5 degrees by Twisted feet - dance about global warming that needs more things in between its big innovative dances

Twisted feet is a Gothenburg based dance company that had their premier of their latest production "5 degrees" this Thursday, which I attended. Since I have seen many of the dance company Bounce's shows I had really high expectations to "5 degrees", especially since it aspired to build bridges between dance and global warming.

During the indtroduction speeches at the bar upstarirs many of them praised the face that this was a bigger project that included school shows and even an app for education about global warming, as well as this dance show.

I think that it is indeed a brave subject to take on for a dance show, and it is explained in the show when a boy finds a rubrics cube from the future that talk about global warming. The rubics cube is talking with a prerecorded voice, and answered with big movements from the dancer. For each degree there are some dances and also a set location that sets the mood of the dance.

The dances are very innovative in my eyes with position of the dancers, rythm and patterns. There was a lot of energy in the dances and the timing with changes of which part that will be in the spotlight are very good. The dances are very different from each "degree" (and location) and adds variety. All the dances are big group dances with all the dancers on stage.

The show uses a lot of technical help in innovative and new ways, from the voice and rubrics cube to let the audience be underwater with the help of blue lasers.

Twisted feet's "5 degrees". Picture borrowed from fotoscenen.se

"5 degrees" aims very high, but I think that the theme is overly explained in the show. The pace is too slow when the boy is talking to the rubrics cube, and I would have wished for more dance in between the big dance acts, both to give the show more dance and less words and to add even more variation, maybe with some duos or solos? Now there are to sharp edges that makes too sharp contrasts and not enough with dynamics. The big dance numbers could have stand out even more with some company from other dances around them.

The scenography with book shelves and wallpapers doesn't bring much to the show, but it takes time to move them out from the stages. I think the show could have done as good without them.

The lack of pace with the talking parts seems even longer since it was not clear to me who these parts where aimed at. Since it was in English, children younger than maybe 13 would have had difficulties to understand the information, and anyone old enough to understand English know at least this basic things about global warming that the voice were telling us.

Because of this, my favourite parts was in a windy mood, with two dancers that looked like the where caught by the wind. The mood was enhanced with hanging fabrics to create the feeling of being up in the sky.

I think it was too much talking an not as much dancing, with some lack of dynamics. The big dances with all the dancers were very good and innovative, but needs to be accompanied with better things in between.

Twisted feet's "5 degrees"

Choreography and directions: Twisted feet
Script: Christoer Brocker and Twisted feet
Clothes: Majli af Ekman
Scenography: Torulf Wetterot
Dancers: Mona Namer, Marco Whilborg, Johnny Nguten, Marcel Gomes, Denny Hultén, Anna Näsström, Pawel Pablo Krupa, Daniel Koivunen, Mia Hellberg and Felix Iljeh.

Twisted feet homepage

Some theories why the monodisciplinar seems to increase in the circus world

I have noticed that lately I have read and heard quite a lot about monodisciplinary shows, and by that I mean specialized shows with only juggling or only acrobatics and so on. To explain my thoughts about this, I will start with the different disciplines of circus.

When I went to circus school, I learned that circus consisted of the following five disciplines:

• Juggling and object manipulation
• Aerial
• Acrobatics
• Equibrilistics and balance
• Clowning

Later, I found out that some people also include

• Partner acrobatics
• Ring master

These different disciplines are all very different and give different dimensions to the circus, as well as a great variety. They all had their place.

But lately and especially in new circus I have noticed that there are many shows with only one or maximum two of these disciplines. There are acrobatic shows, juggling shows and balance shows.
Here are some of my ideas of why:

Maybe this has come from small groups that want to explore their discipline deeper, and in order to do that it takes some acts to show the different possibilities within the discipline.

It could also be that people with one specialization meet other people with the same specialization and then decide to make a show together. I think it is much more likely to meet people in your own specialization than someone from a totally different field.

One other explanation could be that it might be easier to "break free" from "traditional circus" by doing it monodisciplinary as it even more underline the differences between traditional and new circus.

It could be easier to sell a show to a venue if it resembles more to other forms of performance that are usually monodisciplinar, like dance or theatre. Because then it is easier to label it as "juggling performance" in the program.

Do you have any ideas of why the monodisciplinar shows has seemed to have increased?

Tilde Björfors has written a lot of interesting things on this topic in her circus research on this link: 7 Dimesions and 7 disciplines (In Swedish).

In the club at uni we did a monodisciplinar show last winter as there where only object swinging, manipulation and juggling in the club at that time. We did a high light video:

Trying to overcome some fear of acrobatics at Balance Camp in Gagnef

In the middle of august I attended Balance Camp in Gagnef. Balance Camp is a camp that focused mainly on balance activities and unicycling, but when I registered for which workshops to attend I decided to pick acrobatic ones since I really want to learn some of that. The biggest obstacle is that I have some mental fear of doing acrobatics, but I decided to try to face that fear and learn some new things.

During the two days I did floor acrobatic, air track and trampoline. I also spend quite a lot of time trying to learn to do a back flip with some helpful spotters, and some lindy hop inspired back flip throws. I tried to jump with unicycle for the first time, and did some slack line walking. In the mornings we did SUP (stand up paddling board) on the river. During the air track class I almost learnt how to do a hand spring!

Since the weather was so nice everyone where out at the camp practising or watching others practise, and there was opportunities to practice the things learnt in the workshops or just using the equipment. There where trampolines, air track, crash mats, slack lines, SUPs, trial track for unicycling, juggling equipment, and indoor practise hall and a big grass field.

During the camp I tried to do things that I don't normally do and trying to overcome the fear of rotating with the head moving up or down. I must say that even though I am still quite afraid of doing acrobatics, I am a little less afraid now. I figure skating I learned the importance of trust in yourself when doing things, and this trust is definitely needed in acrobatics as well and I am slowly working on building that. 

Discussing how to improve our partner acrobatics back flip. Photo borrowed from Unitwins Facebook page

There where many unicyclist attending the camp and on Saturday evening there was an informal flatland competition that was nice to watch, both because it was the first unicycle competition I have watched and some of Sweden's best unicyclist where competing.

If you are considering going to Balance Camp an upcoming year I would recommend it. The camp was very organized with a lot of information on the website, mail and on the site, easy registration, home cooked food and nice sleeping rooms. The workshops were good and there was a lot of both equipment and space at the facility, which was a farm next to Dalälven river, as well as nice people that would share their skills.

Balance Camp website (In Swedish)

A summary of summer circus activities

It has been silent here for a while and a lot has passed since last time. As always, there is a lot to tell on the different subjects but for now I will just make a list of circus related things I have attended since last time, and hopefully they will turn into links and content.

• Attended the Swedish Juggling Convention 2015, this year held in Linköping
• Attended a mini circus festival arranged by Karneval in Malmö
• Watched the 20 years celebration show "Borders" by Cirkus Cirkör
• Performed at the graduation dinner at uni
• Held a week long circus course at a camp for children
• Helped to hold another circus course for children at a family summer camp
• Went to Balance camp in Gagnef

I have also juggled in parks, improved the club passing after having the chance to actually practise with people, gotten a raised interest in acrobatics and tried juggling volleyball for the first time. Burned my feet after being unused to be bare foot, and crushed my nails after catching hard thrown clubs.

After a summer of travelling, circus and meeting friends I have now moved back to Göteborg, Swedens second city by the south west coast to do a half year long internship, so now I am looking for circus things to do, as well as just juggling at home over my bed.

The best thing about Göteborg is that compared to Luleå the possibilities to see circus is a lot higher!

Jolleyball, or juggling volleyball in Slottskogen park in Göteborg