lördag 10 januari 2015

2014 summary - The year of circus shool, festivals, performances and artist development

The new year has started with a lot of snow i Luleå, and I am back studying for the exam period next week.

This blog is almost a year old now, and I wanted to make a post that sums up my circus year.

2014 was the year when I really decided to dig deeper in my interest in circus, and I think I have learnt so many things and met so many nice people. I have done physical circus, practice and attended the Greentop Circus in Performance course, and watched a lot of circus performances.

The best circus thing of the year
The best circus thing of the year was the Greentop Circus in Performance course at Greentop, Sheffield. The course really focus on how to perform, but I learnt many new skills as well. I tried aerial for the first time, and broaden my knowledge and skill of the other disciplines. The fact that I was going to the course was the reason I started this blog, so if you are interested there are many blog posts about this. The CIP course also gave me many new friends! I would really recommend this course.

From my tight wire act


Best equipment bought
The best new equipment of this year are the LED juggling balls. I really like juggling with them when they glow, and I performed my first solo juggling act with them. There is this special feeling with the glow from LED equipment.

I terms of the most useful thing, it was the cheap ballet shoes I got for tight wire walking. They saved my feet and made it possible to practice more.

The LED juggling balls

Skills achieved that I am most proud of
I learnt so many new skills this year so here are some that I am extra proud of

  • Get down to sitting and the stand up again on tightwire
  • Starting to learn to keep two diabolos
  • Learnt an aerial silks drop
  • Stabilized the four ball fountain and opend a door for more four ball tricks
  • Performance and clowning skills in general
  • Continued to develope partner poi tricks
Thank you Gemma for teaching me this aerail silks position

Best two performances of the year

The graduation shows for the CIP course was the best performance of the year. I did two group dances, assisted others in their acts, did a group juggling act with painters theme, an areal duo act with tourist theme and a maintenance worker themed solo tight wire act. The good thing with this performances was that I really felt how I had evolved throughout the course, and performed not only with skill but also with character. It also felt good to show all our family and friends the show that we out up together as a team. I am so proud of how we made this show together!
Juggling with my painting friends in the graduation show


The other best performance was in the club's winter show where my friend and I did our partner poi performance with fire in front of an audience for the first time. This time I like that we have this trust and sense of each other that I think just comes with time.

Act performed most times
During the year my poi friend and I have made our partner poi chorography Europa so many times. We did it at the Luleå Work Fair Banquet, at the beach at the Meidival week at Gotland, with fire at the club's show and many more times. On the contrary of what many might think, I am not getting tired of the act, but just more excited about it!

Here we are just about to start performing Europa

The year of festivals
For the fist time, I went to a juggling convention: BJC in Darton. It was wonderful to juggle in the gym, participate in the games, look at the shops, attend work shops, see the shows, renegade, fight night and gala show! It was awesome!

At the beach at Medieval week in Visby at Gotland together with the friends from the spinning club


We also went to the medieval week at Gotland. We saw so many fire performances, sang, dances, looked at the market, looked at peoples awesome costumes, ate nice food and hanged out at the beach at night (with some fire). The medieval week is like a mix of everything, and we got to know each other more as a group.

I was watching this club balancing game at the BJC

The year of seminars, circus festivals and consortiums
I also learned a lot more about circus when I attended the Umeå contemporary circus festival and DOCH's Women in Circus Consortium. I attended seminars, lectures and discussions about circus. It is difficult to learn about these things alone in Luleå, and I loved to listen to all the discussions and thoughts.

Shows and performaces watched
This year, I have goten so inspired by all different forms circus can appear in. I have seen many different types of shows and work, and as many was to approach and explore circus. After the CIP course, I learnt that circus is a mix of ideas, skill and how you present them. I enjoyed all of the performances and cannot pick one that I prefer more than the other.

So here is the list:

Sailors and Mermaids cabaret at Greentop

Gala show of BJC

Many fire performances at Medeltisveckan including
Nordegravar performance and vegetable show - Trix
Glimtar - Pyrox
Gofar - Girls on Fire
Myten om Martebo - Pax
Shows at "Magikergränd"

A photo from the Girls on fire show

Many shows at Umeå Contemporary circus festival including
An afternoon of Foen
La Soirée - many artists (at least three times because I worked as a voulonteer)
Glitch - Johan Wellton
Flown -Pirates of the Carabena

Underart by Circus Cirkör in Gothenburg

Knee Deep - Circus Casus in Piteå

Magic and juggling show at Chistmas at Liseberg

Shows and extracts at Women in Circus Consortium
Beta testing - Gyonides Project
Eat it - Ruby rose
I shit diamonds - Stacy Sacks
Circus Hall of Femmes - many different artists that where all women


I think 2014 has been a wonderful circus year! I hope you had wonderful circus years as well and that 2015 will be a good one!













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