The KL company - Pierre Riberolle
Interactive and poetic shows
With Pierre, whom his friends call Kiki, we have been crossing paths since 2004/5; since NetJuggler finally existed. Always involved in the organization of the Mamagabe juggling convention in Poitiers, that's where we meet. We also cross paths at festivals and other events related to circus and street arts , as well as when he comes to my house like today where I take the opportunity to bother him with an interview.
The KL company, founded by Pierre Riberolle , is a street performance company specializing in "various forms" of juggling, it offers a wide variety of shows in long and short formats , suitable for all audiences.
The performances are sometimes poetic, sometimes interactive, sometimes burlesque , sometimes all three, addressing universal and controversial themes with humor and skill. Pierre's creative process for his shows is a long-term work, requiring several years for each creation .
Poetic shows for all tastes
Among the KL Company's most popular shows is " Slam and Balls ," a 50-minute one-man show that combines juggling and poetry to transport the audience through eras and universal themes.
" 45° sans eau " is a street show that deals with the history of nuclear power using the company's atypical juggling, dark humor and repartee.
Each of my shows took between 3 and 4 years of work before finding their respective form.
Each of my creations takes shape with differences in chronology between writing, technical research, juggling, scenography... Each has a different construction method!
For 45° without water, my second solo, the idea germinated in 2012. As luck would have it, I bought two new rebound plates. I had one left, I now had three... After taking the angle of my upside down hand truck (which I used as an inclined plane in "Slam and Balls" (see photo!)) and building 2 wooden modules to make the supports, I now had three inclined planes that could throw balls back and forth with me in the middle.
Once I was juggling in this installation, it appeared to me that I was at the heart of the nuclear logo ! I then undertook 2 years of research on nuclear power , the chain reaction, and other joys of the Atom, with in parallel, two years of research to find a new juggling score on three inclined planes. After 2 years, I had a sort of gesticulated conference of 1h30 and many new juggling figures. The external view of François Bouille from the Alchymère company sorted through all that to meet the need for clarity, and reduced the duration to 45 minutes. In 2015, the final version of the show was born.
For " Slam et des balles ", officially released in 2009 and thought about since 2006, the difficulty was to hold an audience in the street with poetry that requires a particular listening. The interactions with people who intervene on stage and "neuronological decompressors" between the poetic phases were the solutions. They propelled the show for more than 400 performances , giving birth to the particularity of the company and its attributes namely: Atypical juggling techniques , a social subject brought with humor, the diversion of objects , a worked writing and a warm and benevolent contact with my audiences.
" Crash Earth " addresses endocrine disruptors with a story told by a man who quickly left the dirt for the asphalt.
Crash Terre was born from my passion for roller skating , which I discovered in Toulouse and which much later I adapted to that of juggling. In 2016 I began to put on roller skates and juggle at the same time, then in 2017 I included my inclined planes in this new "juggling approach". It clearly appeared that this show would have an autobiographical character , so I relied on my own story to build a first "frame" and the notion of endocrine disruptors appeared as obvious, my passions being linked to plastic material . Today, 20 years of close relationship with these "harmful" materials... With the outside perspective of Sébastien Coppolino of the Barbus company, we have therefore resolved the problem of finding an ending that resembles the awareness of the character who turns against his master. And in what a way!!!
Video production: Metlili
"Pinch Me, Pinch Yourself" is an interactive juggling and music show for children that emphasizes the importance of dialogue, patience, and listening to understand and come together.
For Pince mi pince toi, the idea of making a young audience without words was the initial objective without any particular direction. After a change of accordionist, the subject narrowed down to how to communicate with a person who did not speak the same language. In the end, this show had two phases of "construction" responding to the wishes of my playing partners, the first a little "cucul la praline" but which allowed us to set up a decor and a first plot, the second much more rigorous and focusing on the possible exchanges between an accordionist and a juggler , leading us to new techniques, many ways of understanding each other and reaching the end of this idea.
Pierre Riberolle, founder of the KL company
Pierre Riberolle, the founder of the company, started juggling in high school and continued juggling for four years on his own before meeting the juggling association in Poitiers: Mamagabe .
He started out performing at carnivals and performing as an amateur before launching his first poetry and juggling show on the street .
