Anticipation

We almost missed this evening's show because I'd put it in the diary for tomorrow -- luckily I got an email reminder. It was a Belgian company called EA EO, doing juggling. For once the space was organised in the round, with curious and not very comfortable wooden seats -- the people on the back row had a bit of a scramble.

One of the jugglers introduced the show as "a homage to everything that serves no purpose". And it's true that juggling is one of those things that doesn't serve any purpose. But it can be mesmerising to watch, especially when performed by five people tossing balls and skittles between them at speed and while moving, or balancing a microphone stand on their head. They didn't seem to even need to see the objects -- they could catch them when they were behind them. 

I could only find some very short videos on YouTube; this one gives you an idea of how they work, but the most spectacular section was a large man and a small woman dancing/wrestling while tossing balls to each other. Some of this looked incredibly painful, with bodies being slammed on the floor and the small woman carrying all the weight of the large man, but it was incredible to watch. The show was an hour long and they were literally dripping with sweat at the end. It did occur to me that they could all earn a good living as professional tennis players.

It's all part of  the annual circus season, so we'll be seeing more next weekend. In bread-related news: I had to make the sourdough a four-day project when I realised we were going out this evening, so it's not done yet (back in the fridge). The panettone is baked; it looks good, but the proof will be in the eating for breakfast tomorrow.