Entries Tagged 'circus' ↓

Last night we enjoyed the show at Wynn, the other water show in Las Vegas.

Here’s a recent backstage profile:

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

We had the chance to say hi to Kristina Baskett. She’s actually leaving the show, headed off to Los Angeles for some, I assume, stunt work.

The newest circus water show is opening in Macao.

This is called Mallakhamb.

… a traditional Indian sport in which a gymnast performs poses and feats while hanging from a vertical wooden pole or rope. Mallakhamb also refers to the pole used in the sport. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

more videos we posted back in January – crazy gymnastics on a pole

Thanks Warren.

The International Gymnastics Federation and others have a commitment to grow Acrobatic Gymnastics.

How’s that going? …

The third FIG Academy for Acrobatic Gymnastics was hosted in Montreal (CAN) during the first week of August at the magnificent facilities of the Cirque du Soleil and the nearby National Circus School, which is located across the street.

This Academy was attended by 15 coaches from three federations: Brazil, USA and Canada – a somewhat disappointing number considering that this was a world-wide invitation. …

In the meantime, the Academy Programme continues with a Spanish language Academy for Rhythmic Gymnastics in Brazil and one for Aerobic Gymnastics in Finland in the coming two weeks and a French language Academy for Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics currently finishing in Senegal.

FIG – Canada hosts third ACRO Academy

Shout out for Hardy Fink, the Director of FIG Education & Academy Programmes. I think he’s doing a great job of building out coach education for all disciplines worldwide.

2008 Olympic bronze medalist Raj Bhavsar said Friday he will retire from competitive gymnastics and join Cirque du Soleil as a performer for the troupe’s show next year in Los Angeles.

Bhavsar, 29, was an alternate for the 2004 Athens Olympics and was selected as an alternate in 2008 but was elevated to the bronze medal-winning team when 2004 gold medalist Paul Hamm withdrew because of injury.

Bhavsar returned to gymnastics in 2009 to debut a skill on parallel bars that was named in his honor, one of two in the code of points that bears his name. He also won two world championship medals and was the 2002 NCAA all-around champion at Ohio State. …

Houston Chronicle

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Posted by Don Eckert.

I saw two Quads myself, the summer of 1977, I believe. We were in California for the Santa Monica Beach Fest.

Leave a comment if you can confirm who did it first off swinging rings.

For many years coaches have suggested that Cirque du Soleil “help” those sport disciplines who provide most of their acrobatic employees: Artistic Gymnastics, Acrobatic Gymnastics, Trampoline and Tumbling.

There have been some initiatives.

For example, Cirque pays a cash prize to Senior gold medalists at the Canadian Championships.

Now something new. In 2008 a contractual agreement was signed with Cirque provinding support to the F.I.G. Acrobatic Gymnastics Technical Committee.

Some coaches are financially supported to train athletes in their own gyms. Scholarships were made available to active athletes.

And now Cirque is providing some support to gymnasts working together in a camp in the Ukraine, in preparation for a future world tour with “Quidam”.

I don’t know the details. All this I got from an interview with Bernard Petiot, Cirque du Soleil Vice-President Casting and Performances, at the World Acrobatic Gymnastics championships in Warsaw.

Franco Dragone is the Belgian theatre director who created many of the best Cirque du Soleil shows including O:

… The show has a cast of 85 acrobats, synchronized swimmers and divers performing in and above a 1.5 million-gallon pool. …

The show is BIG. And WET.

Dragone went on to create another water-based show. Le Rêve, in Vegas.

His third water show opens Sept. 17th, 2010 at the Theatre of Dreams in the City of Dreams casino, Macao.

His House of Dancing Water performance will be the largest water-based production ever staged.

Click PLAY or watch a preview documentary on YouTube.

Looks cool. I’m not sure how the motorcycles are going to fit in.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

by site editor Rick McCharles

I enjoyed the second of three Cirque special performances at the Charlottetown Festival in PEI.