The messages in Pierre's shows are insightful and sarcastic, bringing happiness to the audience while also provoking reflection on trivial everyday subjects such as: nuclear power!
Short formats for all tastes
The KL company also offers shows in short formats such as
" Trip type ", a bouncing ball number,
" En gobelet ", a funny and spectacular performance with metal cups, and
" Débilboquet ", a strange number telling the story of a young man who is captivated by the handling of the cup and ball.
How did you fall in love with juggling and what made you decide to make it your career?
I fell in love with juggling at 16 , from the moment I managed to get the 3 balls, after about 2 hours of perseverance.
A thunderbolt that quickly pushed me to find new figures and to cling to this new passion that I lived as an amateur for 10 years .
I would say that it was the public's gaze during the shows with Mamagabe that really allowed me to start a professional reconversion and to believe in it.
This allowed me to see where I belonged and perhaps who I really am and what I really wanted to do. In short, it helped me rediscover my self-confidence.
From then on, it was logical to follow through with my ideas, which previously seemed far-fetched and unrealizable.
But the path to becoming an artist is not so simple and it took a lot of questioning to explore the different artistic possibilities.
Without any real training and without any particular contact, it was necessary to start in the port of La Rochelle "with a hat" before being programmed in cultural centers, then in street art festivals .
Today I know that I am undeniably in my place and respond to many requests throughout France.
Nuclear power, how do we entertain people on the subject and what is your message?
It's all about irony, sarcasm, and taking advantage of the absurdity of a situation that we allowed to arise and grow in its absurdity.
Just follow the EPR project, the story behind the file is truly incredible and anyone with a bit of humor would laugh at it!
Then, as for my messages, I try as much as possible not to come across as someone who lectures .
I don't have the solution to these problems, as the economic complexity of our world is immense and depends on a general philosophy that no one today is ready to follow, or even listen to... I just put my finger on simple truths and play on the situations that this can generate.
And without realizing it, it plants seeds of knowing how to live, of knowing in general, of revolt perhaps.
A way of using popular culture to tell people rotten truths, but still brighten their day!
The Mamagabe Convention in Poitiers: How many years have you been involved in the event, and what's happening this year? I believe you're hosting the national juggling convention?
I have been a member of Mamagabe since 2000 and have been involved in the association's office since 2007 and therefore in the organization of the convention since 2008.
We organize (almost every year...) the Mamagabe convention and in fact this year we are reorganizing the national convention for the 3rd time (2014, 2021, 2023).
A meeting that jugglers are eagerly awaiting (at least I hope so!).
The 2021 edition was very complex to organize, but we showed tenacity, and it ended up being a magnificent convention. I hope 2023 will be more peaceful...
Mamagabe is also a "year-round" association , where one of our main objectives is to bring to life the Feuillants hall where we have numerous slots open to free amateur and professional practice . The idea is of course to bring together and mix around juggling. We also participate in the Poitiers carnival and other events that seek juggling entertainment and highlight young professionals. We are also part of a vast network of associations that are beneficial when organizing events for the loan of equipment, the sharing of resources, etc.
I will be present this year at Mamagabe with the NetJuggler stand, thank you for the invitation! And if you live in Poitiers or are passing through Poitiers, I will give you the address of the Mamagabe association website at the end of this interview :-) Below is a diabolo video filmed during the last Mamagabe convention in 2021 if you want to soak up the atmosphere that reigns at this crazy event!
A question that comes up in all our interviews: how do you experience drops during shows? How do you manage them?
In bounce juggling, no two drops are the same.
Sometimes the ball will magically come back ,
Sometimes you will have to take a spare and go and look for the fugitive under the stage or in the water after the show,
Sometimes the drop isn't a drop and becomes the beginning of another movement ...
The drop of a bouncing ball is a magical moment, which requires improvisation ,
even if some drops are written, sometimes they are even part of the staging.
(eg: 45° without water / 4 "drops" mandatory because they serve the purpose)
Others interfere in the show, pushing the boundaries and shattering the established rhythm.
They either give you street gifts or they'll bog you down !
I tend to say that the bouncing ball is the most alive object I know.
