Cyr wheel

Urbanatix performer in Nordsternpark at Ruhr's 2011 ExtraSchicht festival
Street performer during Sirkusmarkkinat at Kerava in 2013 (Circus Festival)

The Cyr wheel (also known as the roue Cyr, mono wheel,[1] or simple wheel) is an acrobatic apparatus that consists of a single large ring made of aluminum or steel with a diameter approximately 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) taller than the performer.[2][3] The performer stands inside the Cyr wheel and grasps its rim, causing it to roll and spin gyroscopically while performing acrobatic moves in and around the rotating wheel. The apparatus and its movement vocabulary have some similarities with the German wheel, but while the German wheel consists of two large rings linked together by horizontal crossbars and has handles for the performer to hold onto, the modern Cyr wheel consists of a single ring and has no handles.[4] The Cyr wheel takes its name from Daniel Cyr, who revived its popularity, utilising it as a circus apparatus at the end of the 20th century.

Cyr wheel requires a solid, non-slippery surface such as a dance floor, concrete or stage and a relatively large performance area.[5]

  1. ^ "The real History of Mono Wheel (Cyr Wheel)". GymMedia.com. 29 December 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  2. ^ "Cyr Wheel: Instruction Manual" (PDF). European Federation of Professional Circus Schools (FEDEC). 2011. pp. 7–10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  3. ^ "Historique Roue Cyr (in English)". inertie.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-03-15. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
  4. ^ "About Wheel Gymnastics". International Wheel Gymnastics Federation. Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Everything You Need To Know About Cyr Wheel". Oddle Entertainment Agency. Archived from the original on 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2020-01-30.