Page 32 Fall 1989
buskers,
continued You
can imagine my pleasure then when two nights before the end of the
festival I actually saw the gleaming, tattooed dome just about to
start up his show. I hit the dirt like a sack of cement. Low on
razzle dazzle tricks and high on his own brand of abrasive humor,
The Butterfly Man in full flight is a joy to behold. No one is safe
from his caustic wit. But, in contrast to what I had been lead to
expect, there is charm and a warm twinkle of the eye behind the
Butterfly Man's blustering.
He
performs a torch routine with solid chops and doubles and sporadic
behind the back and under the leg throws. This leads into a fire
eating routine with a couple of fine gags. His cigar box routine has
some skillful and original moves with a roundthe-world, a clever 3
box stack to 3 box line beginning and 180' rotation of boxes on the
horizontal axis. His concluding ball routine moves frequently
between 3 and 4 balls and finishes
with a 5 ball split multiplex and reverse cascade. Floats like a
butterfly, stings like a bee.
A
true gentleman of the streets, Alex Elixer is a Nova Scotia
boy made good. His was another act which I also somehow missed
seeing last year (was I blind, or what?), so it was a delight when I
ran into him one evening on Argyle St.
EJixer
has a nice comedy routine complete with a straight-jacket escape and
juggling 3 beach balls with two volunteers, but at the core is some
skillful and well presented juggling. He does a lovely 3 torch
routine with lots of complex variations including solid doubles,
triples and quadruples, solid throws under one leg, high lateral
throws, chops and a nice elbow balance. He concludes by juggling 5
torches seamlessly. Using illuminated balls he also does a five ball
routine with a number of variations.
Pandemonium II is the combined comedic, acrobatic and juggling skills of Jerry Rowan and Daniel Looker and a better show, at least for my money, than either of their individual routines from last year's festival.
Looker's diabolo routine was hands down the best one at the festival with difficult
tricks, smooth transitions and a polished
patter. There were continuous round the head, round the body and round
the legs moves, a double pirouette, skipping rope, a front handspring,
and a move in which he releases one of the handles, swing it in full
circle into his outstretched palm. His diabolo expressway into a
trashcan is 100% original -- imitators and plagiarists beware!
Looker
is also becoming a connoisseur of the rola-bola with balances on one
foot, one foot and one arm, handstands and a 180' jump. Impressive are
his double rola bola (on two horizontal cylinders) and quadruple (on
alternating vertical and horizontal cylinders) balances. Nice to see
real circus skill and artistry on the street.
Rowan
has a fine 3 ball comedy routine with lots of variations. He and
Looker pass 6 torches between an 8 foot unicycle and an unsupported
ladder. He also performs a superb comic juggling routine with 3 clubs
and an egg, including multiple kickups into the pattern. BACK
FOR A SECOND YEAR are Kyla (10), Dana (12) and Alexis (14) Walker
from Florida -- the Tri-Jesters. A year of rehearsing and the results
show. Their show is stronger, better and more diverse with new skills
and routines. All three now ride giraffes in formation patterns. In a
new finale number they juggle and pass torches on stilts. A nice touch
is the electric piano/ synthesizer that all three kids play to
accompany their routines.
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![]() Robert Nelson, The Butterfly Man |