New Year 2019

103 WR180113 Michael Roy Baldridge has swiftly become an essential addition to any event for his distinct charm and extraordinary talents in origami ‘magic’. Working under ‘Cirque du Papier & DryClean Humor Co.’, Michael was recognised in LUXLife Magazine’s 2018 Winner’s Review programme as the Corporate Entertainer of the Year in the Midwest United States. Here, Michael offers an interesting insight into his work and unique talents. At its core, origami is a very simple thing indeed. In Michael’s words, “I take a single square, sometimes a rectangle, of paper to entertain my audiences with the possibilities of the imagination. I do no tricks or illusions.” Yet, through this simple act of folding paper – and years of practice - Michael has managed to build an enviable reputation as a truly fantastic performer and entertainer, captivating people of all ages. To start, Michael takes the opportunity to offer some background to his work: “Cirque du Papier is a very small company. It is me and my part-time support team of tech advisers, marketers and management. The core of our work is performances of origami ‘magic’, though I prefer to call it “transformative magic”. There are no scissors, tearing, tape or table – just my digital dexterity. We also bring a “MicRo Gallery” of origami art as a way to showcase this amazing and exotic art form as well as a way to give guests inspiration for their requests when deciding what they want us to make right before their eyes. This is close-up entertainment similar to a walk-around magician. “We also offer a stand-up stage presentation and origami workshops. Ultimately, our range of events is wide: trade shows, corporate events, conferences, conventions, corporate and private holiday parties, colleges, special occasions of all kinds, and much more. Lots of humour is involved in all our performances (unless they don’t laugh, in which case it’s art).” Above all else, the team at Cirque du Papier are dedicated to their craft and in their ability to entertain. Perhaps more than that, they have revitalised Art Entertaining Through Art an art form which has – up to this point – been bound to traditionalism and history. Michael’s origami is thoroughly modern: animated and bursting with life. “Our mission is to entertain. Through that entertaining we bring to the guests an awareness of the art of origami, expanding their perception of this very old activity with its myriad possibilities for fine art and novelty. “We are constantly looking for and developing better origami designs and techniques, at the same time always working with my team to evaluate each appearance for how we can improve the performance, write new material to keep things fresh, and keep audiences amused, amazed, and enlightened.” One benefit to working in an incredibly niche sector is a lack of direct competitors, though that, as Michael explains, brings its own set of challenges. “Here in the Midwest United States, there are virtually no other entertainers or artists who are doing origami as entertainment. There’s only a handful worldwide. So, it’s not hard to stand out. Even so, we have to work extra hard, not only crafting our artistry and entertainment, but with marketing efforts due to the general public’s lack of awareness of our existence as a business and the existence of such a unique and compelling art form for events. Another challenge is an age-old challenge – how do you price what you do?” As we come to the end of the interview, Michael discusses Cirque du Papier’s award win in more detail. “I suppose steady, persistent work and a consistent attention to the quality of the work resulted in the award win. Awards are helpful as they can bring a lot of attention to one’s work, which can, in turn, help develop a reputation for high quality, like winning an Oscar. As a matter of fact, I am thinking of campaigning to get an Oscar – of course, I will have to make a movie first.” Contact: Michael Roy Baldridge Company: Cirque du Papier & DryClean Humor Co. Address: 2137 Meloy Road, P.O. Box 1284, Kent, OH, 44240, USA Website: www.michaelroysfold.com Telephone: +1 330 678 3362