Bill Sapsis of Sapsis Rigging provided design consultation, as well as all the equipment and onsite supervision for the “One Extraordinary Day” event.

For an event titled “One Extraordinary Day,” the Streb dance troupe performed its mix of “extreme action” dance and movement at such London landmarks as the Millennium Bridge, City Hall, Trafalgar and Paternoster Squares, the National Theatre—and on the London Eye. Yes, that’s right, dancers were on the 400-foot-tall wheel, performing acrobatic moves while hanging from the spokes of the Eye, as it rotated. They earn the “extreme action” tag. Making sure they stayed extremely safe while clambering all over the spokes of the wheel was the responsibility of Sapsis Rigging. Sapsis Rigging provided design consultation, rigging equipment and all performer harnesses for all the events—not just the Eye—and every event happened without incident. Working on getting photos, but meanwhile, we do have some video of the performers rehearsing after the jump.

Sapsis Rigging helps STREB fly over London.

Sapsis Rigging played a pivotal role in the aerialist event held in London on July 15, 2012. The event, titled One Extraordinary Day, was commissioned by the Mayor of London and involved performances by Elizabeth Streb and her "Action Hero" troupe at the Millennium Bridge, City Hall, Trafalgar and Paternoster Squares, the National Theatre and the London Eye.

Sapsis Rigging provided design consultation and rigging equipment for all performer harnesses. Sapsis also provided onsite supervision at all venues. "It was, to say the least, a very exciting day" noted Bill Sapsis, president of Sapsis Rigging. "Each of the locations provided a unique set of challenges but it was the London Eye that demanded the most attention."

The performance on the Eye, which began at 10:15 pm, involved performers completing a serious of acrobatic maneuvers while hanging from the spokes of the Eye as it rotated. Sapsis worked with the UK rigging company, Unusal Rigging, to develop methodology to allow the performers not only full range of movement but also to travel the length of the spoke at will.

"It's not every day we get to place 32 performers on a 400 foot tall rotating wheel", commented Bill. "The equipment worked perfectly and the performers were terrific. Seeing the performers spread out over the Eye was a sight I'll not soon forget."

Founded in 1985, STREB, which is based in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn NY, tours extensively throughout the United States and internationally. For more info, please visit www.streb.org.

Founded in 1981, Philadelphia based Sapsis Rigging provides rigging services and solutions worldwide not only to the event industry but also to the architectural, engineering and theatrical  communities. For more info about Sapsis Rigging, please visit www.sapsis-rigging.com