Todd Raviotta's been doing a great job lately of documenting the local performing arts scene--no mean feat, considering what a hotbed of activity it's been over the last year or so--through still images, video, and especially his fascinating photoanimations. This video documents Vaudeville Galore's Showcase Showdown event, which took place on Saturday, May 12 at Gallery 5. It features some photoanimation work, as usual. But in my opinion, the really essential viewing here is Todd's video documentation of the full performance by Brit Dibbs, who performs as "The Empress Of Fire." Nothing was set alight during this performance, though--instead, Dibbs uses a hoop suspended from the ceiling of Gallery 5's auditorium to engage in an unbelievable acrobatic routine. Not only does she hang from the hoop in a variety of contortionist poses, quite a few times she makes transitions from one position to another that seem death-defying in light of the fact that she's doing it over a concrete floor with no protection. Personally, I'd probably have fallen and shattered like glass at least 18 times over the course of a similar routine, but Dibbs pulls it off without any hesitations or problems, in an impressive display of talent and flexibility. It's the kind of thing that has to be seen to be believed--so take a look, and see for yourself:
Image and Video by Todd Raviotta
Words by Andrew Necci