UK / US

Zebra

A futuristic chandelier with a sense of humour

A futuristic chandelier with a sense of humour... As one of the world’s best and most innovative jugglers, Wes Peden is a true force of nature.

Wes’ solo show Zebra is made up of white fringe, kneepads, extendable arms, and vinyl records. There’s ball juggling where the elbows are used as little trampolines, ring technique that turns the rings into hovering butterflies, and a five-club piece viewed from the back which forms constellations and waves from high throws and reverse spins... The aesthetic is that of a futuristic chandelier with a sense of humour.

Taking inspiration from Sumo wrestling, fast-food packaging, and 1950s playgrounds, Wes designs shows for space stations and parking lots. He has performed in over 25 countries including Japan, Israel, Australia and Iceland. His energetic, complex and playful juggling style has won him awards from the International Juggling Association and the festival Cirque de Demain. Wes graduated from the school Dans och Cirkushögskolan with a degree in juggling. You can also catch Wes as one part of Plastic Boom’s show Water on Mars, a dynamic circus performance full of airborne images and electro beats.

Zebra is co-produced by Gandini Juggling. Formed in 1992 by world-renowned jugglers Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä-Hokkala, Gandini Juggling continues to be at the vanguard of contemporary circus, reinventing and reinvigorating juggling for the 21st Century. Gandini Juggling celebrates juggling in all its facets, exploring not just what juggling is, but what juggling can be. Currently an ever-evolving ensemble made up of a virtuosic core group of jugglers, they regularly expand to include up to twenty performers for specially commissioned events and performances. Gandini Juggling is based in London and for its performances invites talented jugglers from all over the world. In addition to performing, Gandini Juggling are very much in demand at leading circus schools, where they teach workshops, create performances, and support the next generation of circus artists. Alongside all this, the company publish their own books and DVDs, continuing to support the wider understanding of the beautiful possibilities of juggling, for jugglers and non-jugglers alike.