Q: What does Hillel - Mr. Balloon Man do?
"A must see show bursting with fun and surprises. Watch the world's funniest 'air head' perform his crazy antics finishing his magical act with a real bang that will amaze you." - From a quote on a poster of Hillel's performances at the Atrium Stage - Singapore.
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Q: How do you do that?
A: Veeeery carefully...
Q: Why do you do that?
A: I "practice safe entertainment"!
Q: What inspired you to get inside a balloon?
A: I was inspired by the globe we live in, "Mother Earth" and by many different medias: magic, cartoons, dreams. It could be interpreted as "going back to the womb", the idea of the balloon being our planet which can pop at any time if we don't take care of it, the inflated economy that could explode in our faces ...
Q: Is the balloon filled with helium?
A: I'm a clown but not stupid ... 😊 The balloon is filled with air.
Q: How do you breathe in there?
A: Slowly and not too much ... I use breathing exercises I learned at the art academy.
Q: Is it dangerous?
A: If I lose too much air while entering the balloon and the latex sticks to my face I could suffocate. It happened to me while the first rehearsals, it's not a nice feeling. Luckily I had an assistant ready by my side to cut me loose. Yes! it could be dangerous, so don't try this at home!
Q: Where do you get the balloons from?
A: They travel around the globe to get to me and then I take them around the world with me, so they have a big frequent flyer account ...
Q: Are you claustrophobic?
A: Is a bird afraid to fly?
Q: Where do you perform your act?
A: I perform in many different venues, from theater productions, film, tv shows, commercials, festivals, cruise ships, nightclubs, sport arenas, convention centers, corporate events, special celebrations and anywhere people would like to be entertained and amazed. Please see my resume.
Q: What is the image of yourself when you are inside the balloon?
A: I see mysel exploring the world from within, the first time I put my head inside a dark purple balloon I could see the whole Universe right there... with planets, the milky way, falling stars. Some audience members told me they see it as a huge condom (I was once introduced by Howie Mandel as the "Trojan's spokesperson"). Some people told me the balloon looks like an M&M or with my hair sticking out as an onion... There is no limit to the imagination...
Q: Were you always Mr. Balloon Man?
A: I'm an actor and a Clowntomime™. Throughout my career I combined the different art forms of Clowning, Magic and Pantomime, three universal languages which gave me the opportunity to travel and perform around the world without any language barriers. Balloons are another universal medium of communication loved and treasured around the globe by all ages.
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I would love to quote a famous Russian artist named Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) when asked what fascinates him about a circle. He said:
"Circle ...
1. The most modest form, but asserts itself unconditionally
2. A precise, but inexhaustible variable
3. Simultaneously stable & unstable
4. Simultaneously loud & soft
5. A single tension that carries countless tension within it.
The circle is the synthesis of the greatest oppositions. It combines the concentric and eccentric in a single form, and in equilibrium. Of the three primary forms (triangle, circle, square) it points most clearly to the forth dimension."
I get the same feeling about the sphere, a round balloon.
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