For his 15the anniversary, Montreal Completely Circus has chosen to launch its festivities with one of the public’s – and critics’ – favorite companies, Gandini Juggling, which is presenting a sequel to its tribute to Pina Bausch this Wednesday, Smashed 2.
Sean Gandini is a regular on the Montreal circus scene. The English juggler, who founded the Gandini Juggling troupe in 1992 with his Finnish-born partner Kati Ylä-Hokkala, has been here several times. His last visit was in 2019, just before the pandemic (with the show Spring).
We speak to him by Zoom the day after the premiere of Smashed 2 at the Diamant in Quebec last week. “We were a little jet lag [en décalage horaire]so it was a bit like a dream,” the artist tells us in perfect French.
In 2013 he presented the show Smasheda tribute to the German choreographer Pina Bausch. An acrobatic ballet in which the company’s nine performers danced and juggled at the same time – with apples! A symbol of the forbidden fruit, of course, and of voluptuousness too.
Gandini was inspired by the play Contact Centerby Bausch, which explored the different types of male-female relationships: seduction, attraction, manipulation, violence, etc.
But unlike Contact Centerwhere there were as many women as men, in Smashedfemale performers were in the minority, barely two out of nine.
The director played on this imbalance, willingly creating unease, particularly by placing women in vulnerable situations.
“There is a scene where a woman finds herself surrounded by a group of men, it goes quite far,” the English artist and director tells us.
Pina Bausch has created three versions of her ballet, with three generations of performers, questions of evaluating male-female relationships at different ages. A few years ago, Sean Gandini also wanted to recreate her piece Smashedbut with the roles reversed. This time, it is the men who are in the minority.
From where Smashed 2which Sean Gandini says is more theatrical than dance, with a “jubilant and violent” ending.
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHÉ, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Artist and director Sean Gandini
In my opinion, Smashed 2 is a story of revenge and redemption. I was inspired by Korean films that tackle the theme of revenge quite skillfully, but it is not necessarily a reflection of the real world, there is a fantasy side, which is treated with humor, as was the case with Smashed.
Sean Gandini, artist and co-director of Smashed 2
For this second opus, Sean Gandini replaced the apples with oranges, whose symbolism is more vague. But he also added… watermelons.
“It’s so wonderful, a watermelon,” he illustrates, “because it has a comical side to it, it’s an absurd fruit. But when it opens, it’s like blood. We play with it, the women take them like babies or hold them between their legs, it’s perhaps the most disturbing thing in the show.”
Juggling passion
Sean Gandini and his partner Kati Ylä-Hokkala are among the nine performers of Smashed 2. “There are performers of all ages in the company,” he explains, “the average age is 45, but yes, I continue,” he says with a smile. “I stopped for a year or two, but I didn’t like it, it made me nervous. Watching juggling is terrifying!”
The couple is also pushing for more women in juggling, to the point of having achieved equality in the company. When you consider that statistically, there are more male jugglers than female, this is no small feat.
The fact remains that the distinctive mark of Gandini Juggling is to have succeeded in combining juggling and dance. His show Lifein homage to the American dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham, is the most recent example.
Shows dedicated to a circus discipline – like Gandini’s – are thus increasingly numerous in Europe, contrary to the North American tendency to present a series of numbers.
In doing so, he of course runs the risk of over-specializing and putting off the public… He is well aware of this. But Gandini’s performances always attract crowds. “A happy accident,” the co-founder of the troupe likes to humbly say.
Sean Gandini continues to draw inspiration from the mathematics of juggling and theories of music theory to identify the sequences of numbers that determine the figures that he then composes with nine people (in this case). “I continue to work with this method,” he confirms, “the possibilities are endless.”
What’s next for Gandini’s jugglers? “I’m fascinated by magic and by these artists who spend their lives hiding their skills. It’s the opposite of juggling or circus artists, so I think about that…”
How long does he intend to juggle? “Until I’m 93,” he says with a smile. “At 93, I’ll stop. Merce Cunningham danced until he couldn’t get on stage anymore… But yes, I’m still doing it. It makes me very happy, all that.”
Smashed2 is presented at TOHU until July 7.
Check out the page of Smashed 2
Montreal Completely Circus takes place from July 4 to 14.
Check out the festival program
Other shows to see
Bearded/Dirty Laundry
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Last year, Complètement cirque presented the program Bearded/Dirty Laundry at Espace St-Denis.
These two cabaret shows are presented back-to-back at Espace St-Denis throughout the festival (like last year!). It’s not a double bill per se, but you’ll get a discount if you attend both. It’s Beardedfrom Cirque Alfonse, created 10 years ago, which is starting the ball rolling. A playful cabaret, led by Antoine Carabinier-Lépine, with the electro-trad music of David Simard. Dirty Laundryfrom the Australian company Briefs Factory, continues. A drag cabaret hosted by Barbada, who stands out for her naughty nature rather than her acrobatic prowess. For an entertaining evening among adults.
From July 3 to 14 at Espace St-Denis.
Visit the page of Bearded
Check out the page of Dirty Laundry
The Librarian
PHOTO ROBERT GILBERT FROM THE BIG TOE WEBSITE
Hippolyte in the role of Librarian
Change of tone, change of style… The Librarian is a family show created by Le Gros Orteil in 2015 and featuring multidisciplinary artist Hippolyte. This show, which combines physical theatre, music and clowning, has been performed over 400 times in the country since its creation. It has also been presented in Europe and Asia, notably in China and Korea. The acrobatic piece directed by Marie-Hélène D’Amours (the founder), with Hippolyte, tells the story of librarian Paul-Émile Dumoulin, who is projected into fantasy worlds as soon as he delves into his books. For children ages 5 and up.
From July 5 to 14 at Espace St-Denis.
Visit the page of the Librarian
The Last Judgement Cabaret
PHOTO PROVIDED BY COMPLETELY CIRQUE
THE Cabaret of the Last Judgement will be launched on July 5th.
The Monastery’s annual circus competition returns to St. Jax Church on Sainte-Catherine Street West, just around the corner from Bishop Street. This year, Philippe Thibaudeau will be the master of ceremonies. Nine artists will be featured: Jenny Tufts (aerial hoop), Charlie Wheeller (Cyr wheel), Karel Chevalier (aerial silk), Isabella Majzun (balloon juggling), Arthur Morel Van Hyfte (aerial prism), Frida Velasco and Mike Carter (hand-to-hand duo), Ess Hödlmoser (aerial straps) and Merlin Matthewson (pin juggling). You, the audience, will vote for the best act!
July 5-13 in St. Jax.
Visit the page of the Cabaret of the Last Judgement