Gandini Juggling : The joys of the circus

30 December 2009

The joys of the circus

Sometimes life delivers images as ready made archetypes. I grew up in Havana. My circus education came via visits from the Moscow state with my parents. As a child this world was enchanting and wondrous. A world i longed to belong too.

We have just returned from doing a filmed gala for Liana Orfeis Golden Circus in Rome. In the haze of jet lag i was transported back into this childhood world, North Korean flying trapeze that performed a quadruple, Nervous Kozack Horse riders exuding filmic machoness, Echoes of Fellini's clowns, Ringling brothers veterans, chain smoking ringboys...envelopes of cash, the Russian language filtered through thin dressing room walls...a world from another time, before Soleil and new variety. Marvelous.
Images to satisfy the child inside.

Liana Orfei's Golden Circus.

Posted By Sean Gandini At 21:44 • Comments (1)

I just got back from Havana and, whilst there, I was saddened at the great lack of juggling (and in the rest of Cuba). I think the only practicing jugglers are holed up in the circus school whilst the only jugglers I met learned the few tricks that they can remember from when they went to (now defunct?) circus schools as children.

Maybe it's time for a Gandini injection of inspiration?
Maybe I was looking in the wrong places, but I was more interested to see what was happening at street level.

Comment By Irinus At 05/01/2010 14:17

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