Latest news with #Jura
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Yoann Bourgeois on his mindblowing viral stair climbing act: ‘I want to return to the spirit of childhood'
You may have seen a certain video online of a man climbing some stairs. Actually, he's repeatedly falling from them but then magically bounces back up, weightless as a moon-walker. Out of sight is a trampoline, which gently catapults his looping, twisting body up the staircase each time he falls, turning a would-be simple journey into an epic, poetic odyssey that has caught the internet's imagination. Pop star Pink saw it and immediately got on the phone to its creator; Martin Short even made his own version on Only Murders in the Building. The act is the work of French choreographer-director Yoann Bourgeois, 43, whose live performances have been touring festivals for years. But the popularity of his videos online has propelled him into new realms, working with Harry Styles, Coldplay, Selena Gomez and Louis Vuitton. He continues to create new, live work and brings his latest outdoor piece, Passage, to Greenwich and Docklands festival this summer. Some people run away to the circus; others have it arrive on their doorstep. Bourgeois' parents separated when he was growing up in Jura, eastern France, and their house was sold to a circus group, Cirque Plume. Bourgeois was already interested in theatre (and later studied dance) and he began to train with the group. 'In a way I was looking for a way to get back home,' he says, via a translator. It wasn't just about returning to the physical building, but the spirit of childhood. 'I really wanted to continue to be a child. I've searched for a life where I can continue to play; it drives my career even now.' What Bourgeois plays with are the invisible physical forces that surround us – gravity, tension, suspension – and the interaction between those forces, the performers' bodies and symbolic ideas. For example in Ellipse, the dancers are in costumes like lifesize Weebles with semi-circular bases, rocking and spinning, but never falling. A man and woman 'dance' together, swaying past each other but never quite managing to connect. (Missy Elliott wore a version of the same costume in her video Cool Off.) In Celui Qui Tombe (He Who Falls), the performers stand on a wooden platform that rotates, at some speed, then tilts, forcing their bodies to lean at precarious angles to keep their balance, and the group have to navigate this peril together. The short piece Bourgeois is bringing to London is called Passage, and features a revolving mirrored door and pole dancer Yvonne Smink hanging, swinging, balancing and turning the simple act of crossing a threshold into something of infinite possibilities. Much like the way sculptor Antony Gormley hit upon a universal idea in his use of the body, Bourgeois works with the same kind of directness: a seemingly simple setup or visual idea that represents something huge – life, death, time, mortality, struggle, hope – in a way that's easily readable but can feel profound. Here he is talking about suspension: 'In physics, suspension means the absence of weight. But if we speak about time, suspension means absolute presence. And I think this cross between absence of weight and absolute presence is like a small window on eternity. That's what I search for: to catch the present, to intensify the present.' Even though Bourgeois seeks to be live in the ephemeral moment, you can see why the recorded versions have gone viral. He admits his work looks good on screen. 'I feel very lucky because, by chance, my work can be eloquent in this kind of frame, on Instagram for example,' he says. He's interested in clarity not overcomplication and embraces his wide fanbase. 'I didn't grow up in a family interested in art,' says Bourgeois, and that's who he imagines making his work for. He's reaching even more eyeballs now with his pop star collaborations. For the Harry Styles video As It Was, Bourgeois designed another revolving platform that saw Styles and his lover being pulled together and apart. 'Behind the superficial pop veneer of the song, there's a great sense of despair,' he says. Bourgeois designs his own stage machines, but the revolving floor is, he points out, a very old theatrical device. The question of what's truly new in art came to the fore when he was accused of plagiarism in a video posted online comparing scenes from his work with scenes from other artists. There are some striking similarities but Bourgeois is robust in his defence, saying that the works referenced motifs from the history of art, which he considers to be in the public domain. Many circus performers will use the same props. 'If you use just a frame of a video, it's easy to make a comparison,' he says. 'What is original is the treatment and the creative process.' We need to look at the whole work rather than an isolated image, he insists. What's certain is that Bourgeois can turn universal ideas into something eye-catching that connects deeply with audiences – imbued with the wonder of circus and the grace of dance. Greenwich and Docklands international festival runs from 22 August to 6 September. Passage is part of Dancing City at the festival on 6 September
