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Susan Barnett 1/2007 On a stage show filled with complicated apparatus - Russian swings, trapeze,
trapdoors, wires and pulleys - Dergin Tokmak’s solo on crutches is still a sit-up-andtake-
notice performance. His character, the “limping angel” in Cirque du Soleil’s
Varekai, whirls round the stage on his crutches like a dervish, using them like a
gymnast on a pommel horse to kick his legs out and up: gravely showing the character
Icarus, who has lost the use of his legs after falling from the heavens, that he can and
should get up off the ground.
2/2007Performer Dergin Tokmak (credited in the programme simply as Solo On
Crutches) uses his metal in a way that makes them extensions of his superbly coordinated fluid moves.
11/2006After contracting polio as a child, Turkish-born Dergin Tokmak has turned a crutch into a star act.
2/2005Near the beginning of the second act of Varekai, there is a fascinating
performance by a character dubbed the “Limping Angel”. The title of the
piece is “solo on crutches” and the featured artist is Turkish-German
dancer Dergin Tokmak. Dergin was a childhood victim of polio, but has
not allowed the malady’s effects to hinder him from becoming an elite
athlete and highly imaginative performer.
The fluidity of Dergin’s movement on crutches surpasses that of the
majority of professional dancers who use only their feet to get around.
Ever seen anyone hold a handstand on crutches? You will if you see
Dergin Tokmak in Varekai. He whirls around the crutches like a gymnast
on a vaulting horse. A German newspaper, citing Dergin’s cultural
roots, even compared this aspect of the performance to the traditional
dances of the dervishes in the Kolya region of Turkey. The comparison
is not without merit – however, Dergin’s steps are faster and more
varied than those of the classic Turkish dervishes.
As kids in Germany, Dergin and his friends became fascinated with
breakdancing. Dergin liked the fact that he didn’t need any kind of
formal training to learn to breakdance. He was also drawn to the
physically challenging aspects of this new style of expression – the
headspins, the jackhammers and, of course, the Worm. A light went on
for Dergin when he saw a dance performance on crutches by an L.A.-based
artist in the 1984 cult classic film “Breakin’”. Although this part of
the movie lasted no more than a few seconds, it was more than enough
inspiration. According to Dergin, after seeing this dance sequence, he
“never touched the ground again.”
In Varekai, Dergin’s character provides inspiration for Icarus to learn
how to walk again. In real life, it is Dergin’s sincere hope that his
performance will inspire audience members to overcome obstacles that
hinder them from realizing their own dreams – even if they manifest
themselves as internal mental barriers. When you watch Dergin Tokmak’s
uplifting performance in Varekai, you’ll see for yourself that you
don’t need wings to fly. Through his performance, Dergin wants to
remind the audience that “everything is possible,” and, after
experiencing Varekai in its entirety, no matter how jaded or
world-weary you may think you are, you would be hard-pressed to deny
the truth of this idea.
By Everett Evans 1/7/2005Muscular Dergin Tokmak exhibits virtuosity propelling himself on crutches, inspiring Icarus, whose legs were paralyzed in his fall...
on AOL Citiguide site 9/2004A unique and stirring dance is performed on crutches by German dancer Dergin Tokmak.
by Cynthia McMullen, Times-Dispatch Staff Writer Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch 9/26/2004One of the more unusual acts is "Solo on Crutches," wherein Dergin Tokmak uses what look like custom-made (bright blue!) forearm crutches as an extra pair of legs, propelling himself about the stage with abandon.
by Ann M. Augherton, Herald Managing Editor www.catholicherald.com 9/23/2004Dergin Tokmak of Germany, who was stricken with polio at age 1, performs on crutches with amazing strength and balance.
9/16/2004From the sky drops Anton Chelnokov ("Icarus") in a slow-motion descent. He's soon back up in the sky, however, twisting and suspending in the web of a net in a display of gymnastic grace. His discovery of the inhabitants of this fantastical place gives context to the ensuing two and a half hours of visual wonders ranging from twirling dirvish Georgian dancers to a contortionist balancing on canes, a gymnast who makes arm-crutches seem like parallel bars for his routine, jugglers, clowns and tumblers.
By R. J. Donovan On Stage Boston 8/5/2004Dergin Tokmak offers a masterful solo ballet on crutches
by Joan Anderman, Globe Staff Writer Boston Globe 8/5/2004A disabled dancer performs an immensely stirring "Solo on Crutches"
by Juliet Wittman Westword.com 6/17/2004Dergin Tokmak, whose legs were deformed by polio when he was a child, dances and sometimes flies using crutches
By Pat Launer www.sdtheatrescene.com 04/07/2004
One of the more surprising acts is that of Dergin Tokmak, a German acrobat who balances on hand-crutches. He seems to be disabled, with legs that
swing about like weightless straw limbs. Amazing in itself, but especially in a group that travels the world to seek out perfection. ...
His skill on those baby blue crutches is incredible.
< by Marcia Manna San Diego Union Tribune 3/18/2004Dergin Tokmak was in Berlin performing as a break dancer when a colleague called him and told him abou the opening for Limping Angel. The "Varekai" character inspires Icarus with a dance on crutches and Tokmak was filled with a mixture of anticipation, hope and nervousness.
"They sent me a tape of the show," he said. "After I saw the crutches number I was more relaxed. I danced my whole life on crutches."
Tokmak contracted polio when he was a baby and spent a lot of time in German hospitals, trying to recover the use of his legs. He said many people develop a skill to survive – his survival skill was learning to walk on his hands. When he was 12, a cousin brought him a video of "Breakin' " featuring a break dancer on crutches. From then on, Tokmak used crutches to dance. By the time he was summoned to Montreal, he had superior upper body strength. In two months, he perfected Limping Angel, a part that took his able-bodied predecessor eight months to master. In his solo dance, he moves crutches and legs simultaneously in a graceful flurry that makes him appear to be flying across the stage.
He said that when he fell during practice, he took it as a sign to give more of himself. |
