Cirque Shanghai

Photo Credit Anthony Robert La Penna
Courtesy Carol Fox & Associates

http://www.navypier.com/home.html

Breathtaking is the only way to describe the amazing performance these individuals gave us. The production was mesmerizing and each time the act would start out with a simple position and gradually progress to an astonishing set of movements. This left me with my mouth wide open, sitting on the edge of my seat thinking to myself, “that was unbelievable, how did they do that!”

The costumes were beautiful and very colorful. The rich culture of Shanghai was magnificently expressed and the elegance and degree of difficulty of the aerobatics constantly kept me in awe of their talent. The level of skill these performers have attained has put them in a league that only a few will ever achieve. Their concentration and determination could be felt as they performed each move. I knew this would be a great performance when they began the show with compelling music, individuals flying through the air and players running down the aisles with beautiful banners representing their culture.

The music was masterfully choreographed with lower tones at the beginning of the act that subtly intensified to highs that reflected the difficulty of it, which would ultimately crescendo with the most difficult aspect of the performance. I often found myself holding my breath until the act was finished.

The performers entertained the audience with unicycles, bicycles, balancing plates, and contortions that showed amazing strength and endurance. I am used to seeing pyramids being built with cheerleaders, but they take this art form to a totally new level. Imagine a man on a bicycle and before you know it 10 people have climbed on him to form a pyramid, while he is continually peddling this bike in a circle on a small stage!

The age group of the performers ranged from children to adults and they all performed as if they have been doing aerial cartwheels and flipping from the time they were born.

If this troupe is in your area, immediately purchase tickets for your family. These are seasoned entertainers. The performance level, self-determination and the extreme talent of this group will exceed or surpass any ideas you may have of a typical day at the circus.

 

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