Reviews/In Isolation

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    [edit] In Isolation: a compilation of modern contact juggling

    http://www.fullmoonperformers.com/isolation/images/balls.jpg
    • By: Full Moon In 2024 Full Moon performers became JagoJugglingArts
    • Directed by: Jago @ Fullmoon
    • Produced by: Beard Enterprises Ltd
    • Running time: 135 mins
    • Available from: Beard

    [edit] Reviews

    [edit] Review by User:Brine_child

    In Isolation is subtitled “A compilation of modern contact juggling” and aims to give the viewer an idea of where contact is at the moment and what seeds have been sown for future development. As soon as the DVD starts to play the scale of the project becomes apparent.

    After the atmospheric introduction montage (the very same that appeared as a trailer before the release) the sheer volume of content appears; 15 performances ranging from 2 to 10 minutes each, a moody film showing what happens when a whole bunch of Europe’s finest object manipulators take over an aerial studio, video interviews with many of the performers involved and 30 minutes of educational material.

    So to start off with what I see as the main downfall of the DVD (there’s a lot of good stuff, I’ll get to that in a moment) which is the somewhat lacklustre teaching section. While I don’t doubt the teaching abilities of Jago or Mushypea Steve, the lessons seem like something of an afterthought and feel rather out of keeping with the tone of the DVD.

    With this in mind I would be hesitant to recommend this DVD to someone completely new to contact. While I have learned much from watching InIsolation, what I have really taken away is inspiration and an idea of what professional, smooth contact can look like.

    So to the performances and credit to Jago and the Full Moon Performers as they’ve put together a real variety of styles showcasing some really individual examples of modern contact, backed for the most part by the stunning scenery offered by the rugged North of England.

    It should be stated that while many of the individual’s sections work as performances, some seem to be more a demonstration of what is possible and what people are working on. With my interest in multiball contact, I found Drew and Vincent’s sections with 6+ balls fascinating, whereas non-jugglers who have watched tend to find these a little obscure, preferring the faster paced styles shown by Bruno and Mr Crystal. Likewise I personally only watched Jive’s section through once and have no real interest in returning to it (I feel the one example where the music choice just didn’t work) as the style is not something which appeals to me.

    But then that’s what the DVD sets out to achieve, a chronicle of what object manipulators are up to and the different ideas that are out there.

    So for beginners it might all be a little overwhelming, but for the enthusiast there is so much to be gained from watching this. The performances will blow you away and even if the teaching isn’t quite up to these high standards the other extra features should keep you more than amused.



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