On paper it’s one of the best lineups of all time. Looking forward to seeing some of my favourite acts all in the same show!
See you there!
Category: Circus Geeks Blog
The CircusGeek blog, from kitten juggling to plasticine tight-wire. Circus and other odd things.
Social Circus blog post
I enjoyed reading and replying to this slightly offensive, badly informed blog post….
Circus Open Space: Online Forum
As Arron posted a few weeks ago there was recently a Circus Open Space event in Bristol. Circomedia are now hosting an online forum to continue the discussion, so head over here: http://www.circomedia.com/circus-open-space/ to find out what the hot topics of discussion were and join in with the conversations.
Knot a problem
I recently performed with the energetic Jon Udry, in Somerset.
I’d been having problems with my Yo-Yos, every six months or so I switch to a new pair of Yo-Yos and it takes a while for them to break in.
Occasionally I get a set which are a little sharp on the edge, this means that they snap strings. If I throw a Yo-Yo hard (easily getting up to 50,000 RPM) and the string were to snap and the Yo-Yo hit someone, it would hurt. A lot. Even if it doesn’t hit anyone it would leave me on stage looking rather foolish.
So as you can imagine it’s something I’m rather careful to check. In over a decade of performing with Yo-Yos I’ve never snapped a string on stage. When I get a new set of Yo-Yos I can tell very quickly if it’s going to snap strings.
But at this gig I realised as I was setting my props, that I might have picked up the wrong set at home. This understandably worried me a bit, I double checked and realised it was fine I had the right pair so I set my props and waited to go on.
Onstage when I pulled out my first Yo-Yo it had a bit of a tangle in the middle of the string, bit odd. I figured that it was just a twisted string and all I needed to do was to pull it free. That didn’t work but I though it probably needed a little force so I put the loop on my finger and pulled harder. Bad idea. Instead of the mess of string neatly disappearing it held fast, knotting up.
At this point I was behind on my music and not thinking clearly, instead of changing to the back up Yo-Yo I had in my bag I decided to carry on and see how it went. Probably not the best idea I’ve ever had, as the knot was only just big enough to fit in the gap of the Yo-Yo and could easily have jammed up entirely, making me look even more foolish.
Thankfully I somehow managed to get through the routine, I’ve no idea how.
New Table!
So here it is – our monster roller table. Well portable stage, really. First attempt took up the entire room as we surrounded our 2.5M diameter table with huge crash mats and nervously plotted through our act. However by the end of our rehearsal, we were able to perform an airplane without mats, give us a few weeks and we will be up to speed!
One finger stand in a champagne bottle
There are some great posts appearing on Circus Blog, make sure you’ve added it to your RSS! This one caught my attention…
“I don’t enjoy it… (but) it’s a good career”
Just linking this up here, an article about young Las Vegas juggler Ty Tojo (“Fifield”): stepson (and student) of the great Dick Franco.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/apr/29/north-las-vegas-teen-world-class-juggler/
What I find of particular note is the following quote:
“I’m proud of it,” Fifield said of his juggling skills. “But I don’t enjoy it. It’s a good career, though.”
Double Dutch
A lot of my work over the last years has been teaching based, and this month found me teaching for the first time at the circus school in Holland.
I mean, at the circus schools in Holland.
Both Rotterdam and Tilburg now boast circus departments within the auspices of a university organisation. Both offer four year bachelor programmes. Codarts in Rotterdam are about to present their second graduating year, ACaPA in Tilburg their first.
Another difference:
When coming in for a week, I am always torn between wishing to spend the short time available doing strict technique classes, or to rather concentrate on eg choreographical / concept based work. I hope always that I find a balance between these two, but manage always to come away wishing that I’d had more time…
The major difference between the two schools, or rather the one that has the most effect relating to my work at them, is that Codarts has a permanent juggling teacher in the shape of Gregor Kiock. This means that I can trust the students to have, and to keep to, a consistent and strict technique training programme. It also means that my guilty conscience at tweaking people’s technique is made even guiltier…
It feels so good to make tiny physical corrections (hand position, cross point etc) to someone’s pattern and to instantly see an improvement. That work can feel just as creative and valuable, sometimes more so, than seeing the results of a pure conceptual exercise. Hopefully both will make an impression of some kind on my students.