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Yoann Bourgeois on his mindblowing viral stair climbing act: ‘I want to return to the spirit of childhood'
You may have seen a certain video online of a man climbing some stairs. Actually, he's repeatedly falling from them but then magically bounces back up, weightless as a moon-walker. Out of sight is a trampoline, which gently catapults his looping, twisting body up the staircase each time he falls, turning a would-be simple journey into an epic, poetic odyssey that has caught the internet's imagination. Pop star Pink saw it and immediately got on the phone to its creator; Martin Short even made his own version on Only Murders in the Building. The act is the work of French choreographer-director Yoann Bourgeois, 43, whose live performances have been touring festivals for years. But the popularity of his videos online has propelled him into new realms, working with Harry Styles, Coldplay, Selena Gomez and Louis Vuitton. He continues to create new, live work and brings his latest outdoor piece, Passage, to Greenwich and Docklands festival this summer. Some people run away to the circus; others have it arrive on their doorstep. Bourgeois' parents separated when he was growing up in Jura, eastern France, and their house was sold to a circus group, Cirque Plume. Bourgeois was already interested in theatre (and later studied dance) and he began to train with the group. 'In a way I was looking for a way to get back home,' he says, via a translator. It wasn't just about returning to the physical building, but the spirit of childhood. 'I really wanted to continue to be a child. I've searched for a life where I can continue to play; it drives my career even now.' What Bourgeois plays with are the invisible physical forces that surround us – gravity, tension, suspension – and the interaction between those forces, the performers' bodies and symbolic ideas. For example in Ellipse, the dancers are in costumes like lifesize Weebles with semi-circular bases, rocking and spinning, but never falling. A man and woman 'dance' together, swaying past each other but never quite managing to connect. (Missy Elliott wore a version of the same costume in her video Cool Off.) In Celui Qui Tombe (He Who Falls), the performers stand on a wooden platform that rotates, at some speed, then tilts, forcing their bodies to lean at precarious angles to keep their balance, and the group have to navigate this peril together. The short piece Bourgeois is bringing to London is called Passage, and features a revolving mirrored door and pole dancer Yvonne Smink hanging, swinging, balancing and turning the simple act of crossing a threshold into something of infinite possibilities. Much like the way sculptor Antony Gormley hit upon a universal idea in his use of the body, Bourgeois works with the same kind of directness: a seemingly simple setup or visual idea that represents something huge – life, death, time, mortality, struggle, hope – in a way that's easily readable but can feel profound. Here he is talking about suspension: 'In physics, suspension means the absence of weight. But if we speak about time, suspension means absolute presence. And I think this cross between absence of weight and absolute presence is like a small window on eternity. That's what I search for: to catch the present, to intensify the present.' Even though Bourgeois seeks to be live in the ephemeral moment, you can see why the recorded versions have gone viral. He admits his work looks good on screen. 'I feel very lucky because, by chance, my work can be eloquent in this kind of frame, on Instagram for example,' he says. He's interested in clarity not overcomplication and embraces his wide fanbase. 'I didn't grow up in a family interested in art,' says Bourgeois, and that's who he imagines making his work for. He's reaching even more eyeballs now with his pop star collaborations. For the Harry Styles video As It Was, Bourgeois designed another revolving platform that saw Styles and his lover being pulled together and apart. 