FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR : MOVING POLES

On Saturday, Belgian company Cirq’ulation Locale will perform their show, Moving Poles, at Bell Square.  The show uses sway poles which probably aren’t familiar to many people. So what is a sway pole?

 Essentially, it is a very long pole, standing high in the air.  A performer, at the top of the pole, makes the pole sway in all directions, high and low, swooping above the audience. There is no machinery here, no clever hydraulics or helping hands controlling it. All the movement is down to the performer. Meshing aerial theatre, dance and circus, the extreme strength and flexibility of the pole allows the performer to sway back and forth, bowing down low to the audience and soaring up high into the sky.

 It's been said that sway poles are based on the image of a field of wheat moving gently in the breeze. I was reminded of that this summer, watching a beautiful show called RoZeO by the legendary company Gratte Ciel in France. Performed on grassy fields by the river in Chalon-sur-Saone, it was easy to get lost in the rhythm of the swaying poles.

 Sway poles are also often used in large-scale events to provide a real wow-factor – and they do. Remember the London Paralympic Opening Ceremony in 2012? Or Australia’s entry for the Eurovision contest accompanying Kate Miller Heidke’s Zero Gravity in 2019?

 But for me, they are at their most mesmerising when you can be up close to them. The suspension and the slow oscillations invite a real contemplation.

 Cirq’ulation Locale do both. They definitely have the wow-factor but their performance is also a living installation to be observed and appreciated.

 A recent review of a sway pole show in France last year described it as being ‘like living statues soaring between heaven and earth’ (Nord Éclair).

 Come to Bell Square on Saturday and relax and reflect. There are two performances – at 1.00 pm and again at 3.00 pm. As always, it’s free, no need to book, and everybody’s welcome.

 Hope to see you there!