Dolores are Elske and Philine, circus artists who perform their hand-to-hand skills simply, without theatricalisation. They play a game in which it is permitted to fail, and to fail again and better (*literary reference). What they plan is the bold repetition of tricks, and they show off the most difficult—perhaps even impossible—tricks from their repertoire, developed over 20 years of experience. The piece displays a ritualistic yet meaningless aspect that makes us reflect on the beginning of art and its end. The acrobats generate a theatrical catharsis through an intense life experience that explores the limits of their bodies. Like the circus, but with different rules. More absurd.
Elske and Philine have been a hand-to-hand acrobatics duo since 2004. They began working as Elskephilipas on the beaches of Barcelona for economic reasons, primarily to become rich and famous, but they quickly understood the need for unconditional passion, playful discipline, and a “pain but no gain” practice in circus schools in Barcelona, Kyiv, and Toulouse. At the same time, they toured with their semi-serious but cynical street show, Acrobacia for Big Jim, under the name Nonsencirque, and gained experience in theatrical circus companies, such as a production of Barcelona’s Circ d’Hivern, Circ de Sara. They were completely seduced by the idea that the circus is the most eccentric and maximalist art form, potentially opening the largest possible spaces to the widest variety of techniques and senses of humour. In search of artistic freedom—and therefore absurdity—they founded the company My!Laika in their third year of training at the Lido de Toulouse. Dolores was born a few years ago from a spontaneous performance with unmastered acrobatic figures, prone to failure and repeated until they succeeded… or until the pain became too much.
