Archive for the ‘Performers’ Category

3G Software Industry Event

Freitag, Juli 9th, 2010

A friend Zhang Xiang Dong invited me to perform at an event for the 3G industry to share the latest software developments. He was the MC of that event and he thought that my passion and love for bikes is similar to some of the developers passion for the 3G mobile applications they are developing.

Ines Brunn at 3G Event

It was the smallest stage that I have ever performed on. It was just 3x5meters with a big blob coming out of the wall and covered in fake plastic grass which limited the space to about 2.5 meters. Plus it was actually a stage, so it was elevated from the ground with one fragile light box on each side as well as a screen and a projector.

Trick Bike Shop on Small Stage

But luckily I did not fall off the stage, nor brake anything. Of course I could not do all of my bicycle stunts, but enough to fill the 5 minutes and impress the crowd.

Ines Brunn During her Trick Bike Show

More pictures are on my webalbum, just click here. They were done by the chef of the HLQ bar Frank Jiang.

Ines and Frank Jiang

Ines on ZLOG

Mittwoch, Juli 7th, 2010

A picture was posted on ZLOG from the New York City bicycle film festival.

Ines at BFF NYC

Bike Shops and NY Friends

Montag, Juni 21st, 2010

I wanted to check out what some of teh bike shops had. I first went to „Dah Shop“ in Manhattan near the Williamsburg bridge. The guys there sell skate boards, BMX bikes as well as fixed gear bikes. They are really cool and might come out for a trip to China. They have cool brands like animal.

Then I stopped by a close by but completely different kind of bike shop called „Frank’s Bike Shop„. It was quite full and messy. I saw that I can pack a lot more stuff into my store in Beijing after seeing this efficient tight packing. But when I when asked for a quill stem Frank went behind the counter into the hidden rooms and after a while came back saying “ I think I have one but I cannot find it now, can you come back in 2 days or so?. If I would live here I think it would be a cool place to find some unique things.

Frank’s Bike Shop

Then again I cycled over the Williamsburg bridge which has great bike lanes and a cool view.

Cycling to Brooklyn on Williamsburg Bridge

Then I met my friend Andrew (he does stand up comedy and acting) who surprisingly now lives in NY for some organic tasty ice cream on the Brooklyn river shore.

Eating Ice Cream on the River Shore

Andrew and Ines

He then had to rush to an improv theater workshop and I had to go to the flying trapeze workshop. It was fun again, even though I found my swing to be off rhythm. We first did again some back end splits but then they also showed me how to do some backward flips. When the catcher came and it was my turn I forgot that I was supposed to to the back end split so the only thing I did was hit my toe on my own trapeze. They then did not let me fly anymore which pissed me off. Then I did pull ups and push up and practiced my 1 arm hand stands till I felt better again.

I went to go to see Anna in her house. They live there with 6 people but it is quite huge and is standing alone.

Anna and her House

Anna is producing the theater play called Peking Roulette: A Beijing Love Story. The Midtown International Theatre Festival and AG Theatrical Productions proudly present: Peking Roulette by Ben Thompson original score by Michelangelo Sosnowitz. A quirky look at life (and love) for an aging expat in Beijing playing July 15-31. She is doing a lot of the rehearsals in her living room which is bigger than the actual stage.

Peking Roulette Rehearsal Room

Then we had some Chinese covered rice (gai fan) to remind me of what I am missing.

Flying Trapeze and Films and Girls Alleycat

Sonntag, Juni 20th, 2010

Today morning after a long interview for the COG magazine on my trick cycling background and fixe gear bikes I went to my first class of flying trapeze. It was at the Espana Streb institute in Brooklyn.

Girl on the Flying Trapeze in NY

They also had space for other aerial disciplines and people were practicing.

Aerial Circus Disciplines

The flying trapeze was fun but less exciting than expected. It was not too difficult for me with my long gymnastics background and anyway the uneven bars and flying between had always been my favorite element. The class was first doing swings and then some figures and preparing for the fly. Then a catcher went on the other trapeze and actually caught me. Of course for this easy one there is no real feeling of flying because I just take my hands off my trapeze and he catches my arms. Here is the video of my fourth flying trapeze back end split with catch.

I will go again tomorrow and hopefully learn something more. Too bad that there is no school in Beijing.

Then I rode fast to get back to Manhattan to be part of the first screening of bike films. The bicycle film about me called „Riding in the Circle“ was screened in this session.

Bicycle Film “Riding in the Circle”

My friends had come to watch this movie. After the screening we went to a nearby cafe to have some lunch together.