'Behind the superficial pop veneer of the song, there's a great sense of despair,' he says. Bourgeois designs his own stage machines, but the revolving floor is, he points out, a very old theatrical device. The question of what's truly new in art came to the fore when he was accused of plagiarism in a video posted online comparing scenes from his work with scenes from other artists. There are some striking similarities but Bourgeois is robust in his defence, saying that the works referenced motifs from the history of art, which he considers to be in the public domain. Many circus performers will use the same props. 'If you use just a frame of a video, it's easy to make a comparison,' he says. 'What is original is the treatment and the creative process.' We need to look at the whole work rather than an isolated image, he insists. What's certain is that Bourgeois can turn universal ideas into something eye-catching that connects deeply with audiences – imbued with the wonder of circus and the grace of dance. Greenwich and Docklands international festival runs from 22 August to 6 September. Passage is part of Dancing City at the festival on 6 September
ABC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Cheesemaking meets toxic masculinity in coming-of-age story Holy Cow
In Louise Courvoisier's debut feature film, "Holy cow" is used both as an expletive and as an acknowledgement of the life source that sustains the characters who reside in the film's rural town. What: An emotionally affecting, unassuming coming-of-age story with a cast of non-professional actors. Starring: Clément Faveau, Maïwene Barthelemy. Directed by: Louise Courvoisier. When: In cinemas. Likely to make you feel: Gently transported into the life of rural, working-class children. Holy Cow's coming-of-age story centres on Totone (Clément Faveau), an 18-year-old boy who lives on a farm in the remote French Alps region of Jura with his alcoholic cheesemaker father and seven-year-old sister Claire (Luna Garret). After Claire is left in Totone's care following their father's untimely death, the teen hatches an aspirational plan to win 30,000 euro ($53,500) of prize money in a cheesemaking competition. Many of the actions of Holy Cow's rapscallion protagonist stem from deep feelings of inadequacy and shame in a world that does not allow the space for men to be emotional and complex. Beyond the economic precarity of his life, he labours beneath unspoken rules that govern relations between men and women and lofty gendered expectations that he can not always meet. He violently lashes out at a peer when the subject of his affections rejects him, affects a feigned air of disgust when discussing pleasuring women with his closest male friends, and generally regards women his age as a means to an end. An antidote to the undercurrent of toxic masculinity is Totone's tight-knit friendships with schoolmates Jean-Yves (Mathis Bernard) and Francis (Dimitri Baudry). The way they care for each other is imperfect yet enviable in its ability to counter the grief and trauma that Totone, in particular, is undergoing. Another respite is Totone's guardianship of Claire, who he lovingly and unstintingly cares for to the best of his abilities. Together, Totone, Jean-Yves, Francis and Claire are a hodgepodge quartet muddling their way through life. Central to Totone's ploy to make the best Comté in the region is pilfering grade-A milk from Marie-Lise (Maïwene Barthelemy), a young, straight-talking farmer he starts seeing. The pastoral beauty of Comté cheese country — where Courvoisier herself is from — is expertly evoked through Elio Balezeaux's lens, though the insularity of living in a small town with limited possibilities is depicted in equal measure. Faveau's understated performance as Totone expertly balances trepidation with the increasing realisation that he can break out of the confines of gender and class in his life. Yet, as the film adeptly shows, transcending one's station in life is not as easy as a cheesemaking competition may lead you to believe. Holy Cow could have materialised into a bleak study of poverty and misfortune, but it remains intentionally warm and hopeful despite the mishaps Totone experiences — while not varnishing the challenges of growing up without emotional and material anchors. It is not interested in textbook happy endings or neat resolutions for its characters. They hurt each other and act with a recklessness typical of who they are — children. Instead, it morphs into an optimistic portrait of chosen family and accelerated adulthood, with the cheese a not-so-subtle metaphor for Totone's growing maturity and eventual entry into a world he had no choice but to join. Holy Cow is in Australian cinemas now.
