Vova and Olga Galchenko
Encyclopedia
Vladimir known as Vova, and Olga Galchenko (born July 31, 1990) are a brother and sister juggling
team originally from Russia
. They specialize in club juggling
, particularly technical solo juggling, technical club passing
and numbers club passing.
, Russia, and both started juggling
at a very young age. At age seven, Vova joined a circus school.Fagone's article in New York Times asserts that Vova entered circus school at age four. Olga joined the circus school several years later.
With the encouragement of their parents, Vova and Olga began performing together. In 2001, their father began filming them performing tricks and posted the videos on a website. They soon began receiving invitations to perform abroad. Vova and Olga soon became widely known in the European juggling community for their high level of technical ability, both on and off stage, especially as they were both very young. Even at the ages of 12 and 15 they were featured performers at many large juggling convention
s and festivals in Europe, including the British Juggling Convention
2002, Dresden Juggling Convention 2002 and 2003, the European Youth Circus Festival 2002 and the European Juggling Convention
2003. They also performed at the Israel and Japan juggling conventions.
In 2003 they moved from Russia to the United States, where they settled in Los Angeles and began working with Jason Garfield
to improve their technical skills. Also in July 2003 they travelled to the International Jugglers' Association
Summer Festival in Reno, Nevada
. Many expected them to win all three stage championship categories (Individual, Junior and Team). However, due to their lack of experience on a competition stage, they failed to take gold in any category, though as a team they won a silver medal, and many awards in other events.
In December 2004 they also took part in the first World Juggling Federation
competition in Las Vegas, Nevada
. Vova won the Advanced Clubs, Five Club Moves, Three Club 360s and Five Club 360s competitions, and came second in the only other event he entered. Olga won the Junior Clubs and came second in the Women's Advanced Clubs. Together they won the Teams Six Club and the Teams Seven Plus.
In 2005, the siblings' partnership began to splinter, in part because Olga wanted to concentrate on school. Vova began performing on his own.
In the 2006 World Juggling Federation
competition in Las Vegas, Nevada
. Vova and Olga won the Team Club Passing competition. This was their first performance as a pair in competition for one and a half years. Vova also competed individually and won the Endurance - Clubs, 5 Ball 360s (together with Thomas Dietz
), 3 Club 360s, 5 Club 360s, 5 Ball Freestyle, 7 Ball Freestyle, 3 Club Freestyle, 5 Club Freestyle competitions.
asserts that "if you're talking about club passing, the two of them together are the best in the world. Not just the best in the world. The best there has ever been." Writing in Time, Lev Grossman
describes their performance as "beautiful--a kind of kinetic sculpture, a bravura display of human determination bringing order to the chaotic physical world." According to Jason Fagone in The New York Times, Vova "is able to blur the transitions between tricks so completely that it often seems as if he’s not doing tricks at all".
Unlike many other jugglers, however, the siblings do not excel at performing; they do not banter on stage or veer towards comedy. This is, in part, due to Vova's almost crippling stage fright
. Vova, who has earned the nickname "The Russian Robot" for his refusal to try to engage his audiences, maintains that juggling has nothing to do with artistry: "There’s nothing you can express through juggling. It’s just throwing and catching ...". Because their interests lie in the technical aspects of the discipline rather than entertainment, they joined the World Juggling Federation
, whose mission is to transform juggling into a sport.
Olga and Vova previously held several Juggling World Records
for team club passing. Some of their records included:
. Both have had some success in their studies. Most notably, Vova has released a number of iPhone applications, one of which is geared towards jugglers.
Juggling
Juggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...
team originally from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. They specialize in club juggling
Juggling club
Juggling clubs, or simply clubs are a prop used by jugglers, as are other props such as balls or rings. A typical club is in the range of long, weighs between , is slim at the "handle" end, and has its center of balance nearer the wider "body" end...
, particularly technical solo juggling, technical club passing
Passing (juggling)
Passing is the act of juggling between more than one person. It is a very social part of juggling and is very impressive to watch. It is possible to pass with any juggling prop, but ball passing is fairly rare and club passing is very popular...
and numbers club passing.
Biography
Vladimir Vasilievich Galchenko, known as Vova, and his sister Olga Vasilievna Galchenko are originally from PenzaPenza
-Honors:A minor planet, 3189 Penza, discovered by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh in 1978, is named after the city.-Notable residents:...
, Russia, and both started juggling
Juggling
Juggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...
at a very young age. At age seven, Vova joined a circus school.Fagone's article in New York Times asserts that Vova entered circus school at age four. Olga joined the circus school several years later.
With the encouragement of their parents, Vova and Olga began performing together. In 2001, their father began filming them performing tricks and posted the videos on a website. They soon began receiving invitations to perform abroad. Vova and Olga soon became widely known in the European juggling community for their high level of technical ability, both on and off stage, especially as they were both very young. Even at the ages of 12 and 15 they were featured performers at many large juggling convention
Juggling convention
Many countries, cities or juggling clubs hold their own annual juggling convention. These are the backbone of the juggling scene, the events that regularly bring jugglers from a wide area together to socialize...
s and festivals in Europe, including the British Juggling Convention
British Juggling Convention
The British Juggling Convention is an annual Juggling convention held in a different town or city in Britain every year. The event usually takes place in the second week of the Easter holidays, Usually lasting from the Wednesday to Sunday. The event is for all forms of juggling and object...