My next stop in the world, after a single and all too brief day at home in Cologne, shall be the GOP Varieté in Hannover, where I shall be for all of May and June. Sometimes my job feels like several different jobs. Which seems like rather a healthy and challenging, if somewhat stressful, position to be in. Come visit me if you happen to be near!
Photos with Photosynth on iPhone
The Lost Circus Sideshow
From midgets, wolfboys and human pin-cushions to Siamese twins, snake charmers and sword swallowers, the circus sideshow isn’t often seen alongside the main attraction any more.
But while the Sideshow element of circuses, carnivals and fairs may have dwindled, the Circus Sideshow, the Freakshow, and the Circus Freaks and Geeks themselves (see my previous post) are aliving and kicking. Continue reading “The Lost Circus Sideshow”
Juggling Slang Lexicon
Written by Erik Åberg.
In the recent years I have noticed quite a bit of slang being used in the juggling community. This is an attempt to explain some of it.
Oldschool – Classical juggling, or something done or presented in a classical way, sometimes also with an undertext that somthing is solid and tested out, proved quality
”Jönssons act is oldschool.”
Newschool – Modern techniques and ideas. In some cases it could refer to bold or risky
”I went to the Polish Convention and there was actually quite alot of newschool shit happening over there.”
Bookwork – Fundamental juggling technique practiced in a correct way. Taking juggling or practice very seriously
”When I started juggling I practiced quite alot but I wish I had done more bookwork.”
”One positive thing about the WJF is that it makes atleast some kids do more bookwork.”
2-count – To speed something up when someone´s slow,
”Come on Elias, 2 count for fucks sake!”
4-count – To slow down
”Hey, 4-count alittle will you”
IJA – What you´d expect, alittle boring, same as always.
”Did you see the new Indiana Jones movie? Yeah, it was kinda IJA”
Chris passe passe – Not paying attention. Rather do other stuff then what is there or going on. often reffered to audiences, when things are happing in the audience that takes focus away from the show. In some cases it can refer to getting laid or upsetting brittish people.
”You know I was trying to get my street show going but the damn audience was totally Chris passe passe all the time! It was so hard to get the focus!”
Can also be used to someone who was fucking around with something else when they should have paid attention
”You forgot the carkeys? I told you several times to remember them! I told you in the kitchen when you were totally Chris passe passe so I even reminded you after we had breakfast!”
”Elias, don´t be so Chris passe passe, get off the computer, stop cubing and listen to what I have to say!”
”I watched the news but I was pretty Chris passe passe during the weather report since I know I´m gonna be inside doing bookwork all week”
”Slusklund is so happy today, he must have been Chris passe passe last night or something”
Joggling&WJF – Waste of time, kill time
”My flight was late so I was pretty much joggling&WJF in the airport for 3 hours”
”I filled the form in really carefully, then Slusklund spilled his coffee over it so everything I had done was joggling&WJF.”
”We still need to do joggling&WJF for another hour before the movie starts.”
Russian – Not drop, doing a dropless show
”How did last nights show go?
Really great, I was totally russian.”
Spanish – Dropping alot. But can also refer to juggling just for fun, for pleasure or for relaxation. In some cases also refering to smoking weed, drinking or chilling out. Not knowing what you´re talking about.
”How´d the show go?
I was kinda spanish in the beginning but then it was OK”
”Usually my 5 ball pirouette is russian but today it was pretty spanish”
”Did Slusklund come by practice today?
Yeah, but he was totally pissed off, called us a bunch of bookwork jerks and said he was gonna go somewhere else and get spanish”
”Jason Garfield thinks he´s bookwork but then you see the siteswap written in the WJF rules and they´re totally spanish so I´m kind of Chris passe passe about that whole thing”
”The situation in Northern Ireland used to be pretty Chris passe passe with the IRA and all, but in the recent years it´s been kinda spanish.”
German – Overly obvious, in a bit stupid way so it´s easy to understand, like wearing a Zorro costume and juggling fencing swords. Could also refer to overly clear juggling in the vein of doing the box to the sound of a clock going ”tic-toc-tic-toc-tic-toc”. Using UV-costumes, UV-props, or lit up props. Doing what someone would expect to see in a show for kids in a shopping mall, but not neccessarily in a negative way. Sometimes also opposite to being french.
