Night shifts. We
often have to work overnight, usually outside clubs spinning fire whilst people
wittily shout, ‘YOU’RE ON FIRE!’ at us again and again and again.
Original props. The
most recent prop we have invented is the fire ribbon. It’s a piece of wick, two and a half metres
long, based on a Chinese ribbon. No one has
been brave enough to light it yet but when we do we will post footage here,
assuming we survive the experience.
Passing. Passing
involves throwing juggling props between two or more people, whilst maintaining
a pattern. You can attempt passing: balls;
rings; clubs; poi; hula-hoops; sandwiches; kittens. Balls are easy, hula-hoops
are hard.
Quarter-pole. A
quarter-pole is a circus tent pole, the intermediate pole between central pole
and side polls, used in massive big tops like what we don’t own or need. YOU try coming up with a word that begins
with ‘q’ though!
Ropes (Corde Lisse if you’re feeling fancy). If you can manage to haul yourself up a rope,
you can make pretty shapes while you’re up there, or at least our colleague
Kris can and will (if you pay him).
Silks. Also an aerial
skill, apparently a bit harder on the muscles than ropes are, although performed
well silks are so graceful you’d be forgiven for thinking it looks easy. Kris can do this too and he will (if you pay
him).
Tight-wire. We have a
free standing tight-wire. I have seen
several small girls who know how to walk a gymnastic beam experience immediate
success; I like to think they leave our workshops and head straight to the
Grand Canyon, armed with nothing but raw ambition and ballet pumps. It is far more common to fall off before
managing even one step though - humbling and exhilarating simultaneously.
Unicycles. We have
recently invested in a giraffe unicycle.
That means it’s taller than I am!
(I’m 5’6 and it must have an inch or two on me).
Velcro. Velcro is the
answer to fast paced costume changes if you are performing, sweetie-dahlings.
Xciting xperiences xspecially for you! Xceptional, xilirating xcapades. (I’m so, so sorry.)
Yoga: great for strength; great for flexibility; perfect circus
conditioning.
Zoology. Is it cruel
or is it cool to use animals in the circus?
Should we train our chickens? We
don’t use any animals but Laura does occasionally dress up as a stilt-walking
cheetah.