2002, Dresden Juggling Convention 2002 and 2003, the European Youth Circus Festival 2002 and the European Juggling Convention
European Juggling Convention
The European Juggling Convention , is the largest juggling convention in the world, regularly attracting several thousand participants. It is held every year in a different European city. It is organized by changing local organization committees which are supported by the European Juggling...
2003. They also performed at the Israel and Japan juggling conventions.
In 2003 they moved from Russia to the United States, where they settled in Los Angeles and began working with Jason Garfield
Jason Garfield
Jason Garfield is a juggler and entertainer from Norfolk, Connecticut. He is the founder and president of the World Juggling Federation .-Sport Juggling:...
to improve their technical skills. Also in July 2003 they travelled to the International Jugglers' Association
International Jugglers' Association
The International Jugglers' Association or IJA is the oldest and largest organization of jugglers. It is open to members worldwide.-Benefits of Membership:* Special from major prop vendors worldwide.* Member prices in the IJA’s ....
Summer Festival in Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
. Many expected them to win all three stage championship categories (Individual, Junior and Team). However, due to their lack of experience on a competition stage, they failed to take gold in any category, though as a team they won a silver medal, and many awards in other events.
In December 2004 they also took part in the first World Juggling Federation
World Juggling Federation
The World Juggling Federation is the world's only organization devoted to the promotion and advancement of the sport of juggling.-History:...
competition in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Vova won the Advanced Clubs, Five Club Moves, Three Club 360s and Five Club 360s competitions, and came second in the only other event he entered. Olga won the Junior Clubs and came second in the Women's Advanced Clubs. Together they won the Teams Six Club and the Teams Seven Plus.
In 2005, the siblings' partnership began to splinter, in part because Olga wanted to concentrate on school. Vova began performing on his own.
In the 2006 World Juggling Federation
World Juggling Federation
The World Juggling Federation is the world's only organization devoted to the promotion and advancement of the sport of juggling.-History:...
competition in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Vova and Olga won the Team Club Passing competition. This was their first performance as a pair in competition for one and a half years. Vova also competed individually and won the Endurance - Clubs, 5 Ball 360s (together with Thomas Dietz
Thomas Dietz
Thomas Dietz is a professional juggler from Regensburg, Germany. He is recognized as one of the greatest technical jugglers in the world. He holds various unofficial juggling records and also the five club juggling world record of 53 minutes and 21 seconds...
), 3 Club 360s, 5 Club 360s, 5 Ball Freestyle, 7 Ball Freestyle, 3 Club Freestyle, 5 Club Freestyle competitions.
Juggling style and records
The Galchenko siblings are known within the juggling world as being "obsessive" about perfecting their technical skills. Penn JillettePenn Jillette
Penn Fraser Jillette is an American magician, comedian, illusionist, juggler, bassist and a best-selling author known for his work with fellow illusionist Teller in the team Penn & Teller, and advocacy of atheism, libertarian philosophy, free-market economics, and scientific skepticism.-Early...
asserts that "if you're talking about club passing, the two of them together are the best in the world. Not just the best in the world. The best there has ever been." Writing in Time, Lev Grossman
Lev Grossman
Lev Grossman is an American novelist and journalist, notably the author of the novels Warp , Codex , The Magicians and The Magician King...
describes their performance as "beautiful--a kind of kinetic sculpture, a bravura display of human determination bringing order to the chaotic physical world." According to Jason Fagone in The New York Times, Vova "is able to blur the transitions between tricks so completely that it often seems as if he’s not doing tricks at all".
Unlike many other jugglers, however, the siblings do not excel at performing; they do not banter on stage or veer towards comedy. This is, in part, due to Vova's almost crippling stage fright
Stage fright
Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially . In the context of public speaking, this fear is termed glossophobia, one of the most common...
. Vova, who has earned the nickname "The Russian Robot" for his refusal to try to engage his audiences, maintains that juggling has nothing to do with artistry: "There’s nothing you can express through juggling. It’s just throwing and catching ...". Because their interests lie in the technical aspects of the discipline rather than entertainment, they joined the World Juggling Federation
World Juggling Federation
The World Juggling Federation is the world's only organization devoted to the promotion and advancement of the sport of juggling.-History:...
, whose mission is to transform juggling into a sport.
Olga and Vova previously held several Juggling World Records
Juggling world records
This is a list of juggling world records for solo juggling of clubs, balls, rings and bouncing balls as well as the two person passing records for each of these props.The records for each section are split into three groups....
for team club passing. Some of their records included:
- Ten Clubs - 378 passes caught
- Eleven Clubs - 152 passes caught
- Twelve Clubs - 54 passes caught
Other Endeavors
Vova and Olga Galchenko have recently shifted their focus somewhat away from juggling in pursuit of other ambitions. The siblings study Computer Engineering and Computer Science at rival universities in Los Angeles: Olga - at UCLA, and Vova - at USCUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Both have had some success in their studies. Most notably, Vova has released a number of iPhone applications, one of which is geared towards jugglers.
External links
- Videos of Vova and Olga in early years looked after by their father on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- JIS Numbers Juggling Records, The Juggling Information Service
- The International Jugglers Association
- Vova's iPhone Apps