The Big Wheel from Charlie Murphy on Vimeo.
Charlie Murphy’s epic ‘ Big Wheel’ performance is the longest acrobatic chain ever staged in London.
This video presents rough documentation of this epic one off event created for the Big Dance Festival in 2008 in collaboration with three top London gymnastics clubs; The Harlequins, Robert Clack School and Ladywell.
Inspired by the formal rituals and structures of public displays, this large-scale public performance transforms the human chain into an exuberent ‘Mexican wave’ of athletic movement – joining together and celebrating hundreds of individuals, groups and abilities.
This canon of movement and sound references sports relays, chain gangs, political protest,playground games of ‘Tag’ and the pioneering pre cinema studies of human and animal locomotion by Muybridge and Marey to presents a powerful collective gesture of athleticism across infamous ‘wobbly’ Millenium bridge in the heart of London.
Thank you to :
GAFFA for the tape
Burtons’ Biscuits for the Wagon Wheels!
Tate Modern for rehearsal access to their Clore room and Turbine Hall
Charlie plans to extend the choreographies and performance strategies trialled in this event to create new site specific productions using dynamic lighting, percussion and costume.
Get in touch if you’d like to know more.