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I asked an expert why automatic espresso machines and manual espresso machines taste different — and I'm really surprised
I'm one of Tom's Guide's resident coffee nerds, which means I spend a lot of my life making, drinking, and writing about coffee. I test every coffee machine I can get my hands on — everything from traditional manual machines like the Breville Bambino Plus to the superautomatic Jura coffee machines. The best espresso machines? I've tested 'em all. I'm also an ex-barista, so I have plenty of experience on commercial machines, too. But there's one type of machine I just can't get on with: automatic espresso machines. I've tested some of the highest-rated options, like the De'Longhi Rivelia and the KitchenAid KF8. But I just... their espresso just doesn't taste great. There are a few iconic machines I have yet to get my hands on, like the De'Longhi Magnifica ($899), but for the most part, I've not been impressed so far. I assumed it was because superautomatic coffee machines brewed differently to manual, but it turns out I'm wrong. I thought maybe the grind and dose mechanisms were massively different — but manual and auto machines actually use the same internal tech. The only variable? The human touch. I spoke to Anna Batten, who is a Product Manager at Smeg/La Pavoni. Smeg is known for its range of beautiful, premium coffee machines, like the EMC02 Mini Pro and the automatic Smeg BCC12 ($799). La Pavoni is the company credited with inventing espresso, so I think it knows what it's doing. The EMC02 Mini Pro is the coffee machine I have dreams about — if money was no object, this would be the machine taking pride of place in my kitchen. So I was super excited to get to pick Anna's brain about the nerdy tech inside different coffee machines. Anna said, "The only real difference between how manual and automatic machines work is how much human interaction you have with the model." She added, "an automatic machine will be set up to prepare a consistent espresso for you, measuring the dose, tamp pressure and duration of extraction, where with a manual machine this will be down to the user to do for themselves." Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. So... I'm the problem. There's nothing inherently different about how a manual and automatic espresso machine pull shots, other than my personal flavor preference. I've also spoken to Shonali Paul of Paul John Indian Caffeine Company. Shonali said, 'The difference in [automatic] machines is that they have a set process to produce the coffee you want. You can't change or tweak anything about the brewing methods. However, it will give you any coffee at the touch of a button without having to guess any rations or grinds.' So basically, the only difference between automatic and manual espresso machines is you, the user. Making espresso is as much of a science as it is an art. Anna said, "The whole coffee preparation is important in creating the perfect espresso. This starts firstly with the grind size, ensuring this is the correct size for the blend of coffee that you have, as this will vary depending on how the coffee beans have been roasted." The general rule of thumb is that lighter roasts need a finer grind, and darker roasts require a coarser grind. When you pull a shot of coffee, you're looking for an espresso texture akin to honey. Anna went on to say, "Next would be the quantity of coffee that would be optimal for the size of filter that you are using." This means single- and double-shot portafilters require different volumes of coffee. "Lastly would be the amount of pressure and how evenly this is applied when tamping your coffee, if this is not roughly around 13-14kg and evenly applied otherwise this could result in channelling or the water moving too quickly or too slowly through the puck." As an ex-barista, I know precisely how important all these steps are. However, both manual and automatic machines require the exact same coffee process — so why does automatic coffee taste so different to manual? Grind, dose, and tamp all contribute to the overall pressure — and therefore flavor — of espresso. Anna says, "[Pressure] will affect how well the water runs through the puck and will impact the flavors and oils you are extracting from the coffee grounds. If your espresso was under extracted you might find this to be weak, maybe a bit sharp or sour, whereas if this was over extracted it might taste burnt and bitter and leave your mouth feeling a bit dry." Auto and manual machines should both reach 9-bar pressure to extract espresso, although auto machines can reach that more reliably, as user error is removed from the equation. Manual coffee machines have more room for error, because every aspect of the brewing process relies on you. However, Anna says, "Automatic machines are great for creating a consistently good coffee and most of these machines are set up for very little human intervention to streamline this process. On Smeg's machines you can increase/decrease the grind size to adjust the strength of the coffee you are making." So the main difference between manual and automatic coffee machines — and likely the reason why I'm personally not a massive fan of auto espresso — is the human touch. With a manual machine, I can fine-tune every step of the way to my personal tastes. I'm in the mood for a bigger, yet more balanced coffee? I can pull a lungo. I want a richer coffee? I can adjust extraction to get