She has an undeniable ability to hide, to overturn, to encounter, to cross, to break, to get dirty, to wriggle, to roll and simply to bounce back, creating chaos!
A detail perhaps, but in each of my shows, the ending is thought through, anticipated as much as possible, and tells something related to the staging...
But once again when a bullet goes I don't know where it will stop!
Playing outdoors, the weather must sometimes play tricks. How do you deal with the wind? Perhaps some anecdotes?
Usually luck smiles on me and conditions are often favorable.
Today it is more common to suffer from the heat than from the rain.
Afterwards, it is sometimes difficult when the weather is uncertain, because it undermines the organization that employs us.
It creates a kind of unease, but no one really controls the weather...And then the clearing comes and it's deliverance.
Sometimes it rains right in the middle, and the audience stays with umbrellas or hoods.
For example, one day for the juggling convention in Lorient (a long time ago...!) my performance took place on the seaside with all that this implies...
The ocean at my back, drowning out the words with its roar, and the wind leaving no chance for balance. It was fun to be battling the elements and still manage as best I could!
Your specialty: rebounding, what are the constraints of this discipline, do you have to walk on a flat surface?
In rebound we are obliged to take plates , either thick wood or stone like marble or granite ...
My name is Pierre... My grandfather was a geologist... I chose rock!
And today I sometimes walk around with four granite slabs of 15kg each (80x60) on a hand truck.
If you're going to work with this material, you might as well use it for all its useful purposes (inclined plane for balls or rollers)...
Otherwise, I train most of the year (when I'm not in residence or performing of course) at the Mamagabe gym, which isn't very big. So the balls come back to me quickly and the floor is perfect for all my practices...
At work, I have the equipment to play on a ground that isn't too steep, whether it's grass, tarmac, or any surface that isn't too dusty... These are ultimately fairly standard requirements in street arts. But it gets a bit more complicated with "Crash terre" and rollerblading on 7m by 7m!
What advice would you give to those starting out in the profession?
There would be plenty of advice to give... One of the first pieces of advice I was given was to be light and independent .
Otherwise, have fun and good luck!
If you hadn't been a juggler?
Event organizer , programmer , gymnasium caretaker maybe , or I would have gone back to catering ... The question is interesting because after 15 years of "career" (I laugh talking about career!) I sometimes want another life, another job...
But for now I'm thinking more about the next creation than changing careers, so everything's fine!!!
The wind.
The wind, a gust of opium, lulled by the rustling of leaves at the heights of the earth's ills.
A planetary symphony with multiple currents, crisscrossing the universe with pragmatic chance.
Contemptuous surprise of the traveler, his headgear atrophied by a dizzying beating breeze.
An alluring volatile caress, the bewitching thrill of a thousand flowers delivering their petals to this elusive dance.
The wind, an outstretched hand never taken, unlucky, indecisive, which quickly turns the barefooted vagaries of the vicissitudes of their vehement activity;
The wind that twists the celestial vaults, scattering the stars with a capricious clap.
The wind of St. Valentine's Day, valiant vultures, servant of poisonous lovers, which accelerates the flickering of velvet clothes.
The running wind, the winter wind.
Strong wind, drafts.
The door-slamming wind, a prankster full of tricks, coordinator of the malice of the hours, which shatters the facades deployed around it.
The wind, the uncontrollable engine of the thousand-shaped weather vanes, forever scanning the unforgivable horizon that it distorts.
The wind, a predator stalking the clouds to stare at them in grimaces of the landscape, contorts itself to the point of frightening.
The wind, hesitant, sometimes plants on the water the ships with sails deserted of their insipid container.
The wind, the morning awakening of the glass corpses, whistles endless airs to all the bottlenecks that can do nothing about it.
The wind, a caravan of scents, carries the purest odors at full speed, forever drugging the attentive traveler.
The strongest wind, kidnapper of scarecrows, specialist in disheveled hair, spits the spittle of the North Sea in our faces.
The wind also certifies the dead, ridding them of their rusty souls, so long imprisoned, offering them a final deliverance when the ashes spring up along the gray cliffs.
Meanwhile, fans waste their breath on consumers who are suffering from the weather.
Before I get exhausted talking about everything and the weather, I prefer to cut it short, so... good luck.
- Poem by Pierre Riberolle
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