Star in His Pocket

The composer has never quite gotten over her girlhood crush on Philippe Petit, though it has matured into a deep respect for his special brand of guts and creativity. Philippe Petit is the French high-wire artist who gained fame for his aerial walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City on August 7, 1974. For his unauthorized feat 400 metres above the ground he and his team successfully rigged 200 kilograms of cable between the buildings without getting caught. Petit performed for 45 minutes, making 8 passes along the wire. Authorities arrested him at the conclusion of his performance, but all charges were dropped in exchange for him performing in Central Park for children. In an interview, when Petit was asked what compelled him to do the walk he replied, "When I see three oranges I juggle, when I see two towers I walk."

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