Juggling supremos Gandini Juggling bring the spirit of Pina Bausch and the heady scent of apples to the Peacock Theatre on 31 May and 1 June with their signature work Smashed, directed by Sean Gandini – the first time the show will have been seen in London for seven years. Check it out here.
Summer 2024 looks like a busy time for the Gandinis in the UK, with your signature work Smashed at the Peacock Theatre, London on 31 May and 1 June then a solo show at the Edinburgh Fringe. Smashed is your tribute to the iconic choreographer Pina Bausch. – can you tell us briefly what we can expect to see?
These two shows offer very different perspectives on juggling but they both celebrate the possibilities of using juggling skill as vibrant performance. One can expect hypnotic patterns, funny scenes, choreography and thought-provoking material.
What in particular inspired you about her work?
Pina Bausch was ahead of the game. Her performances take the audience to a different rhythm of watching. They also have a way of letting the audience decide what is going on, often leaving a moral ambiguity in what is seen which we like. We also love her parades!
Smashed has been one of your most successful and popular shows which has been widely seen around the world since its creation in 2010. Have there been any performances or locations which particularly stand out for you?
Yes! We performed Smashed for the Festival d’Automne in Paris and a bunch of ex-Pina dancers came and were very generous. We then had the delightful Domique Merci help with a special one off we performed for the Mime Festival 40th Anniversary. But there have been many many special ones.
You have incorporated a number of different dance forms into your shows, how did you decide to move towards incorporating dance into your vision of theatre and juggling?
We get excited by the malleability of juggling and love seeing how it elegantly intertwines with so many forms. Sometimes you realise that an idea has been on your mind for a number of years and it’s time to try it out. We are currently really enjoying researching magic and juggling.
You and fellow Gandini Juggling director and wife Kati Ylä-Hokkala have worked together for over 30 years. How and where did you meet and what are the highlights of your journey together?
We met in Covent Garden where i was doing street shows and Kati had just retired from Rhythmic Gymnastics. We immediately felt a spark both creatively and romantically….There have been many highlights: recently, being on stage together for Akhnaten at the Metropolitan Opera House (with English National Opera) and Sadler’s Wells for LIFE, our show with Alexander Whitley and our tribute to Merce Cunningham.
How do you and Kati share your roles as joint directors of Gandini Juggling, both creatively and managerially? Where do you overlap and where do you have your own roles?
We have found a balance over the years. It has got easier. When we pass rings Kati is super precise but doesn’t like throws which veer off, I am in the opposite camp, I am less precise but I can catch many things…it seems a metaphor from LIFE…