dawndreams.ca

I have had some difficulty street performing this summer. Along with other factors,  suddenly everyone started ignoring contact juggling and all I could hear were whispers of this f-word. Then some got loud, “I saw that on TV!” an American tourist would exclaim in the middle of my show. “Fuh-Fuh….” they say

“nope, this is contact juggling” and I explain to them that they’ve been duped into thinking a ball can magically float as hand them a ball to try themselves. “This is a skill that I have taken 9 years to learn, it is not as easy as they make it out to be”.

I call it the F.ball with good reason.  The first offense was the misleading advertising, as it single handedly convinces the entire American public that contact juggling can be learned in an instant with one false advertisement. The second is the less-than-perfect manufacturing process can be proven with a few easy tests. The latest blow includes using a mock website with the registered trademark of Sphereplay  for their own commercial gain (which they have since taken down upon request). Ouch, that’s Low ZoomTV, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

I have begun an information campaign, simply trying to inform people about the problems with this product and this company, in a re-educational campaign about what contact juggling is really about.

Check out the videos, they are very revealing!

The photo below was taken at the JCI Fashion show. If you click the image it will bring you to the full portfolio of images, I encourage you to check out the great local photographer Budianto Nasrun gallery for a treat!

Here is a link to the Fashion show itself. The experienc  of being with all these beautiful people was really neat! I am usually a bit more rough and clownish, so it was great to get cleaned up and pretty with the models,  I think I might just suit that look .

Here is a short from a stage show I did with my friend James Hamilton and his group Eastern Star over the February Celebrations. I really enjoy working with James, who is a seasoned performer in the music industry all over the world. I would love more opportunities to work with a band. It really gives a full atmosphere for a performance when a group comes together like this. Feel free to check out his website at www.sitarmusic.ca

New Costume Photos in the Promo Gallery

With the Olympics coming to Vancouver in just under 6 days, I have been busy preparing for gigs with costumes and rehearsals. The city has changed, the tourists have begun descending upon this small city, ZIP lines, Jumbotrons, pretty lights and art installations have appeared in every corner! This city is about to POP! In preparation I have created a costume archive, check it out! Watch for me during the Torch Relay on February 12 as I will be doing a fire performance with my troop! I will be performing on all the streets I can. I am totally excited to be a part of these celebrations. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

This summer, my favorite place to street perform was at the night market in Chinatown. There was no competition, the vibe was amazing, the people were generous and kind and the food was cheap and delicious!

I am lucky this year to have many supporters, including this person who uploaded a video of me to youtube! This is the end of my show & I think this does a good job of representing what I have been doing all summer.

Take a look…

I have been busy with busking these days. It is such a special experience that I have difficulty expressing in words. The people I meet every day on the street are so amazing, and all so very different. I need to learn to say hello in Cantonese and Mandarin for working at the Chinese night market. I should also learn how to say ‘thank you’. It’s quite special in the city these days, what an amazing place to be all summer!

I have been editing videos too! I created some concept videos and tutorials to share! Please tell me what you think & if they are helpful.

Here is a tiny but good taste of my busking show I’ve edited together to share with you!

It’s coming together quite nicely, tell me what you think!

I’ve been getting a lot of exposure while busking these days! It’s quite the thrill. I have found decent pitches, I have developed some fans around town and of course it’s a lot of fun making minds explode!

My Stilts arrive within the week! I will show pictures when I get them!

Until then, here are a few videos from me busking in my neighbourhood on Car Free Sundays.

I had never done this trick before! I was totally testing my boundries.

This is my finale these days.

This is my warm up with the crowd.

Tell me what you think!

Ryan and I have finished the our workshop series. Watch this in high quality, please.

Its really exciting to have completed this project. I was in disbelief at the endeavor the whole time & still am. I will be honest when I say this was a fascinating journey. Everyone should play tourist in their own country. Exploring contact juggling in such depth was really beautiful for me, and I am so happy I got to share that with Ryan.

We are planning a new project to share our workshop and our new exploration of objects on a 40 min down loadable DVD. We are hoping to charge a bit of cash to supplement our funding for the whole project, and anything leftover will be funding the newer projects Ryan and I will be working on long term – like a full 40 minute show.

Tell me what you think, guys!

Contact Juggling in Canada: British Columbia

Contact Juggling in Canada: Alberta

Contact Juggling in Canada: Saskatchewan

Contact Juggling in Canada: Manitoba

Contact Juggling in Canada : Ontario

Contact Juggling in Canada: Montreal 1

Contact Juggling in Canada: Montreal 2

Contact Juggling in Canada: Toronto