Glowing in white, a mysterious and quirky character commands the stage with a playful yet dynamic presence. Seemingly intrigued by his apparatus, the diabolo, he is at the same time fighting and following it. The diabolo, or Chinese yo-yo, is a child’s game that becomes an art form in this act. With skilful precision, the diabolo is spun, thrown and twisted around his body, almost taking on a life of its own. The two beings dance an intimate and lively routine together revealing their unity and connection, building to a crescendo of dramatic choreography and skilful manipulation.

The single Diabolo performance joined the troupe late in Saltimabanco's Asia/Pacific Tour and continued with Cirque du Soleil through to the second final curtain call in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. The Diabolo was performed by a rather energetic fellow by the name of Mitchell Head, and at first sounds rather strange to be a one-man act. But the performance is very well done and quite thrilling! One of the tricks this artist performed was an overhand catch of the diabolo using only the sticks and rope strung between them. It was so quick that you would have missed it if you blinked! The act was in rotation, which meant you would only see this amazing performance only if another if Saltimbanco's signature segments were missing from that night's run. And, unfortunately, this act is no longer with Saltimbanco along its Arena tour.

Features text written by Richard Russo, as published in the “Fascination Newsletter”.