Gandini Juggling: Heka

A conjurer is not a juggler; he is an actor playing the part of a magician; an artist whose fingers have more need to move with deftness than with speed. Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, Secrets of Conjuring and Magic, 1868

Juggling and Magic are like long lost sisters. So similar and yet so different.

Heka (the Egyptian goddess of magic!) is the title of Gandini Juggling’s new show.

Drawing inspiration from the intricate connection between juggling and magic, Heka transports audiences into a mesmerising realm where reality blurs with illusion. Heka transcends boundaries, inviting spectators on a journey where objects materialise and vanish, levitate, and transform before their eyes. Yet, beneath the surface lies a tantalising question: what is real and what is merely a trick of perception?

Infused with a captivating blend of humour and philosophy, Heka marks a departure for Gandini's renowned repertoire. Director Sean Gandini, whose artistic journey began in Havana half a century ago, revisits his magical roots in this hybrid performance.

Embracing elements of contemporary choreography, Heka reimagines magic through the lens of repetition, counterpoint, and misdirection. Conversely, it explores how magic principles can inform choreographic expression, challenging conventional notions of performance.

Moreover, Heka explores the dynamics of group magic, probing the possibilities of multiple hands and gestures in a choreographic context. Delving into the nuances of delay and anticipation, the performance invites viewers to reconsider the ritual of spectatorship and its impact on satisfaction.

Above it all it is a celebration of the silliness and absurdity of entertainment, a homage to the delights of the absurd.