Friends from Beijing in NY

When I went back to the movie theater the was a gathering of girls that were about to start the „girls only“ alleycat bike race. This was a picture before the handout of the manifest with the addresses of the checkpoints.

All Girls Alleycat

Then the girls checked the maps on where the alleycat checkpoints are.

Alleycat Preparation

Thinking of the Best Route to Cycling

Studying the NYC Map

All Set for the Race

Then the girls had to place their bikes on the opposite side wall.

Setting the Bike for the Alleycat

Then there was a picture with all alleycat girls before the bike race started. These are the cool and fastest bike girls of NYC. Keep the rubber side down all the time.

Cool Bike Girls of NYC

The guys on the other hand were hanging out in the movie theater. I watched a lot of movies today of which some were quite disappointing.

Cyclists featured in Movie

Let’s Hear it for the Girls Trick Bike Show

Samstag, Juni 19th, 2010

Today the different movie programs of the BFF were well attended. Especially the „Urban Bike Film“. There was a huge line in front of the movie theater.

BFF Movie Waiting Line

And when we got in all the seats were filled up.

BFF Movie Theater for Urban Shorts

There was an alleycat race today and the prize ceremony was held before the Urban Bike Short films started.

Alleycat Race Award Ceremony

And then there was a bikes rock cheering for the 10th year anniversary before Brendt was sent on some movie theater crowd surfing.

BFF Cheering

It was funny to see this bike outside with this huge spoke card.

Bike with Huge Spokecard

I liked this card for a pregnant woman. I think if I am pregnant I will hang one on each of my bikes too.

Bicycle Card for a Pregnant Women

The bicycle film festival girls had arranged the great after party on this Saturday.

Let’s Hear it for the Girls Party

I  did a late night performance in the hope that the people watching the second screening of the urban bike shorts could also come in time to watch. But I think only a small fraction of those came in time. And the one DJ lady forced me to perform exactly at 1am.

Ines Brunn Performing at the BFF Afterparty

Here is the video of my bicycle performance that Nora took capturing the feeling of the event. I love the song Fire by Jess Meider.

Let’s Hear it for the Girls Trick Bike Show

Artistic Cycling and Acro Balance

Sonntag, Juni 6th, 2010

Driving a different route than usual I saw a new site of Adidas built in the North of Herzogenaurach. Both Adidas and Puma are both expanding and building new sites in their town of origin. The nice thing is that there was a bicycle lane even out here in the countryside.

Bike Lane outside of Herzogenaurach

I went to to meet the artistic cyclists Karina, Paulina and Inga. There were practicing for the upcoming Bavarian Championships. They need to do well in order to qualify for the German Cup.

Karina and Paulina Rossbach 2er Kunstfahren

Karina for fun invented a new figure that looks classy. But she did not hand it in to the actual organization.

Classy Karina Split

I was also training. It was nice to be on a good fast wooden floor again. I was happy that I still was able to do the handstand on my bike. Then we took a picture together in the old school style on our fixed gear trick bicycles.

Traditional Stillstand on Artistic Bicycle

Inga does not ride anymore so we took a normal picture outside.

Inga and Ines

Then I went to the Zirkuslabor started by Tatjana Bilenko and Fritz Mack whom I used to perform together with for a few years (about 1996 to 1999) in the performing arts community show called “Vorsicht Variete”. Today they were doing some acro-balance.

Tatjana and Fritz Acro-Balance

Gerhard Pfeiffer and I were also practicing some partner acrobatic. We took a video that I uploaded only to facebook.

Tatjana performs on the trapeze and other aerial things like this ring. So she was practicing that too.

Tatjana in Aerial Ring

I hope next time I can see them perform, because they have been doing it as a full time living for quite some years now. That last time I saw Fritz he was still having his corporate job.

Tatjana in the Zirkuslabor

Then I drove home to have some delicious barbecue in my parent’s garden.

Tianjin TV „China Right Here“ Show Environmental Topic: Ines Brunn – the „Fairy on Wheels“

Sonntag, Mai 9th, 2010

The Tianjin TV documentary about my thoughts to a greener Beijing and blue sky that was broadcasted last year is now online. You can watch the full 30 minute film at this link: 单车天使 Fairy on the Wheels – Ines Brunn 伊泉. It shows my participation in the 2008 Greening the Beige event with my bicycle performance, how I cycle everywhere in all kinds of clothes, and how we started the Beijing fixed gear group. As well as my efforts to promote cycling for a better environment and blue Beijing sky.

