Bravo Juggling presents: Stick Heroes / 2011. 02.

Paul Rozaire aka Polostick is a quick and technical player. The stick juggler of Nancy is passionate about live performances as well as the history of cinema. He is currently creating a light juggling show with the company Extense Arts and a devilstick-dance performance with a dancer.




Name: Paul Rozaire - Polostick
Age: 23
Nationality: French
Place of living: Nancy (North-East France)

Do you still study?
I study journalism, I am in my third year. My goal is to discover the world of juggling (conventions, shows ect.) to the general public. To finance myself I work with more companies and I perform regularly.

What achievements are you proud of?
Several things, actually.
- performance on the gala on the Strasbourg Convention
- I have also been entitled to a full article in a newspaper of general circulation (East Republican)
- I am very proud to have been performing as a clown in hospitals with children patients. It was an extremely formative experience.

How many years have you been juggling with sticks?
Shortly for 7 years, but in my opinion this is not the number of the years that really matters rather the time spent on the tool. I play the stick about 2 hours per day.

How many juggling sticks do you have?
I have 7 sticks.

Are you a member of any team/group/club/association?
I am part of the association Extense Arts (performances, lectures) and also the little circus school in Nancy where I teach regularly.

Why did you choose this juggling tool?
I wanted to find something relatively untapped and juggling stick appeared to me the perfect tool for possible use in conventional juggling (like clubs), and as contact stick (for baton twirling or staff) and also for specific devilstick tricks.

Where did you start playing with sticks?
In my room. I broke lot of bulbs...

Which trick did you find the most difficult to learn?
In general, things get really difficult when you start using a higher number of objects, it is valid for any type of juggling. It was difficult for me to control two sticks, then three but it should not demotivate me.

Do you have tricks that you found out?
Yes. I am particularly proud of the contact or pass of the baton from one leg to the other and then the ankle and finally on foot. (See here.)

What are your favorite tricks?
Without hesitating I like contact tricks and the two sticks siteswaps.

What are the most difficult tricks you can do?
During training the pirouette with three devilsticks, and the 7531 with two sticks on stage. At the moment I am trying to learn some variations of fish with two sticks.

How is your style? What are its characteristics?
It's both hard and fluid. Technical moves (pirouettes, siteswaps) are integrated with softer movement like body contacts and swings. It's a mixture of Markus Furtner and Florent Lestage.

What other syles you love?
I love the style of Fab (Bankale company). His style bases on balancing and on very slow motion. It's visually very impressive.

Do you play with firestick as well?
A little. Usually when I perform outside.

Where do you train? 
At home on the weekdays and in a gym at the weekends to work on the high tricks.

Do you have any special methodes?
A technical advance is to master the basics perfectly. There are five basic moves: the tic-toc, the helicopter, the propeller, the bicycle and the butterfly. I develope these moves and my technical endurance during watching movies. Repeating one movement for an hour by occupying the mind of something else promotes the acquisition of this movement.

Do you play other juggling tools?
I also practice balls and clubs.

Why do you like juggling stick?
It is an object that still has tremendous future research potential. You can practice any style of juggling with that tool.

What are your strong/weak points?
Strengths: very good control of the double sticks.
Weak points: balancing.

How is juggling life in France? Are juggling sticks popular?
Very active, if we watch diabolo. The devilstick hasn't yet spread as widely as the other tools.

What is your goal related with juggling sticks?
My goal is to really clean up a performance and show it in cabarets in Paris.

What do you advice to beginner/advanced stick players?
For beginners: always practice the basics thoroughly.
For experienced jugglers: to find new moves do not hesitate to watch lots of videos of all area of juggling.