You may have seen Alakazam, aka “The Human Knot,” fit his body through a squash racket in front of Faneuil Hall, or contort himself into unbelievable pretzel poses while joking with an engaged audience.
But how is he able to do that?
Years of practice and natural flexibility.
“In the beginning, when I was a teenager, and I was learning all kinds of tricks, juggling and contortion were the easiest things to learn. It seemed to be something no one was really doing, and when I did it in my street shows it got a really good reaction,” said Alakazam, whose full name is Alan Millar.
Millar started street performing as a teen in Sydney, Australia with his cousin and has continued ever since. They started a show together in 1996, and his cousin taught him all of his basic skills, including juggling and acrobatics. When his cousin left for college, Millar took his act solo and continued traveling and performing, first all over Australia, and then all over the world.
His travels brought him to Boston repeatedly, and he decided to make it his permanent home in 2010.
When asked when he decided to pursue street performing as a career, Millar said, “It wasn’t really a decision…I didn’t really plan anything, it just kind of happened.”
He was a grand finalist on Season 1 of Australia’s Got Talent and attended the Street Performance World Championships in Dublin twice. In 2009, he won second place. This past year, he won third place and was named “Critics Choice” by the Irish Times.
Besides street performing, Millar played with his band Swedish Suicide on the side for ten years before picking up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu two years ago.
Millar enjoys the freedom street performing gives him.
“I don’t have to answer to a boss, I don’t have a deadline,” said Millar. “If I want to go to work I go to work, if not, I don’t go to work. If I want money I can go make it. I can go travel the world. I have the freedom to do whatever I want, without having to ask anyone.”
Catch Millar tying himself in knots and performing daring feats while balancing high above the crowd this weekend, October 12 through 14, at the Street Performer Fall Festival at Faneuil Hall. View a sneak peek of him in action below.
