can be checked out at www.magicwithwes.com.

Rich Potter
Rich Potter has been on stage for over 20 years--they just can't make him leave. As a cartoonist, graphic designer, physical comedian and tilter at windmills, Rich has always had his hands full. It's no wonder he was drawn to juggling. He studied at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College and then toured with their circus for 3 years in the USA and Japan. He left for greener pastures, which happened to be covered with concrete. Rich, as a street entertainer, has been through 22 different countries, has performed in a number of different languages and has met a variety of interesting drunks. He has only been arrested 4 times for making people laugh (the Japanese got him twice, but he apologized and they let him go). Currently, apart from his day job performing at festivals and corporate events, he is also active in the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit. Oh yeah; and he does some of the graphic design work for MotionFest. He dwells virtually at www.flightsofwit.com.

Robert Nelson (aka The Butterfly Man)
A former research chemist at Vanderbilt University, Mr. Nelson first metamorphosed into his Butterfly Man character in 1978 while performing at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Soon after, he indelibly affirmed his commitment to performing by getting his now famous butterfly tattoos. This veteran stage entertainer and busker has been traversing the globe ever since. Repeatedly voted the most popular performer at San Francisco's legendary Pier 39, he also has won numerous international performing competitions and is still going strong after 20 years onstage. Mr. Nelson, also a writer and actor, lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Kumi. His home on the web is here.

Lauren Muney (On site Coordinator / What would we do without her?)
Lauren Muney is a professional variety entertainer with over twenty years performing and event experience. Her production duties include stage management, convention coordination and performer coordination for vaudeville, variety, corporate and festival events. Lauren graduated from Ringling Clown College, had her own fire-eating show in Las Vegas and has traveled with several specialty touring troupes across the US, Canada and Europe. She can also walk stilts, build professional props and costumes, perform as a Human Statue, crack a cigarette out of her husband's mouth with a bullwhip, do facepainting with a brush or airbrush, perform a great Charlie Chaplin, and write her own bios. Contact Lauren at: www.snakeoilproductions.com

Jim of The Jim Show - (The web guy)
Jim has spent the last ten years traveling the States and beyond with his one man comedy juggling and variety show. He's never won any national or international competitions because he's never entered any. And he has no formal theater or performance training unless you count 10 years of serious street performing. Still, his show seems to go over pretty well with the crowds and with other performers. Since 1997, he's been the designer/developer/creator and host of www.performers.net - The online community of international variety acts. In late 2000, Mike Rosman asked Jim if he could do a little work on the MotionFest site and, well, look what happened... (Mike, just keep sending the changes over...I get right to them.) Visit Jim's other sites here.

Supporters:
The Laughter Arts Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following for their donations:

National Heritage Foundation
Maryland State Arts Council

MotionFest would also like to thank the following donors for their generous support:

You can be a MotionFest Supporter!

If you would like to use a credit card to make a contribution in support of MotionFest, please cilck here and fill out the form on the National Heritage Foundation's Secure Server... Thanks!


Friends/Allies of MotionFest:


www.performers.net - The Performers' Network
Since 1997, performers.net has been THE online Community for International Variety Entertainers. Discussion Forums, Resource Library, Web Services, Performing Links... Always growing, always accepting contributions. The MotionFest web site was designed and is hosted by performers.net.

The Celebration Barn - Get your act together!
The Celebration Barn offers a full summer season of intense and creative study programs with some of the world's finest instructors in a beautiful setting in Western Maine. The Celebration Barn has helped to nurture some of America's finest touring artists, dancers, mimes, jugglers, storytellers, (you name it!) and has earned an international reputation.