There are a lot of things out there that you just don’t see anymore. Kids playing baseball instead of video games. Cheap gas. Carbureted internal combustion engines. And many many MANY circus arts that are slowly disappearing. Sure there are a lot of circus arts that are still around, and some very popular (cough cough juggling cough cough), but some are a little less common.
The Roue Cyr (say it ROO SEAR, yeah there you go.) is one of these arts thats somewhere in the middle. You may be wondering what a Roue Cyr is, and I can only really explain the basics of what it is. Just picture a large steel and aluminum hoop, bigger than an average sized human being, that can be manipulated in a variety of ways. Most commonly there is a performer who hangs inside or holds on and makes the hoop roll and spin in all directions. Just check out this video by David Poznanter showing his number with this very large and beautiful prop.
I had a chance before school started a few months ago to meet David and talk about his art.
Me: David, would you like to tell us about what got you started with the Roue Cyr and some of your career performing?
David: I first saw Daniel Cyr perform in it in 2002 in cirque eloize’s show,”excentricus”. I immediately wanted to learn. I got a Roue Cyr made a few years later while at a dance conservatory in Austria. I ended up getting 3 more made after that to find one the right size. I spent a lot of time alone in studios trying to learn it.
Me: Where has your performing taken you?
David: I’ve performed it in the U.S., Brazil, Switzerland, Austria, the Dominican Republic and Belgium.
Me: Sound pretty amazing, traveling the world, spinning in a hoop. What are your plans currently?
David: I’m currently on a 70 city tour with Cirque Dreams’ new show “Illumination” where I will be doing a Roue Cyr number, roller blading, unicycling, singing, and living on a bus.
Me: Well I wish you luck with your show. It was a pleasure talking to you about these things.
I highly recommend seeing David’s number live, it is simply amazing. For more information on Cirque Dreams, and where to see the show next, Click here
I like airports and the feelings it invokes. There’s the joy and excitement of being able to head off for vacation, yet you keep it sort of restrained because you don’t want to be hauled off by security for some offense you don’t quite intend – like carrying bomb-shaped juggling balls for instance.
As directed to by Ministry of Manipulation, this is an experimental film on staff manipulation techniques. Think arthouse manipulation and you’ll get a good idea of what you’ll be seeing. I really like the composition and colors of the film and it suddenly occurs to me how much staves look like giant cotton swabs.
Brownie points if you can point out where the image is from.
If you’ve ever been to Tokyo, the song and scenes will bring back fuzzy warm memories. The clip’s filmed with a DSLR, the Canon 500D and it is spectacular. Amazingly clear even for night shots and it seems to make quite a versatile camera for performers. What do you guys film with? For me, my current choice is the Creative Vado HD which is about the size of an iPod. It’s more than competent for a point-and-shoot video cam during the day but the night shots leave much to be desired. It’s a solid cam, nonetheless and its small size is definitely an asset.
It probably comes as no surprise to find out that I’ve a soft spot for fire performances. Even juggling a simple cascade feels more energetic and vibrant if you’re using fire props. It’s novel and gimmicky at times perhaps but I’m still taken by the soft lighting and shadows cast by the fire of the performer.
Two videos stole my attention today.
This one features Okotanpe, Asuka, Yuta and lovely piano accompaniment. I like how the scene is set by the glowy orbs.
This is really a trailer for a documentary, Fire All Stars on fire-dancing but that’s why it’s good – you get bite-sized chunks of the best action at amazing locations. If you’re getting the video, please do tell us how it’s like.
This here is a trailer of the Ministry of Manipulation’s workshop in Berlin with jugglers from all over the world including Australia, the US and of course, Western Europe.
Touted as the first of a new series called MINISTRY OF SILLY JUGGLING (it’s all in caps apparently), the video showcases people from Mainz “doing various
stuff related to juggling”. That would mean anything from manipulation to well, juggling.
Shot in over-saturated hues, if nothing else, the video does inspire me to pick up a ball and try out one of those moves. Can’t wait for the next.
There’s a new balance game in town and it goes by the name of Stykball. To the bystander, it looks like a cross between taiji and a very strange game of catch but we won’t know any better so we’ve tracked down Gabe Hein, Australian stykball extraordinaire to tell us more. Read the rest of this entry »
You’ve probably seen juggling simulation programs at some point in time. A lot of us have probably even used them to experiment with or learn a new move because unlike siteswaps, you can actually watch those numbers come to life.
Think of this video as the equivalent for stick isolation, contact juggling with sticks. Kind of. It does get boring – after all, you are watching 2 white sticks move back and forth on a black background – but it makes a good point. Why should practice be only a hands-on approach? Would fleshing out a routine that you’ve had in your head using software be less time consuming and prove more useful?
I don’t know. I’m more of a pen-and-paper sort of person but you tell me.
First, the Ministry of Manipulation has a upcoming workshop happening from 6-10 April where you can pick up all the coolest contact juggling mad skillz in the world and impress the hell out of your neighborhood crazy Japanese manipulation artist. We know there’s one lurking in every corner.
Expect to learn from supastar teachers like Kelvin Kalvus (www.kelvin-kalvus.de), Mr OM and Moon, some pretty big names in the who’s who of contact juggling. This all happens only in Berlin.
Next up- a poi retreat in Bali organized by PlayPoi. From 19-25 April, you get to spend some quality time doing Yoga and poi at this amazingly serene and beautiful resort. For US$690, you get the full 6 nights of accomodation, breakfast and lunch as well as admittance to the workshop. It’s a very decent price to pay honestly. Here’s a promo of a previous Costa Rica retreat
