[Gandini Juggling] and [Sandbox Percussion] bonded in unexpected ways; entertaining they were and beyond. When their one-hour show ended, it seemed like it had been much shorter; we felt that we had already known the newly paired entities much longer.
Excerpts from review by David Patterson
For The Boston Musical Intelligencer
"Each already having established a reputation on its own, Sandbox Percussion and Gandini Juggling collaborated in a show at the Institute of Contemporary Art Friday night. Airborne objects and the music of Reich, Xenakis, Amy Beth Kirsten, and Andy Akiho tickled pink and raised hair as ICA’s sound and light crew heightened an amazeballs first showing.
Widely recognized for commissioning new works, Sandbox Percussion (SP) recently became the first ensemble of its kind to be awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. The Gandini Jugglers (GJ), a virtuosic core expanding to 20 performers, boasts of having performed over 6,000 shows in 50 countries. Once the two started working together, not that long ago, they decided on the obvious. “Both of our practices, while different in so many ways, are rooted in rhythm; everything we do comes back to rhythm.”
"First of all, their original programming went out the window, shaking us loose from our bearings like children on a treasure hunt. To begin, GJ founder Sean Gandini talked us through some of the basics as Kati Ylä-Hokkala demonstrated with three, four, five—then one, and zero balls; dropped balls to be considered philosophically, a time to think about life.
Next, instead of Andy Akiho’s Pillars III—that would come later—heard were four triangles struck with objects other than the “correct” beater by the precision-minded SB quartet; seen were airborne balls from a pulsing GJ quintet all the while in motion across a wide-open stage, dance emerging as another element of surprise. Unannounced, probably for good reason, the title, may the devil take me (or “god forbid”), of Amy Beth Kirsten’s quiet rhythms was off-beat."
"During the discussion following the show Gandini’s contagious enthusiasm and love of juggling further came to light with something to the effect of meeting the master means you will have two balls your hands before you know it. At one point, Sandbox Percussion found themselves joining Gandini Juggling with three each, even dropping one."
Read review in full here
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