Calgary Journal Online

Magician wants to revamp street performing culture in Calgary

A crowd gathers on Prince’s Island, waiting to see what the mop-topped guy in the bowler hat is doing with the metre-long, cucumber-shaped balloon in his hand.

In the style of the traditional sword-swallowing trick, he begins to push the balloon down his throat.  The crowd cheers him on, and with relative ease, the entire balloon disappears.

While the art of street performing is less prominent in Calgary than other parts of the world, says Jordan, he and other street performers in the city say they hope that is something that changes.

“For some reason when you remove the four walls of the theatre, you remove its legitimacy no matter how committed, passionate or truthful the performer is,” he says.

Jordan, 28, says he hopes a newly printed Calgary street performers’ program will help.  The pamphlet includes detailed information on where and when street performers are showcasing their talents.

While he normally avoids the chill of winter by going to Australia or New Zealand, this is the first time in six years he has stayed in Calgary.

He made the decision to stay, he explains, because he saw the city failing as a street-performing society.  He is part of a Calgary street performers’ organization, which includes him and 10 other performers.

This winter, he even took on a non-paying job position as a press agent for street performing.

“We all work individually, but I think we work as a collective in making this city more busker-friendly,” Jordan says.

Jordan has been practicing magic since he was six years old.  He says he started performing on the street at the age of 13 when someone suggested it as a good place to rehearse.

“That is where I started performing and I just sort of fell in love with the idea of performing in the street because nobody ever expects to see a performer,” he says.

He does around 24 shows a month in warmer months, but when it’s colder, he usually limits it to one show a weekend.

Karen Sim, a gypsy-fiddle player and professional street performer has known Jordan for about 10 years.

“He brings the audience in,” she says, describing how Jordan tries to create all-inclusive acts for the crowd.  She says not many people get to see the caliber of performance he gives, unless they pay to go to a theatre.

Chris Visser, also a friend of Jordan’s and a street magician, says he believes that in some parts of the world, people have a better understanding of what street performing is all about.

In Calgary, Visser says, there are often misconceptions about why performers do what they do.

Jordan gives an explanation during his show.

He tells the audience, “I perform in the street because it makes my show non-discriminatory, fair and honest. It’s non-discriminatory because anybody can watch it---no matter who they are or how much money they make. It’s fair because you don’t have to pay if you don’t want to, but it’s honest because you pay what you honestly think the show is worth.”

There are about 10 professional street performers in Calgary, Jordan says, and it is a legitimate source of income for some.

Calgary is a tough crowd, he says, explaining how he fails more often than he succeeds, making him a stronger performer. “I think the most important thing about being a street performer is a thick skin and a resilient nature.”

Nevertheless, Jordan says street performing is his passion.  He likes the idea of an impromptu show that no one is expecting and that may give someone a story to tell.

“That’s real magic. Aspiring people is real magic to me, so I’ll probably always be a street performer,” he says.

On weekends when the weather is nice, the sidewalks of Prince’s Island Park become his stage.

“It’s not just magic, it’s every type of entertainment put into one show,” Jordan says.

Swallowing a balloon is one of James Jordan’s many tricks he performs in the street. Not only a carnival magician, Jordan is also part of a street performers’ organization. Photos: Mayan Freeborn/Calgary Journal