Interview – Metra

Metra

Japanese contact juggler Metra blew us away with the release of his recent multiball video Free Drive and is leading the way for the new generation of isolation-heavy ‘popping and gliding’ contact juggling.

MINISTRY: Where do you live?
METRA: I live in Tokyo, Japan.

MINISTRY: Is there a community of contact jugglers where you are?
METRA: Yes, There is. Yoyogi park is a mecca for Japanese contact jugglers. Contact juggling conventions and meetings (gallery link) are held periodically there.

MINISTRY: How would you describe contact juggling?
METRA: Contact juggling is a lens of the contact juggler (in a figurative sense). I mean, we must project ourselves onto a spectator. The leading part is contact juggler, balls and moves are nothing but an instrumental.

MINISTRY: Why do you contact juggle?
METRA: Contact juggling is a spontaneous action for me. It is as natural as breathing or walking.

MINISTRY: What is the best piece of contact juggling that you’ve ever seen?
METRA: Tony Duncan. I started contact juggling under the influence of him.

MINISTRY: What is the future of contact juggling?
METRA: It is not fixed. Therefore, almost everything we can imagine will be possible.

MINISTRY: What do you think about when you are contact juggling?
METRA: I do not think anything, but I feel. Mostly I feel the weight of balls, and the sense of acrylics.

MINISTRY: Anything else you’d like to say to our MoM audience?
METRA: The world of contact juggling is full of glory. Go for it!
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Thanks.

2 thoughts on “Interview – Metra”

  1. Well,

    It is nice to see my name mentioned. this is a great video.
    I have mostly been “performing” contact juggling in NY subways n my way to rehearsal, and getting a few people to say, “that’s not bad”.
    I doubt people realize how hard it is to throw a ball onto the top of your head and roll it there while the train is bouncing around the tracks.

    I periodically see other jugglers doing amazing contact stuff, and think i will learn some of the beautiful isolations, or synchronous movements, but I always forget what they are after a few days, so I just end up doing my same old stuff.

    Tony

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