The Beginning: Maedir Eugster and Violetta Taro in SANDDORN (1997)
SANDDORN BALANCE
“Possibly the most beautiful act currently performed in Europe” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 11th of June 2011
With thirteen palm leaf ribs, the Swiss artist Maedir Rigolo creates an oasis of concentration and serenity, a place of equilibrium; fragile moments of joy that, barely created, are destroyed by the artist himself. A performance for the stage, vaudeville, cabarets, museums or many other unusual places.
The SANDDORN BALANCE – How It Started:
The extraordinary success story of SANDDORN BALANCE began over fifteen years ago. In 1996, the Swiss theatre producer Maedir Rigolo created a balancing act for the stage production SANDDORN. The play is set in knee-deep sand; the only props are the withered ribs of date and coconut palm leaves, which Maedir Rigolo collected from the most beautiful beaches in the world. But it took years for the balancing act to draw the attention of vaudeville and circus producers and for its worldwide success to be set in motion. Today, whether it’s in Australia, the US, Japan or Europe; if it’s in a theatre, cabaret, or tent; on Broadway, at the Cirque du Soleil or in museums in selected galas and exhibitions; in front of an audience consisting of several thousands of people or just a few hundred, the Sanddorn Balance transfixes audiences and the media and has received the highest praise.
The Sanddorn Balance today
In February 2013, Maedir Rigolo was presented with the Kamiwaza award in Japan. In Japan, Kamiwaza is the title given to a master with superhuman abilities. The award of Kamiwaza meant that the art of SANDDORN BALANCE had truly arrived in the land of Zen. Concentration, mindfulness and conscious perception in search of absolute reality convene in the fifteen-minute performance.
This honour solidified the decision Maedir Rigolo had made shortly beforehand. For more than fifteen years, he was the only person to perform his fragile piece of art. “Now I will pass on this knowledge. I am very happy that I have found people with whom I can share my experiences and who will develop them further,” Maedir Eugster explains. “I trust my successors; they will guard this treasure, develop it and give it a life of its own. The SANDDORN BALANCE bears many secrets, and every single performer can draw one of them out and present it in their own way.”