'German' contact juggling photo by Jorge Gera
I remember when a short clip of german street performing at La Rambla was first posted on www.contactjuggling.org. Everyone on the forums watched in awe of his super-tight isolations, moving the isolated ball floating along a path before connecting it to his butterflies and bodyrolls. The result was long, flowing lines of movement and a sustained illusion and tempo that was unmatched by other contemporary contact jugglers.
Interview and new Xotico video after the jump
Interview with German (aka Xotico)
MoM: Where do you live?Xotico: I live half of the year in Buenos Aires (Argentina) and the other half in Barcelona (Spain).
MoM: Is there a community of contact jugglers where you are?
Xotico: It is not really a community of contact jugglers but rather a group of juggler friends who train together at Plaza Francia in Buenos Aires and Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona.
MoM: How would you describe contact juggling?
Xotico: For me contact juggling is a game which enables me to have a lot of fun, be it together with friends or on my own. Then, I live contact juggling as a form of active meditation, a moment when I manage to switch off my mind, giving way to an expression free of the noise of my thoughts.
MoM: Why do you contact juggle?
Xotico: Because I feel I connect with myself, with the people and the cosmos, as it were. Just as with any other artistic search, I think it helps us discover ourselves.
MoM: What is the best piece of contact juggling that you’ve ever seen?
Xotico: I discovered contact juggling through Michael Moschen and his film “Labyrinth”. It was thanks to him that, years later, I started to juggle. Of all those I have seen so far, “Conceptual piece” is one of my favourite performances. I also liked “Noosphere” by Jeannine and Mr Om, as well as “Nirvadhi” and “Metamorphose” by Mr Om.
MoM: What is the future of contact juggling?
Xotico: I enjoy seeing how contact juggling fuses with contemporary dance. In my case, however, I am more influenced by martial arts than by dance but I think the future lies in the fusion of disciplines and that it will depend on our own search and personal exploration. Of course, it will also depend on the input received by those who start juggling nowadays and, definitely, I foresee a future with lots of contact jugglers and lots of different juggling styles.
MoM: What do you think of when you are contact juggling?
Xotico: Precisely, I do not think of nothing in particular or, more precisely, nothing at all. The moments I most enjoy are those when I have nothing in mind, when I do not think of anything, neither the next trick of my performance nor the audience or the lighting. Everything just flows and the performance comes alive. Moments when both the audience and I share the same trip.
MoM: Anything else you would like to say to our MoM audience?
Xotico: At least in my experience, having fun, juggling and training are fundamental to the search for one’s own expression and represent the basis for both artistic and personal growth. Have fun, juggle and train
Check the German Video thread on contactjuggling.org, where you can find many video clips of his street performances.
Related posts:
November 19th, 2009 at 11:37 am
Mi amigo!! The orgullo que tengo es grande.. Ademas tu nombre Xotico me hace…sonreir, y se que algun dia velveremos a juntarnos…por el mundo este o…quien sabe!!! Felicitades, mereces cielos!!!!
November 19th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Que grande Ger!!!!!!!!!!!!
Esta genial el video!!!! ya sabemos que tenes muuuucho talento, asi que ahora solo queda que la gente te conozca.
Muchos éxitos Xotico!!!!!!
Seguro que vas a conseguir todo lo que quieres.
te quiero mucho mucho muchisimo!!!
Besos
TuLi!
November 19th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrimo del alma….una entrevista excelente…al igual que el video..
…!!!1
Me enorgullese tenerte como primo .!!!
Siempre aportando arte a la vida. Tu creatividad en todo lo que has hecho siempre ha sido de destacar, y no por cosa innata, sino por la pereseverancia que le has puesto en cada una de sus diferente formas. Vas a llegar muy lejos,,y ya lo has hecho!!!, viajando en la ilusion que has despertado en cada una de las personas que te ha visto…Te quiero mucho, lo sabes, y siempre estare a tu lado para apoyarte en esto o para limpiarte las bolas cuando haga falta JEJEJE, Un abrazo enorme..!!! keep on training…Arriba XOTICO..(para la gilada..que decian que uno nunca iba a llegar a nada.!!! GRANDE PRIMO::::!!!!::)))))
November 19th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
que bueno encontrarte nuevamente, auqnue sea a traves de un video
no se si seras conciente, pero tu arte nos permite volver a creer en la magia,
la magia que vive en todo ..
un beso grande, espero reencontrarte en el camino
November 19th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Ger! siempre existio y hoy se ve por aqui. Que bueno, cuanta alegria ! te acordas ese cumple y esa bola? ji, lo mejor Ger! besos
November 20th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Felicitaciones!!!!, Me alegra saber que te está yendo muy bien!!!, te mando muchos besos!!!
November 20th, 2009 at 3:12 am
Ladriiiiiiii!
November 20th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
GerXótico, algunos dirán: alucinate !, otros, genial !, una masa !.
Muchos menos te seguirán…. También, podrás chocar con la indiferencia, la incomprensión y hasta la burla.
Pero, Lao Tsé -5000 años atrás- lo avdirte: “así debe ser, porque si no fuera así, no existiría
el Tao”.
Un abrazo y nos mantenemos `en contact´.
Alé
November 20th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Thank’s for the comment’s, too much filosophical’s…jejejej
Thaaaaank’s anyway!
November 21st, 2009 at 5:29 am
Wowww Geerrr!! Me pusiste la piel de gallina! Siempre tan delicado, tan fino, tan sutil, tan artista…. tus creatividad es imparable!!! Seguí creando y disfrutando como sabes hacer, te quiero!!
Marie
November 21st, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Simplemente sensasional!!!!!
Me encanta tu estilo amigo xotico
te sigo felicitando groso, espero volver a verte pronto por la plaza francia y hacer juntos contact
te mando un abrazo inmenso!
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:20 am
Hola germán, esto lo podríamos llamar “contacto en francia” ó “un genio con tacto”, espero que la estés pasando super bien y que me llames cuando vuelvas (si te quedan ganas) felicitaciones.
Fernando
November 29th, 2009 at 5:28 am
Alo, alo!
Esa bola flota! Tb vos! muy bello por sierto.
Me encanto la entrevista y me alegro el corazon saber de vos.
Que locos nuestros ultimos encuentros en BA!!!!!
Que sigan los exitos!!
besosssssssssssssss
December 7th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
German, que satisfación enorme verte asi! Te acordas de nuestras charlas hace 20 años!!?? y ahora cada uno explotando en lo que mas le gusta! jajaja!
Desde la visión mas simple, mi hijo Marco me preguntaba si la bola era un iman cuando vió el video! un abrazo,
Mariano