One of the many great things about holidays in the South of France is the evening promenade home. With evening temperatures still in the high teens and little chance of rain, the evening is when all of the families come out to play.
In Cannes or Nice the promenade is where we head to take in the sea air, check out the local artists and enjoy the street performers.
Like any city or any street performers, some are going to be great. Others not so.
Along the Promenade Des Anglais, just down from Le Negresco I came across this performer. He looked like a circus performer or professional acrobat because I don’t think just anyone can do these moves!
I had to Google that the ‘acrobat in a circle’ actually was. Wikipedia tells me that “The Cyr Wheel is an acrobatic apparatus consisting of a single large ring made of aluminium or steel with a diameter approximately 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) taller than the performer. The performer stands inside the Cyr wheel and grasps its rim, causing it to roll and spin gyroscopically while performing acrobatic moves in and around the rotating wheel.”
In Cannes and Nice, there has been a family of ‘Brazilian Runners’ that entertain the crowd for many seasons. I call them Brazilian as they often wear Brazilian coloured outfits with the Brazil flag. I think they are a family as they all support each other and sometimes come out with young kids who will do a few moves. Anyway, I’ve seen them perform in both cities but I am not sure if it is the same team or part of a bigger family.
Their moves are insane! They start with some shadowboxing Kung Fu style before running and flipping down the street, often in narrow lanes next to tables of onlookers. Their finale involves a few mid air flips that get some real height! This stuff clearly takes years of practice and stamina as they will repeat the routine many times in an evening.
Here is a little video I shot of them a few year back, I hope you enjoy!
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