Collecting material for Resoant

This past week, we began the research for Resonant, a project focused on the diabolo. The goal has been to identify raw material, essential movements that will serve as the foundation for future development. It’s not about polishing tricks or seeking immediate results, but about finding what resonates, what has the potential to transform. Below, I present a summary of the ideas and concepts that emerged during this initial process.

Exploring Foundational Movements

This initial phase has focused on understanding how the diabolo interacts with the body and rhythm. The exploration has been practical, looking for movements that, although simple, have the potential to develop further. We’re not looking for closed results but starting points that can support the work to come.

Chopstick Grip

Holding the sticks like chopsticks completely changes the dynamics of the movement. Control shifts to the wrist, generating more circular and flexible trajectories. This grip facilitates more natural catches and smoother transitions, offering a greater margin of adaptability. We are interested in what this technique provides: precision without rigidity and a control that adapts to the behavior of the diabolo in real time.

Trick Envelopes

We applied the musical concept of envelopes to analyze tricks through four phases: attack, decay, sustain, and release. The attack is the initial launch, the moment where the energy that drives the movement is generated. The decay marks the highest point, the climax of the trick. Sustain focuses on the fall, on how the movement begins to lose intensity but remains present. Release is the final retention, the closure that prepares the transition to the next action.

This perspective has helped us see the tricks we already performed in a completely different way, analyzing their internal rhythm to adjust their dynamics and find new possibilities for evolution.

Diabolo and Stick Swings

We explored the application of swings, a concept taken from work with clubs and poi, to the diabolo. We tested two variants: making the diabolo act as the end of the movement or making the stick do so. This approach allowed us to generate mini suns and oscillations of both the string and the stick, opening new dynamics and rhythms within the system.

The alternation between the two ends redefines the weight and trajectory, bringing subtle but significant variations to how we control and interpret the movement.

Leg Corkscrew with Stick Release

In this movement, it’s the leg that rotates around the string, as if unscrewing a cap or tracing the path of a corkscrew. This action creates controlled torsion that culminates in the release of the stick. The leg’s movement around the string generates a precise and structured motion, where the tension is fluidly released at the moment of the stick’s release.

Building Visual Composition

We went beyond individual tricks to explore how diabolos can shape space. This work isn’t about juggling as a series of movements but as a way to build and disrupt patterns. We focused on arrangements, symmetry, and the balance between stillness and motion. These exercises allowed us to think of juggling as something larger than the moment of the trick itself, connecting objects, the body, and the environment in a shared visual rhythm.

Symmetries with the Non-Active Hand

The non-active hand is often overlooked, but we wanted to explore how it can contribute to balance and symmetry in movement. Its presence can create a visual dialogue with the active hand, generating gestures that accompany and amplify the overall rhythm. This exploration highlights the value of the non-active hand, not as a secondary element, but as an integral part of the overall movement.

Landscapes with Fifteen Diabolos

This concept turns juggling into a study of space and form. Using fifteen diabolos, we arranged them into static and shifting structures, focusing on how they occupy and transform the surrounding space. These are not traditional juggling patterns but visual compositions that highlight balance, density, and alignment. The goal is to create a sense of movement through placement and interaction, treating the diabolos as elements of a larger spatial landscape. It’s about how objects relate to each other, the performer, and the environment, creating a dynamic yet composed visual language.

Empty Flags Balance

The “Empty Flags” approach focuses on creating clean, geometric shapes using the diabolo string and sticks. The emphasis is on tension and balance, with minimal movement, allowing the tools to form structures that highlight negative space. In this concept, the performer shapes and holds these formations, creating moments of stillness that contrast with more dynamic sequences. This is not about juggling in motion but about framing the diabolo and tools within a controlled visual composition.

Photos in this post by Teresa Santos and Dídac Gilabert