Forums > Social Chat > Solo or Troupe

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 20th Mar 2001
Well, working in two's means you can pull off some really cool stuff like double fire breathing from one stick , linking and throwing equipment, also it means that one can stop while a solo person performs. working on your own means you have to be doing something constantly meaning prep work like soaking equipment and having a drink makes everything seem a bit non-flowing and stuff but you can do what you want and you usually get more money he he. I havn't really done much group work, have never done a SHOW so to speak just busking and parties etc, so thats all I know.peace outgarbo

be excellent to each other: safe:

Posted: 20th Mar 2001
My performance experience has always been working in at least a duo... it has lead to really smooth & continuous flow - I can imagine it would be more than twice the work to be holding the space entirely on your own...It allows for a lot more variety too, I guess - not only have you got two (or more) soloists, but you have the permutations on that too - ie choreography, interchange between performers (more of a staff thing I guess) and the interaction & (unspoken) communication... and also the length of the show - I know I couldn't really perform a 20minute show with as much energy by myself, having 30seconds to catch your breath does wonders to your stamina... I guess the downside would be working with someone you don't really gel with - I'm lucky in that I work with my sister - we're about the same size/height/skill level/temperament - which works really well for doing close-body choreography and stuff that requires you to trust one another (although she's always the one who accidently cops a staff in the nose when we're working on something new - so maybe trust is the wrong word, maybe tolerance is more it...)We also work with regular musicians/drummers which is really great - no nasty surprises or reliance on the music at the venue... and for busking it really helps to have enough people for one of the performers (usually me) to do the tax collector thing as the show is rounding off while someone else looks after the gear... oh and of course the safety thing - the other performers are always there with a real awareness and understanding of what you are doing, so if anything ever did so wrong they'd be my preferred "safety officers"...... but in saying that, it's also fun to do solo stuff when it's more of a freestyle situation/ parties etc... and I'd love to hear the other side - it would create a very different and more intense experience performing by yourself most of the time I imagine...

Posted: 20th Mar 2001
So far I've almost always performed as part of a group. Most of the time it's still a series of solo acts but it keeps things flowing and then we can do large endings with multiple performers. I've just recently started an actual troupe and we work great together. The drawback I'm worried about is in booking shows if people can't afford the whole group or only want one performer it'll be uncomfortable deciding who gets the gig. But I think the advatages of working as a group will make it worth it and we'll deal with that possibility when/if it happens.

How is it ever possible to feel safe and secure in a world in which everyone dies?

Posted: 20th Mar 2001
I've only done it solo. I don't know NE1 else in my area that does it Oh well, it's still a lot of fun, solo or not ------------------"Happiness is not a destination, but a method for life"- Burton Hills

The reason communism doesn't work is because people like to own stuff

Posted: 20th Mar 2001
Benefits of Solo.....Creative control, no bickering over what venues/costumes/routines, all the money, all the spotlight...Downside of Solo.....All the work and upkeep and prep and take down/clean upUpside of duo/Group.....Someone to draw energy from if the audience is lagging, someone to kick your ass when you aren't wanting to scoot on stage, someone to divert attention if something goes wrong, someone to help with set up, take down, etc, someone to keep company with on the long drives and boring between show nights, someone who is sympathetic to the soar shoulders or empathetic excitment when you finally get that move right, someone to brainstorm with who knows the physics and plausibilites, someone to blame when something goes wrong .Down side of duo/group.....When on the road it is impossible to have a moment of peace it seems sometimes, competitive attitudes can creep in and make bitchy moments even worse, one person wants to present things one way or do one venue and the other disagrees, management is *never* split 50/50 and can be tedious since you have to be certain you represent everyone in the group and address all concerns, conflicting choreography/songs (this was a huge one for us initially since both Prom and I tend to like to spin to the same songs for our solo routines, but we've worked it out).I suppose I am not much help arguing both sides of each coin. I have performed with and without fire both solo and in duos/groups. I think duo's take more mental work..comprimising and such, while solo has greater physical demands. Either one is worth the time and effort in the end, not only from a performance enrichment standpoint but also from a personal growth perspective. I learned volumes from both.That would be my very Libra-like perspective!!! Happy Spins!------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir..."I prefer not to go where there is a path but to blaze a new one!"

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK

Posted: 24th Mar 2001
Troupe Troupe TROUPE!We *love* our troupe.We teach each other new tricks, laugh at each other when we screw up (in a friendly way, of course), console each other when a show goes less-than-perfectly, and share all the costs of what we do (fuel, wick, insurance, practice space, blah, blah, blah...).It's been amazing how much I've learned from the people we've taught, wouldn't trade it for anything. Those kids are like family - we sometimes piss each other off, but we always make up. We spend *hours* every week together, more time than I generally spend with friends, that's for sure! And we've all grown together a lot, as performers and as people. It's pretty amazing.Yes, I'm a bit sappy about our troupe, but I'm also very very proud of us, and I can't imagine working solo after three years in The Cabiri! Woohoo!Besides, five badass poi spinners sure does make quite the visual onstage... hee hee... more so than I could do by myself!*C*------------------www.cabiri.org

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 25th Mar 2001
I started off just as a one man act and have built up quite an act for solo gigs, but home is where the heart is and that is Fireworks. Theres so much creative energy when we're together and i do best stuff personally, when i'm with the group. Circus is a family and is more than what the audience sees, far more. I'm shore most fire performers would love to be the best stand-alone act, but it would be awfully lonely. Plus theres a great little bata system that exsists where you trade your time off for theirs, sweet as. Does anybody else do this? I say YEAH for groups.

Posted: 1st Feb 2011
*bump*

Any new advice on starting a troupe? Has anyone done it and can discuss how to overcome some of the unique challenges?

Posted: 1st Feb 2011
Epic bump again?

/me should look for a necrothread image....

I doubt the basic advice has changed. It will be the same as trying to start a troupe for anything artsy. If you know someone doing a lot of acting, they might have insight.

Also, do you actually have someone to perform with? Is a fairly major consideration...

'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Posted: 1st Feb 2011

Non-Https Image Link

Posted: 1st Feb 2011
Oooo.... Purdy....


Non-Https Image Link
brains....

'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland