Juggler Sean Gandini and his partner Kati Ylä-Hokkala have built one of the UK’s most successful contemporary circus companies: Gandini Juggling. Gandini has directed multiple full length circus pieces: Spring, 4x4: Ephemeral Architectures, Sigma and of course Smashed, their Pina Bausch inspired mega-hit that has toured the world. He also has the Olivier Award winning Philip Glass opera Akhnaten under his belt as choreographer and is currently working on LIFE, a new piece with the Cunningham Foundation. But, just to be contrary, we decided to talk about an earlier piece, a darker piece, a less loved piece...
CLØWNS & QUEENS premiered in 2013. Right after their hit Smashed. For them, it is a relatively little performed piece; an investigation of the perversity of circus. There is nudity, the threat of violence, actual violence….and some baroque music.
Watch a full version of CLØWNS & QUEENS HERE!
Direction: Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä-Hokkala
Dramaturge: John Paul Zaccarini
Lighting Design: Jean-Ba Laude
Costume Design: Gemma Banks
Juggling based on ideas: Sakari Männistö
Performers: Caterina Boschetti, Marinna De Sanctis, Iñaki Fernández Sastre, Sean Gandini, Doreen Großman, Christelle Hersscher, Sakari Männistö, Francesca Mari, Silvia Pavone, Jon Udry, Kati Ylä-Hokkala, Cecilia Zuchetti
Gandini Juggling Website
CLØWNS & QUEENS Website
Book referenced in interview:
Thomas Wilson's biography of Gandini Juggling: Juggling Trajectories
Available from Gandini Press Website
The last three questions.....
PIECE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Juggler Sergei Ignatov’s juggling to Chopin
The work of choreographer Merce Cunningham
PIECE THAT DIDN’T LOVE BUT HAS VALUE
Soviet propaganda art, or other morally didactic work.
NOMINATE AN ARTIST FOR US TO CHECK OUT
The work of choreographer Jonathan Burrows
This season of MOVERS SHAKERS MAKERS has been made possible by grants from the Norfolk Arts Project Fund and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.