The Dying Swan

'a hula hoop act for circus, burlesque, comedy, variete, street theatre'

Juidth Lanigan, hula hoopist and circus comedienne presents her interpretation of the ballet divertissement choreographed by Fokine for Anna Pavlova.

Performed with 30 hula hoops, where the comedy turns upon the artiste forgetting to be the swan, and her involvement of the audience in this.

The music is by Sant Saen further developed by Soren Leyers (Hinz and Kunz) The show can be performed in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Japanese
The show is best explained by the international press reviews…

‘an excellent adaptation of a classical theme with a highly intelligent wink from Down Under’. Tete A Tete festival Director. 2004

‘.. the highlight of the show , how ever, was Miss Judy s wonderful – and superbly funny- Dying Swan routine with hula hoops’. Evening News , Edinburgh Festival. Go Go Burlesco 2005

…silly and sublime…hoops that built to an improbably large number, and thunderous applause " an impressive Dance of The Dying Swan" The Nelson Mail 2003

Extraordinario El Pais, Spain 2003

“SWAN DIVA Judith Lanigans interpretation of The Dying Swan adds
a marvellous touch of craziness” Arts Watch, The Sunday Mail Oct 2000

“Her Dying Swan proved a crowd favourite during Christchurch s 10 th annual World Buskers Festival” The Press, Christchurch

Un Arte difficile, che rende onore ai poetti della strada.
(A difficult art that gives honour to the poets of the street)
La Corriere Mercantile, Italy 2003

“Audience Winning Charm” The Examiner, Tasmania, Jan 2000

5-10 minute stage or circus ring, 45 minute street theatre
Music by Saint Saeen with further development by Soren Leyers (Hinz und Kunz)

Miss Judy’s Dying Swan was created in 2000. as an exploration in tragedy and hula hoops, and the thought process of the modern clown.
The original ballet divertissement was choreographed by Michel Fokine for Anna Pavlova in 1905 to the music of Saint Saen’s La Cygne. Anna Pavlova became very famous in Australia when she toured with this piece, inspiring the classic Australian dessert -the Pavlova. The Dying Swan was Pavlova’s favourite piece, as she lay on her death bed her last words were ‘Bring me my Swan costume’
The ballet originally consists mainly of ‘pas de bourrees’ performed entirley ‘en pointe’.with subtle movements of the arms and upper body expressing the bird’s struggle for life..
Judith Lanigan’s Swan begins with one hoop and a swan that is dying, increasing the number of hula hoops,with separations and manipulations learnt at the Moscow State Circus School until the dramatic death of the swan, where she has thirty hoops.

Technical Requirements:
Stage or Circus Ring
7-10 minute act, requiring a radio microphone, headset or lavalier style sound system for music CD or MD, general lighting, and centre spotlight, follow spot if possible.
Assistants x 2 to throw hoops
4m square surface, and 4 m height. minimum

Theatre De La Rue
30 minute show 45 minutes if necessary to ‘collect’ an audience
requiring a flat surface Not Grass.

Radio Mic headset or Lavalier . Music on CD or Minidisc.
4 m square minimum
general lighting at night .

Contact missjudy@thehulahoop.com.au