Let us make Beijing’s sky become more blue

一个德国女孩,一段绿色环保的旅程。伊泉,这位世界一流通信测试仪表公司驻亚太区的经理,已在北京骑行4年的她,无论是街头、巷尾,还是剧场、舞台。风驰电掣的身影,交错转动的车轮。这个人们眼中异样的女孩,脚踏着车轮,追逐着梦想—永恒绿色的主题。她和她的自行车就犹如一个符号,述说着新旧的故事,也承载着不断的希望。

Ines Brunn in Fairy on Wheels Documentary

Unrelated but interesting: Bobby Spokes made a comment on a South China Morning Post newspaper letter claiming that bikes are in the way of Porsche and Ferrari drivers in Hong Kong. He wrote: „You can throw a bit of science in. Cycling can take a quarter off a person’s perceived age and a third off the emotional and metabolic age. …“. I did not know that. And I could not find any scientific evidence yet. But that is probably why everybody thinks I am so young. You should cycle more too 🙂 I also found an article in China daily about cycling in Beijing.

CycleChina 2010 Exhibition Bike Tricks

Freitag, April 30th, 2010

Today was the final day of the CycleChina 2010. Our Natooke booth still looked nice.

Natooke Booth at CycleChina Exhibition in Shanghai 2010

I took a final tour around the other exhibition halls. I likes this new design bike done by design students from a Chinese-Danish-German collaboration. Even though I am not sure that it will ride comfortably. Also I might not do trick on it.

Special Design Bike

And again I did some bike tricks.

Ines Brunn at the beginning of a performance

Bike tricks on Bamboo Bicycle

Attracting Crowds with Bamboo Bike Tricks

Ines Brunn doing a Headstand on Bamboo Bike

There are more pictures of today on my webalbum. I also uploaded a video on youku which is the Chinese version of youtube. Each time it was so easy to attract a crowd of people. They then all wanted to take pictures of me and the bamboo bike.

Audience coming to take pictures after the bike show

People crowding around Ines to ask questions about bamboo bike

Ines Brunn in a crowd of amazed people

We were not in a rush to take down our booth which resulted in us being teh last in our hall to pack our stuff.

Packing up the Natooke Booth

Bike Tricks on Stalk Bamboo Bicycle

Donnerstag, April 29th, 2010

I am having the impression that there are less walk in visitors at this year’s China Cycle exhibition. But it is still fun to perform on the open area and watch how my bicycle stunts draw a crowd. Here are some pictures of me (Ines Brunn)  doing bike tricks on a bamboo bike made by Stalk.

Ines Brunn doing Bicycle Tricks at China Cycle Exhibition

Bicycle stunts on bamboo bike

Crowd is getting bigger watching Ines perform

Big circle of people watching Ines’ amazing bike tricks

Headstand on the Stalk Bamboo Bicycle by Ines Brunn

There are new buildings around the exhibition center that have not been there last year. Like this one that looks like it has caves for rock climbing. It really looks inviting. I wonder if anybody will try to climb it when it is finished.

Rock Climbing Building

Low Carbon Conference and Trick Biking at China Cycle

Mittwoch, April 28th, 2010

In the innovation center of the China Cycle exhibition in Shanghai they had some interesting bicycle designs. My favorite was this really nicely done wooden bike in the form of a 60 for the 60th year anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

Wooden 60 China Bike

There was a conference on „Low Carbon Emission“ so Shannon and I (who co-founded STC) went to listen to their ideas.

Low Carbon Emission Conference

It was actually about a bike ride from Beijing to Shenzhen called „China Tour“ to promote cycling as „Low Carbon Life“.

Low Carbon Life Event Logo Description

It is organized by the China Bicycle Association (CBA) together with the company Xidesheng (XDS). The launching event on May 16th in Beijing Chaoyang Park will be organized by a PR company.

Forever GM and the Beijing PR Company Leader

Then a few young cyclists did a circle in the venue with the China Tour outfit.

China Tour Bike Riders 2010

The 12 cyclists that will ride from Beijing through China down to Shenzhen have already been selected. But Shannon and I are looking for a way to participate with STC.

I did tricks on the real bamboo trick bike today again here at the Shanghai exhibition. I uploaded a video of it that you can watch here. It was a video taken between the halls. The bamboo bike is really stable

There was bicycle art by Fang Zu Han. He does nice pencil drawings. I prefer this one.

Fang Zu Han Bike Drawing

And this is him with the head of the CBA

Fang Zu Han and the Bike Association