”His act is solid and german all the way, he could perform it to sheep and they´d get it”
”My act didn´t really suit that stage, I could totally feel the audience going Chris passe passe. I really need to make it more german if I´m gonna perform places like that.”
French – Alot of strange stuff going on aside of the juggling, trying to be deep, a bit pretentious or theatrical, using the clothes to become an animal, screaming, dancing or jumping around.
”That show was fucking french.”
Mexican – Juggling fast!
”The beginning of the act was pretty slow but towards the end when the music kicked in it went totally mexican.”
Japanese – Stuff you haven´t seen before, exotic, fresh
”Did you see Slusklunds new club routine? It´s japanese as hell!”
Sushi tricks – New tricks, fresh material, unknown techniques, similar to japanese
”Have you seen Sluskes new club routine? Yeah it was pretty IJA but he´s got a few sushi tricks in there.”
”You saw that french guy at the open stage? He had a few sushi tricks but he´s gotta do more bookwork, it was kinda spanish.”
Adding wasabi – Spice things up, take an idea further, go further out
”I´m kinda happy about my new ball routine but I just need to work on it more and add some wasabi.”
”How´s Wes doing in circus school? He´s allright but he´s gotta add some more wasabi to his research.”
Ninja – Someone that moves well
”He´s juggling technique isn´t so strong but he´s a total ninja. Coupla years of bookwork and he´s gonna be really good.”
Ninjutsu – Dance or dance classes
”When I get into circus school I am planning to do plenty of bookwork plus alot of ninjutsu aswell”
Gatto blood – Someone who´s got solid, high level, classical, oldschool tricks like backcrosses, pirouettes or numbers or potential to become like so. Can be used as ”being Gatto blood” or ”having Gatto blood”
”Did you see Putte´s new routine?
Yeah, he´s got a few sushi tricks in there plus he´s got plenty of Gatto blood”
”Do you know Bobbo from Östersund in the north of Sweden? He´s the Gatto blood up there”
Engineering – Manipulation
”I saw this Belgian dude Sander, he´s got some mad engineering skills!”
”Half of my practice session I spend on bookwork but the rest of it is pretty much engineering.”
”Sluske doesn´t give a fuck about getting Gatto blood, he´s only into engineering these days.”
Engineer – Someone who does manipulation
”He ain´t got much Gatto blood but he´s a pretty decent engineer”
Examples of combinations
Spanish engineering – Droppy manipulation, chilled out manipulation
Japanese engineering – New manipulation not seen before
French engineering – Wierd manipulation probably not so juggling related
”At the end of the act there was some french engineering going on; he put one club up his ass and 2 in his mouth and imitated a moose or something like that.”
Mexican engineering – Fast manipulation
”Did you see Masaki Hiranos 3 ball stuff? Mexican engeneering”
Chris passe passe in Germany – Not paying attention to something that is REALLY obvious. Being completely up in the blue, close to retarded.
”How on earth could you miss that? Are you Chris passe passe in Germany or something?”
Sun, BJC, SFF
Been enjoying the London sun far too much to write blog posts, sorry about that! Here’s a quick, sloppy note of what I’ve been up to….
Last week I performed at the 24th British Juggling Convention (BJC). I’ve been going to the BJC on and off for the past 10 years so I know what to expect…. Sports halls filled with jugglers, from those learning the first throws of the 3 ball cascade to technical masters juggling 7 clubs.
A week of inspiration, perspiration and desperation.
In the show I was performing as half of Inside Loop, doing a ‘speaking/skills comedy routine’. A real contrast to my solo act. Sam is a genius, so much fun to work with. Great to see most of the public show, Wes is a juggling super hero…. I wish I could hate him.
I was asked to compère British Young Juggler of the Year, a real challenge given my appalling memory (still need to train it) and lack of ‘gift of the gab’ (if such things exists). An over all aim for this year is to challenge myself on stage, so I accepted. The show went ok for me, somethings I screwed up and other bits went better than planned. Once the competition was over I was a little disappointed with the results of my efforts. But had some nice feedback from some members of the audience and think it’s something I’m going to try again and improve upon, as I did enjoy being on stage for longer and being able to express myself through voice rather than tricks or physicality.
