Circo Kampung

Ikat Tepi

Diabolo

Ikat Tepi is a Malay phrase meaning “tie at the side”, commonly used in Malaysia for takeaway drinks served in plastic bags tied with a string. A simple gesture of carrying and hanging, it becomes a starting point for reflecting on memory and transformation.

Through this project, Alvin revisits Diabolo, an apparatus that has accompanied him since childhood but was gradually left aside as his focus shifted towards Cyr Wheel. By replacing the diabolo with helium balloons, the research challenges familiar relationships between gravity, tension, and control.

Between Malaysia and Portugal, past practice and present identity, Ikat Tepi reflects on what we continue to carry with us, even after it has changed form. Perhaps, even when diluted into clear water, something of the original taste remains.

Biography

Alvin Yong Kin Hoe is a circus artist and street performer from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), currently based in Porto (Portugal). He trained at INAC – Instituto Nacional de Artes do Circo, specialising in Cyr wheel, and completed a year of intensive contemporary dance training at Oficina Zero.

He began his artistic journey as a street performer in Taiwan before expanding his practice into contemporary circus in Portugal. In 2019, he created Soul to Show, a solo performance presented at several festivals across Europe. He co-created Rima with Alan Sencades and Erva Daninha, a Cyr wheel duet that premiered in 2025 and toured in Portugal and Spain.

In 2026, Alvin is working on Ikat Tepi, a contemporary circus project exploring new possibilities and transformation in diabolo practice.