A Review Of The Circus Show By Cirkopolis
Lindsay Chandler lkc5074@psu.edu; INART 005 Section 3
Cirkopolis Review When you think of going to a circus what typically comes to mind? Do you picture a group of bizarrely dressed clowns or a mighty lion and his tamer? Where, in your mind, is this circus taking place? Is it in a large, Big Top tent with a circus ring inside? None of these typical circus characteristics could be seen in Cirque Éloize’s Cirkopolis, as the performance took place in a venue far different from a Big Top tent—Penn State’s Eisenhower Auditorium. If the audience was expecting an insane and dazzling typical circus show, they would have certainly been confused and slightly disappointed by Cirkopolis. For a fan of novaeu cirque, though, Cirkopolis was a breathtaking and spectacular show. Cirque Éloize effortlessly integrated all of the components of a noveau cirque performance—dance, theatre, stage design, music, and circus—into its astounding eighty minute show, Cirkopolis. Certainly one wouldn’t attend a circus performance expecting no circus-like features in the show. Although Cirkopolis lacked the most obvious features of a classic, Big Top circus—the animals, the fire, the clowns, and the circus ring—it contained more subtle circus features. There were several juggling acts and, most memorably, aerial artists who gracefully climbed high up a rope and peacefully hung while the show continued on under them. These subtler circus characteristics made the show tasteful—more suitable for an older and more mature audience. The audience could appreciate the flexibility, strength, and extreme concentration demonstrated by the performers—something that does not usually stand out in a typical circus amidst clowns performing ridiculous acts and big cats captivating the audience with their sheer magnificence. One of the most striking aspects of Cirkopolis was the integration of dance into the show. Dave St-Pierre did an outstanding job choreographing every breath-taking move of the
Cirkopolis Review When you think of going to a circus what typically comes to mind? Do you picture a group of bizarrely dressed clowns or a mighty lion and his tamer? Where, in your mind, is this circus taking place? Is it in a large, Big Top tent with a circus ring inside? None of these typical circus characteristics could be seen in Cirque Éloize’s Cirkopolis, as the performance took place in a venue far different from a Big Top tent—Penn State’s Eisenhower Auditorium. If the audience was expecting an insane and dazzling typical circus show, they would have certainly been confused and slightly disappointed by Cirkopolis. For a fan of novaeu cirque, though, Cirkopolis was a breathtaking and spectacular show. Cirque Éloize effortlessly integrated all of the components of a noveau cirque performance—dance, theatre, stage design, music, and circus—into its astounding eighty minute show, Cirkopolis. Certainly one wouldn’t attend a circus performance expecting no circus-like features in the show. Although Cirkopolis lacked the most obvious features of a classic, Big Top circus—the animals, the fire, the clowns, and the circus ring—it contained more subtle circus features. There were several juggling acts and, most memorably, aerial artists who gracefully climbed high up a rope and peacefully hung while the show continued on under them. These subtler circus characteristics made the show tasteful—more suitable for an older and more mature audience. The audience could appreciate the flexibility, strength, and extreme concentration demonstrated by the performers—something that does not usually stand out in a typical circus amidst clowns performing ridiculous acts and big cats captivating the audience with their sheer magnificence. One of the most striking aspects of Cirkopolis was the integration of dance into the show. Dave St-Pierre did an outstanding job choreographing every breath-taking move of the