Over all I really enjoyed my BJC. Massive thanks to the organising team, a group of individuals who sort out an amazing week long event, for over 1000 people without getting paid! Good on you (you crazy, mad, wonderful, generous lot)!
Arriving back in London I received a voice mail asking if I wanted to see ‘Slightly Fat Features‘ at the London Roundhouse.
I’m so glad I did. Honestly one of the best shows I’ve ever been to. A true british variety show, with original skills and theatre. So funny, go see it!
Normality
I should probably write a “normal” blog entry from time to time, as opposed to soapbox-standing tirades that probably make me sound like I would like to be standing outside your house shouting up at you in the middle of the night.
I am writing this on a train (like most of my contributions so far) on my way to Berlin. I am going to see the lovely Petra, and then we travel on to Gera to spend Easter at my non-legally-bound in-laws.
Easter in the East. Ha ha.
OK, that comment says something about my current mental state, I am sure…
These four days bridge the time between teaching last week at Codarts (a circus school in Holland) and next week at ACaPA (a circus school in Holland). It will be the first time that I visit ACaPA, and so I am excited to see exactly what is going on there, and try to get a feel for what differences exist between these two schools, how they differentiate themselves from each other.
UPDATE: I have painted eggs for the Easter time. Is that normal enough for a blog? I am rather happy with the geek content of them.
http://twitpic.com/photos/cubecheat
Happy Easter (from the East)!
Ten jugglers
Recently I got asked to list ten jugglers that have inspired me. These ten mean a lot to me for a number of reasons.
• BUBA – When I saw this guy first time I was amazed. Clever and funny.
• Aleksandr Koblikov – This young artist is just amazing. I love the footcatches in the video.
• Gregory Popovich – He was one of the first jugglers I ever saw. The video was from a circus, can´t remember which one. There was also an interview where he spoke about the importance of conditioning. Great side summersaults in his devilstickact. (like most russian artists) He inspired me to go for runs, practice acrobatics and to kick from six balls to seven.
• Kris Kremo – I was never interested in juggling with hats, cigar boxes or handbags but what he is doing with the balls is simply amazing in my opinion. And I also find him a great entertainer.
• Mark and Benji – This number rocked my world a bit when I saw a video a friend of mine filmed at a German youthcircusfestival a year or tow before their big hit in Paris. Loved the odd ideas, the music and of course the juggling. I suppose it inspired me and Rod Laver for the act that we used to do as well. Its also one of the only juggling acts that makes my girlfriend Fofo happy.
• Michael Menes – I wanted to be him in the beginning of my career. Not anymore though. But I still like Three round objects.
• W.C Fields – Inventor of stuff.
• Bobby May – He is probably the most inspiring performer on this list. All the stuff he came up with and the little films he made… Really, really great.
• Bernard Kudlak – Formed Cirque Plume and did a fantastic ballbouncingact in one of their early shows.
• Anthony Gatto – I remember when he did 7 clubs for a minute in the gym at the convention in York 2000.
It would be great to hear your coments on this one. Also, it would be great to hear about performers that have inspired you.
//Dav
Who is David Eriksson?
Good morning circuslovers.
Writing today’s first post is David Eriksson, circusartist from Sweden. Before I start posting more frequently here on Circusgeeks I want to introduce myself so you all have a chance to get to know me a bit before you decide if you should read what I have to say, or not.
You already know my name and that I’m an artist from the north. I perform juggling, acrobatics, aerial and I also like to add elements of comedy into my acts. I work with Fofo Rakez since nearly 9 years and we do a couple of acts together.
At the moment we are touring Scandinavia and Europe with a company called Cirkus Cirkör and our new show “Wear it like a crown”
My posts here on circusgeeks.co.uk will be about touring, struggling and having fun in the wonderful world of circus entertainment.
I will speak soon again.
//D
Too Complicated
Nearly back home after an incredible, exciting, inspiring and stressful 2 weeks of performing at the Moisture Festival in Seattle, USA. 3 ‘planes behind me, now an hour more on the train and a taxi to follow…
iPad plus iPhone internet tethering plus PlainText plus WordPress equals awesome.
