Street Performance World Championship

Katinka - Swan Lake, Uploaded by M+MD.

This week-end the Busker World Championship is on in Merrion Square, Dublin. There are some great acts. We especially liked Mario - Queen of the Circus. and Katinka the Russian (?) former superstar of an obscure Soviet circus troupe! She is now alone in Dublin with only her wit, dentures and a pair of traffic cones to rely on. The photos tell the story. She arrives out first as a little old bag lady with dentures. She picks on Cormac from the audience and she christens him Vladimir. She then gets our attention with some serous acrobatics - the glass trick is pretty impresive. She then does Swan Lake - on traffic cones.

Bad Teeth Day
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Katinka
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Mario Crowd Surfs
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To Queen's "Bicycle"
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Mario and Assistants, Uploaded by M+MD.

Then we had Mario from the USA with a strong Portuguese accent which he says "is very hard - to do". He is a juggler who is also a Queen and Freddie Mercury fanatic. He juggles in time to Queen music. (Watch out for another one bits the dust in the YouTube clip below). Mario picked 2 assistants from the audience. The first was Martha from Portugal ("where my accent came from"). He plans to carry her on his shoulders while he rides a Unicycle. He reassures us that "in all the times of done this trick - I've only made a mess of it once. By the way, this is only my second time to attempt this" She was understandable nervous as he tried to get on the Unicycle. I think we were nervous too.

Mario, Uploaded by M+MD.

To put us at ease he did a virtuoso performance on the unicycle to Queen's "I want to ride my Bicycle". Not only does he use the pedals and one pedal, but he also propels the unicycle with his foot pushing the tyre rather than the pedals. He then juggles to Love of my life - where upon Martha's boyfriend challenges him to a duel. They fight it out with bananas. Then th eboyfriend has to sing Bohemion Rhapsody. Finally he crowd surks to "We are the Champions"

The YouTube clip gives some idea of a great performance.

Some more photos from Dublin.

Byron (Canada)
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Space Cowboy
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Pig
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Silver Elvis
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Mr Spin (Oz)
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Tumble Circus
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Waiting in Line
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Audience Participation
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