Smashed
directed by: Sean Gandini
assistant director: Kati Ylä-Hokkala
dramaturgy: John-Paul Zaccarini
lighting design: Mark Jonathan
soundtrack, management, production: Gandini Juggling
duration: 60’
premiere: National Theatre, London, 2010.
dancers:
supported by: London National Theatre, Arts Council England, La Brèche Centre for the Circus Arts
The dark art of juggling. 80 apples, 9 performers, 4 crockery sets.
You are cordially invited to a tea party that you will never forget!
Inspired by the work of Pina Bausch, this mesmerizing mix of circus and theatre is an hour- long journey involving nine skilled jugglers, a hundred red apples and a soundtrack ranging from Tammy Wynette to Music Hall and Bach. A series of nostalgic filmic scenes explore conflict, tense relationships, lost love and afternoon tea. Inspired by the work of the great choreographer, directors Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä-Hokkala have borrowed elements of her gestural choreography and combined them with the intricate patterns and cascades of solo and ensemble juggling. Simultaneously evoking great pleasure and small disquiet, “Smashed” lightly disrupts the rigid conventions of etiquette, dress and body language. The result is a new hybrid of juggling which is performed with meticulous unison and splitsecond timing. This funny, inventive, and characterful work is akin to dance theatre and challenges the perception of juggling.
Sean Gandini is one of the pioneers of contemporary juggling. Working as a performer, choreographer and director he has, for over 25 years, pushed the boundaries of juggling as a discipline and as an art form. Growing-up in Havana, Cuba, Sean was fascinated by Magic and Mathematics, but shortly after he began juggling, prompting a life-long fascination with all aspects of the art form. Sean’s professional career began in the 1980s, regularly performing in London’s famous Covent Garden and touring with various theatre companies – including the pioneering Ra-Ra Zoo. In 1991, with Kati Ylä-Hokkala, he co-founded Gandini Juggling and together they have been at the forefront of experiments into what juggling is and what juggling can be. Sean is a prolific creator. Whether working with the technicality of ‘pure’ juggling, crafting spectacular street art shows, or exploring the ways juggling might blend with other art forms, Sean is guided by a natural curiosity and delight in the myriad possibilities of throwing objects into the air.
Formed in 1991 by renowned jugglers Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä-Hokkala, Gandini Juggling continues to be at the vanguard of contemporary circus, reinventing and reinvigorating juggling for the 21st Century. Currently an ever-evolving ensemble made up of a virtuosic core group of jugglers. Since their inception the company has performed over 6,000 shows in 50 countries. These venues range from contemporary art museums in France to opera houses in Germany, from theatres in Lebanon to tents in Argentina. Closer to home, Gandini Juggling is presented at UK’s major outdoor festivals and theatre houses including London’s Royal Opera House, English National Opera, The Royal National Theatre and Sadler’s Wells. They collaborated with a wide range of artists from different disciplines, including composers, choreographers, fashion designers, computer programmers, sound designers, set makers and mathematicians. In addition to performing, company is very much in demand at leading circus schools. Teaching workshops, creating performances and supporting the next generation of circus artists.
Here, juggling becomes flights of inspired poetry, musical choreography with strong dance elements, crazy-comedy surrealism, breathtakingly dexterous virtuosity, darkly absurdist drama. Gandini opens windows in the mind.
© New York Times
Inventive and very funny.
© Independent
A juicy treat from first bite to its mid-air core!
© Herald Scotland
