A Mathematical Look at Cyr Wheel
Cyr Wheel is a circus discipline where a performer uses a large metal ring to spin and perform different tricks. This article will model the various patterns and shapes the cyr wheel creates as it travels across the floor. By modeling the projections on the floor created by the wheel's tangent point, this exploration will explore various movements associated with the discipline to enlighten both circus artists and non-circus artists alike.
-
Waltzing is the main movement where most other tricks branch off. This is the foundational movement of spinning.
-
When the cyr wheel artist pulls the wheel upright in the middle of a waltz step to create a center spin, the path of the cyr wheel is stopped at the midpoint of the petal arc.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
Introduction
*
Introduction *
The Cyr Wheel is a circus apparatus invented in its modern form in 1996 by Daniel Cyr and debuted by him and Cirque Eloize in 2002. This specific apparatus, also known as a simple wheel, is a large metal ring typically made of hollow aluminium or steel covered with a thin layer of PVC with a total width of between 1.5”-2”. The diameter of the ring is determined by the height of the user. For ease of transportation, a cyr wheel will typically break down into 5 equal parts. The performer will spin inside the wheel, acting as a motor while allowing the wheel to roll and rotate tangent to the floor plane. The movement of a cyr wheel is extremely similar to the problem of a spinning and rolling coin, but with a motor inside. For this paper, we have simplified the problem down by looking at the projections created by the wheel under ideal circumstances. We will look at four specific movements: rolling, waltzes, coins, and center spins. Each movement will be elaborated on in corresponding sections. For simplicity we will remove the person inside the wheel and ignore any outside forces. We are only examining the patterns created by the wheel and how to predict the pattern based on initial conditions.
Intentions
This paper was written in the final year of my math degree. While it has not been published and requires more exploration into the topic, I wish to share the current iteration of the paper in hopes to inspire and enlighten others. I had a lot of fun researching this discipline called Cyr Wheel, which has taken and continues to take me to many unique places through my life. I hope this can spark conversation about the discipline and give people another way to experience cyr wheel.