I am often surprised by odd compliments. Especially those coming from fellow artists, and especially those that have a form that allow me to simply say “thank you very much”, whilst actually wanting to ask “what does that mean?”. Like “it was nice to see some art”, or “he’s a juggler’s juggler”.
Something that am always ready to reply to with “what does that mean?” however is when jugglers tell me that a particular trick, or sequence, is “too complicated for an audience to understand”. WTF does that mean? It compares to the equally enigmatic yet ridiculous soundbite “they can’t tell the difference if you are juggling 5 or 7”.
Who are these “they” of whom they speak? And why is “their” possible failure to understand an aspect of our performance a reflection on their stupidity, rather than a reflection on our own failure or inability to make ourselves understood?
There are three elements to any play. The play, the actors, and the audience. And the responsibility for success lies with them all. Does that mean we should patronise our audience to the point of stupefaction, reduce them to unknowing vessels, undeserving of our attention and edification? As long as my audience has given me the respect to come and sit in a theatre and watch me perform, then I shall give them respect and, hopefully, provide them with entertainment that also has the possibility to challenge and evoke them.
I shall hold their hands when they need it, but I shall assume them to be smart enough to follow me, and also to lead me to new places within my work.
Circo
An interesting looking documentary film about a traveling Mexican circus troupe that has lived and performed on the road since the 19th Century. But can their art survive into the 21st?
The dreaded question….
First my throat slightly contracts, then I can’t help but breath out a sigh and my eyes sink towards the floor. “I’m a circus artist” I reply.
I know my body language and tone could easily be misinterpreted as embarrassment, but unfortunately the emotion I’m trying to hide is not embarrassment, not even modesty. If it were, I could hope that the questioner would see my distress and move on to something else. Instead my interrogator jumps at the thread and pulls as hard as they can forcing me to unravel the conversation which is almost as rehearsed and practiced as my act. It’s not their fault, it’s mine. I shouldn’t have a job that sparks off so much interest, seems so wacky and unlikely from the outside and yet so normal to me. Perhaps these encounters are a fresh chance to remind myself how lucky I am to have a job I love.
Instead they just depress me a little. I’m good at opinions, I’m not good at anecdotes or jokes. That’s a hang up I have and one I’m constantly trying to change, but for now this is where I am. It’s hard to get opinion in a conversation about a topic which one half is almost entirely ignorant. That’s not a criticism on them, why on earth should they know about the differences in what I do and what Ronald McDonald or Cirque du Soleil does? It just makes it difficult for someone as socially unskilled as I to connect to someone in this particular conversation in any meaningful way. I know this because I have had this conversation 100’s of times; it either results in an uncomfortable parting or my other tactic – change the subject as soon as possible. I know some artists thrive at the chance to engage in this type of interaction, driving the conversation about themselves and enthralling onlookers, as if the conversation is a performance and a chance for the performer to shine.
I can’t criticize too much, I’m a performer by trade and writing a blog about my experiences and thoughts. However I like to think my ego is slightly different from this type of need for attention. But then everyone always thinks their particular brand of ego is unique. I suspect I just have a bad attitude towards the whole thing, perhaps I should say I’m a chartered accountant when asked, “What do you do for a living?”.
Note: I wrote this in 2009. I recently came across Derren Browns stunning read “Confessions of a Conjuror” in which he also comments on the dilemma of the question (far more eloquently than I). It’s a great read, particularly for any performing artists.
I probably shouldn’t admit this, but….
So, last month I found myself not being able to do my best in performances, it didn’t matter if before the act I had trained until I dropped or if I hadn’t trained at all, didn’t matter if I had a bad day or a great day, when it came to the performance it was flat and the tricks were all over the place. Not at all great for a Handbalancer.
I couldn’t understand it; I had asked everyone ‘what’s going on, do you get it?’ And no one seemed to have the correct answer.
- In my first act, the more technical act, I was getting unusually tired by the end, wobbling in tricks, not making certain positions solidly, it’s just wasn’t going right and I couldn’t understand it.
- In the second act, ‘Mack the Knife’, I’d take my hat off and come down straight away. At the end of the act I’d put my hat on a audience member, go into a one arm next to them (by this time my forearm is pumped) and I ask them to hand the hat back, (stupid mistake – audience members don’t understand anything and they get excited with hats) but again I’d start to fall and not be able to grab the hat put it on my head and walk down the stairs.