Jean-Francois Fabert

Cirque du Soleil will give three performances — Wednesday, June 30, Friday, July 2, and Sunday, July 4, at 9:15 p.m. …

Flight over P.E.I. inspired Cirque du Soleil director

It got great reviews in the local paper. I felt most got good value for the $40 ticket.

Obviously it’s not easy to put together a show for only 3 performances.

The troupe was invited for a local barbecue.

Thanks to hosts Lea and Jim Rand.

All’s good. … Right Jim?

more photos from Charlottetown

Sports Girls Play has a good post – Tips for Dealing with Gymnast’s Hand Rips.

Great content, as always.

But it mentions using tea bags to “reduce the pain and speed the healing of the rip“.

This was common with War wounds decades ago, especially when medics had nothing else.

Some tea (green and black) has tannin, not tanic acid.

The two terms are often confused. There’s a clarification on Wiki Answers.

My question to the great gymnastics blog-o-sphere:

Does tannin from a wet tea bag actually do anything for a gymnasts hand rip?

Does it reduce pain?

Does it speed healing?

Or is this another “gym legend”? … A useful placebo?

Five minutes exhaustive research on the WWW couldn’t answer this question conclusively.

From the Beatles show LOVE in Vegas.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

One of the best known gymnasts today, … due to the 3 Bars skills with her name on them.

Click PLAY or watch her AWESOME 2000 routine on YouTube.

One of the great innovators.

How does she feel about getting a Bronze Olympic medal at VISA Championships?

Find out from an interesting article in her local paper:

Ten years after Elise Ray and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team finished fourth in Sydney, Ray and her teammates are being awarded a bronze medal after an age infraction by the Chinese was discovered by the International Olympic Committee.

“At first I thought, ‘There is no way this is going to happen,’” said Ray, who coaches with Hampstead-based Carroll Gymnastics. “I was just shocked. It’s pretty wild.” …

Missing out on a medal was heartbreaking for Ray, who was 18 at the time. She nearly gave up the sport.

“I was very deflated,” she said. “I didn’t know if I wanted to do it anymore.”

Ray didn’t let up, however, and continued her career at the University of Michigan, where she became the most decorated Wolverine gymnast of all time.

Ray captured the NCAA all-around national title her freshman year. She then flipped, twisted and spun her way to national titles in the beam in 2002 and the bars in 2004. In 2005, she led the Wolverines to the Super Six finals where she took home a silver medal on the beam.

“Michigan was a healing experience for me,” Ray said. “It brought the fun back to it.”

Ray, a 14-time all-American, graduated with an English degree, but she wasn’t ready to give up gymnastics. She spent the next two years performing in Las Vegas for Cirque Du Soleil.

“I loved performing. The work was unbelievable, but Vegas was not my city,” Ray said with a laugh.

So she went from the neon lights of Vegas back to Maryland. She has been with Carroll Gymnastics, which practices at Four Seasons Sports Complex, for more than two years.

Ray found a passion for coaching immediately. …

read more

by site editor Rick McCharles

If your athlete always wanted to perform in the Circus, consider making the trip to Lost Wages:

The Cirque du Soleil Casting team is hosting open acrobatic auditions in Las Vegas in September 2010 for the following disciplines:

Gymnasts – Tumblers – Trampolinists – Sports Acrobats – Divers
September 18 from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M.
Callback session for the above disciplines: September 19.

Professional Martial Artists – Inline Skaters – Extreme Sports – Rhythmic Gymnasts
September 20 from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M.

details

Normally athletes should be age-18 or older to attend. Ask permission from Cirque if they are younger or they will likely be turned away at the door.

What’s it like to go to audition for the first time?

Let’s ask Peter Andersen from Surrey Gymnastic Society on YouTube.

The main link to the casting page is atop every page on this site. Email me if you have a specific question regarding one of your athletes: RickMcCharles@gmail.com

disclosure – I love Cirque du Soleil