a ristretto shot instead. I want a shot so bitter and strong that it makes me wince? Weird, but on a manual machine, I can do that with a bigger dose and a finger grind (although my machine might argue with me during extraction). At the end of the day, automatic espresso machines do pretty much the same thing as a manual espresso machine. The only difference? You. If you're a relatively inexperienced barista and you're using a manual machine (like the Breville Bambino Plus), your coffee probably won't taste as good as an automatic machine. However, as I said above, if you're an experienced barista and you've got a great grinder, then your manual coffee will probably taste better for you. You're in control of the brewing process, you can alter everything to suit your particular tastes. Automatic coffee machines make coffee one way for everyone. Some people love that, just as some people hate it. Anna said, "If you want to fully adjust the coffee you are creating, an automatic machine wouldn't be the correct model to choose, and a manual machine would be better suited to the user's needs. Automatic machines do the one thing manual machines can never do: they save you time. And effort." It's so true. For some people, time is too precious to be spending five minutes a day making a coffee. And that's totally fine. Some people — parents, professionals, anyone in between — need to do everything in their power to save as much time as possible. And for those people, an automatic coffee machine is the answer. As much as serious coffee lovers maintain that automatic espresso machines make "nasty" beverages, it's a worthy sacrifice for others. So while I haven't found an automatic coffee machine that makes coffee to my personal preference, you should be able to find one suitable for your palate. I definitely fall into the "I-want-to-spend-five-minutes-making-a-coffee" category of people. I have a decent amount of time: I'm not a parent, I work from home twice a week, and I actively class coffee-making as one of my hobbies. So I'm happy to grind my beans by hand and pull that shot with precision. But that's not everyone. If you want coffee reliably, regularly, and quickly, I've got some recommendations for you. I've personally tested these automatic coffee machines, and I'll be testing the highly-rated Smeg BCC12 in the coming weeks. If you get the right machine, automatic espresso machine coffee will taste better than the internet would have you believe. In my KitchenAid KF8 review, I wrote that "The KF8 pulls espresso shots through single-walled portafilters, meaning the espresso isn't aerated as it's extracted. This results in a more balanced yet complex flavor profile." I actually really enjoyed the flavor of the KF8's espresso: it was thick, sweet, and creamy. The KF8 also has a lovely bright screen and can make both dairy and nondairy milk drinks. I awarded the De'Longhi Rivelia a 3.5 rating in my review, which means it's "very good" although not "great". I particularly loved its "Bean Adapt" feature. This basically analyzes your beans and tells you what grind size to use and what temperature your espresso should be. This is one of the few machines I've used where you can actually manually adjust the grind size! And one for the manual espresso enthusiasts. If you are curious about making your own espresso, then there's no better place to start than the Breville Bambino Plus. This compact machine can fit into almost any kitchen. Also, it's so straightforward that I think a complete beginner would be able to set it up and get brewing within minutes. In my Breville Bambino Plus review, I praised its delicious espresso, tiny size, and the steam wand ease of use. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Tour de France: Tadej Pogacar poised to seal fourth title as Groves wins penultimate stage
Kaden Groves of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team won the penultimate stage of the Tour de France, from Nantua to Pontarlier, as Tadej Pogacar safely negotiated what is expected to be the final meaningful stage of this year's race. With the closing stage in Paris on Sunday potentially subject to neutralisation, due to the threat of rain, the Slovenian is now on the threshold of achieving a fourth win in six years. With many teams still desperately seeking a stage win, the competition to make the day's breakaway was ferocious, with risky attacks and last-ditch moves characterising the final kilometres of racing. On a rolling route, through the Ain, Jura and Doubs, the last hour of which was covered in a torrential downpour, a crash 21km from the finish changed the outcome of the race. The decisive action came on the descent of the final climb, the Côte de Longeville, 24km from Pontarlier. After a lone attack from Harry Sweeny of EF Education EasyPost was reeled in, the local rider, Romain Grégoire, of Groupama-FDJ took the initiative. But on a tight left-hand bend, made slick by the rain, Iván Romeo, of Movistar, and Grégoire came down at speed and slid into a concrete kerb. The French rider was able to remount and chase, but Romeo was left nursing his wounds. In the aftermath, a group of three, including Groves, moved clear, with the Australian then opting to attack alone 16km from the finish. The 26-year-old increased his advantage in the final kilometres to win by almost a minute and add his first Tour stage win to past successes in the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. This report will be updated.
