Danik abishev biography of martin
We hear from a band leader, hand-balancer and contortionist about life in a travelling circus-cabaret, as their show LIMBO stops in Auckland for the Arts Festival.
Sxip Shirey, Danik Abishev and Aurelien Oudot spill the beans to Dione Joseph.
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Want to know about funding programmes run by the Russian government for children in the circus, or what it means when fathers and sons don’t quite see eye-to-eye regarding career choices? Then read on. These LIMBO artists don’t hesitate to get down with what happens behind the scenes in their lives as part of one of the world’s most famous circus cabarets.
As a toy musician Sxip Shirey was flown out to Melbourne 10 years ago for a solo performance by Scott Maidment and they've been working together ever since, leading to a collaboration over the last three years where this band leader’s music became the energy that Maidment chose to get behind LIMBO.
“I was the first person to get hired,” says Shirey, “And over the past 10 years working as an experimental/novelty composer I’m still here - doing stuff with sound that you’ve never seen before ."
Stale is not a word in LIMBO’s vocabulary.
Danik Abishev is one of the world’s finest hand-balancers but his childhood growing up as part of the circus in Moscow is thrilling enough to become a blockbuster.
“Unlike some of the other LIMBO artists I didn’t choose to join the circus,” he smiles. “But that’s because I grew up in one! We spent a lot of time travelling around Europe and back in the day (s) the Russian government used to offer extra financial support if parents chose to have their children perform in the circus.”
In response to collective stunned silences Abishev continued: “But that’s not all, the more dangerous the act the more money you would get so my dad wouldn’t put a safety harness on me so he’d get paid more.
Limbo, Southbank Centre
Limbo is the centrepiece of this year’s summer-long London Wonderground festival mounted on the Southbank and arrives on clouds of glory from this year’s Adelaide Festival. Directed by Scott Maidment, Limbo styles itself as a grab-bag, with the showpiece sections budging up to make room for bits and pieces of cabaret and burlesque, tap and illusionism (supplied by Paul Kieve), and what can only be described as the moving parts of an S&M sales catalogue. And all the way through, the motif of a floating white feather (pictured below) hints that the performers may be suspended between the devil's fiery basement and a celestial otherwhere.
Any thoughts that this might be a traditional circus entertainment are swiftly postponed as, onto a raised circular stage, enters froth-maned MC Sxip Shirey growling breathy school-of-Tom-Waits nothings into a mouth organ with the help of a sousaphonist and a handheld police siren. As the three musicians retreat upstage, a man in a nine-to-five suit, apparently under hypnosis, is summoned from the audience. That idea that it could be one of us up there soon recedes as, apparently inveterbrate, Jonathan Nosan proceeds to tie himself in serpentine knots. Contortionism being a marmite skill – you either love it or find it creepy as hell - this doesn't feel like an inclusive opener.
As the six performers from various corners – Russia, France, Canada and the US – get to show off their specialisms, everywhere the erotic undercurrent is explored. Danik Abishev balances atop poles with his wrists and ankles restrained in chains. Heather Holliday licks her lips after gulping down a sword, as if performing deep throat. Evelyne Allard’s chain trapeze concludes with a strip. Mikael Bres does an acrobatic sort of pole dance. And Last November, we were finally back in(!) a(!) theatre(!) for a sold-out season of Apocalipstick! at Metro Arts. It seems like both a million years and one minute since that time, but Polytoxic have not rested on their lockdown laurels. They&#;re back with a brand new show for Brisbane Festival: DEMOLITION. Here&#;s my (brief) two cents on Polytoxic&#;s not-to-be-missed new show: DEMOLITION has all the good stuff you want — feats of strength, mid-air hula-hooping, synchronised intersectionality, a very ascendable set and a microphone in an Ice Break bottle — but is at its best when its high-octane acts turn in on themselves and embrace the uncanny. This is a very different show from APOCALIPSTICK! (Metro Arts ); DEMOLITION is focused on &#;getting shit done — by the tonne&#;. The Polytoxic crew is unafraid to let its audience sit with — even help lift — its heavier moments. While there&#;s cheekiness and fun in DEMOLITION, its strongest scenes let the audience do the work, blurring the juxtaposition of feminist send-up with the actual injustice underneath. You&#;ll find yourself laughing and whooping and then, suddenly, examining what made you laugh and — just as quickly — weeping or raging. The performers make a lot of noise in this show — after all, it&#;s circus! — but I&#;ve never heard the scream, the cry, the yawp deployed with such power and nuance. Co-directors Lisa Fa’alafi (pictured; photo by Joel Devereux) and Leah Shelton kick arse, and Ghenoa Gela, Lilikoi Kaos and Mayu Muto were stand-outs. All DEMOLITION lacks is a little more levity at its denouement; after the thoughtful, affecting rollercoaster of its various feats, the audience needs to be lifted back up just a little more — called to affirmative action, maybe — before we toddle back out into the foyer. (However, once there, you can and will buy 👊-themed stubbie coolers, pins and tees.) DEMOLITION runs from 4–11 September at Brisbane Powerhouse .