Tricks I used to be comfortable and happy with, just failed me, and completely tired me out.
Then one night I performed in Angel in front of circus friends, it was a bit of a laugh and a joke, and a friend of mine (fellow handbalancer) asked me to put in a certain trick -so I added 3 new tricks. 1 I had never performed and 2 I never had done in this act…Well the music messed up to begin with, which I just found funny but the added pressure of having circus people there gave me an incentive to work hard and I played with the audience and really enjoyed myself and nailed all my tricks. Then I went back to the restaurant and it was the same as always, mediocre. A couple weeks later I then performed Mack the Knife at Cafe de Paris, (I had to change the act around because of the new venue). Again this act was back to the good old days, nice and solid, good performance and character, and felt and looked great.
So what was wrong?
I realised I had got bored, I had got complacent, I had got comfortable and stopped trying, I needed something new, new challenges, something to drive me in my performances, something to make me push hard for what I’m doing – not think about what I’m eating for tea, do I need to cut my nails or wow I hope I don’t smell maybe I should have a shower, while I’m performing.
I have now added in 3 new tricks, 1 of which I really struggle with in training but because of the stage and audience it means I have to work harder because I can’t fall, I’m now getting this move quite reasonably. I have always made myself count every 1 arm for 3 seconds until I move but I had forgotten about that so I start doing it again and its cleaner, it’s more solid it’s what a handbalancer should look like. So I did the same for Mack the Knife, I’ve added in a few little tricks, I’ve added in a few more little character moments and started to enjoy it and have fun.
And last night I performed my act the best I ever have, flat Mana, legs together in a side 1 arm 3 seconds solid and clean. Now this is how it should always be.
When they talk about success they talk about reaching the top. Well…. There is no top. You’ve got to go on… not stop at any point.
Aerial Insecurity
Why, upon meeting aerialists, and upon each of us saying who we are and what we do, do they so often follow up with “oh, I am such a bad juggler” / “oh, I could never learn to juggle with more than 2 balls”?
Are they so insecure at basing their jobs on “physicality”, or do they feel that I, as a lowly “non-physical” artist, must feel insecure in their presence?
Props
I am currently in Seattle, USA, doing shows at the Moisture Festival: http://www.moisturefestival.org/
It is thusly named because of the rain… They didn’t lie to me.
In my big collection of VHS tapes back home are held many performers who appeared on the Paul Daniels Magic Show in the 80s and 90s. Two of the most inspirational performers to me from that era, and from those tapes, are Johnny Fox (sword-swallower) and Frank Olivier (juggler).
I doubt I would be doing this job if it weren’t for them. Really.
Last week, I held Johnny Fox’s hand in the curtain call, and last night a slightly drunk Frank Olivier jumped on a pull up bar and wrapped his legs around me.
Give me a moment, I am tearing up a little…
OK, I’m back…
Just before the show with Johnny, I was pacing around as usual, with my clubs in my hands. He asked me if he could check them out. Somehow, I managed to say “no”. Of course, he understood, and watching his prep, he clearly understands rituals and habits, but still…
I hate it when people ask to touch my clubs.
Although not uniquely custom built to my body and needs, ordering a 95mm, standard length, hard bodied, non-wrapped, extra light club in the colour of my choice (probably white) from Renegade gives me a good amount of personal connection to the club. I know the people who build them, and I have visited the small workshop where they are born.
I always do my final backstage warm-up with the clubs that I will use on stage. They need to get focused and ready too. It is their responsibility to make my juggling look good. Their weight keeps me slow and calm, and their solidity gives me one certain thing to keep hold of during my time on stage. Different stages have different heights, different lights, different floors. Even different audiences. But one thing is always the same: the clubs that come on stage with me.
I was working in the Krystallpalast Varieté in Leipzig, Germany, on the night of December 31st, 2003. Just after midnight, a fire broke out on stage. My partner at the time, Ilka Licht, was one of the first to see the flames, and, as audience and artists started to run from the burning theatre, she ran instead in the opposite direction, backstage, to grab our club bag. A little later the two of us and our clubs stood safely in the cold watching the smoking building. It never occurred to us that she perhaps shouldn’t have taken that risk…
CircusGeeks.co.uk 
You must be logged in to post a comment.