graceful strength

Human strength never ceases to amaze me. The grace at which it can be preformed was outdone in last night's performance at Cirque du Soleil . The particular show was SalTimBanco. It was performance art at it's best, in my opinion. No words were spoken in English. No words needed to be spoken. All language was foreign, where the visuals and beat of music carried the meaning of the show. Everything was live. Nothing prerecorded. The music, singing, dialogue -- phenomenal.

If you've never seen a Cirque du Soleil performance, I highly recommend getting tickets for the next show in town. It's a traveling performing arts show made up of extraordinary talent and choreography. I cannot imagine how much time goes into a show like this. And my husband brought up an interesting point... even though I loved the performance and was moved by it's passion and excitement... it's kind of just a glorified circus, marketed towards adults. Smart move in my opinion! And even so, I don't think it takes away from the maturity in the artistic talent. They may have taken a basic circus and put it on steroids, but they did a fabulous job and I would pay just as much next time around. In fact, it's French for "Circus of the Sun", so it is a circus w/out standard clowns and animals.

This video, Trapeze Twins, is a little long (8 min), but worth the view if you have time. It was one of my favorites in the show. It's tough to truly get the feel on screen, you cringe in your seat, nervous for the possible fall and are in awe of their grace and coordination when they're swinging out in front of you. Amazing. If nothing else, view the first two minutes and you will understand the splendor of the voice and beat of the music. Oh yeah, and the insane talent...



This one, Chinese Poles, is a lot shorter. Although the color is muted, the fluidity is unreal. Taken from their site: "Multicolored creatures slither across the stage and scamper up the Chinese poles - the skyscrapers of Saltimbanco. Like reptiles, the acrobats leap and fly through the air with agility, strength and speed. With their hypnotic, serpentine dance, these masters breathe life into their surroundings. Inspired by the original Chinese discipline, this number features 20 artists from Cirque du Soleil's house troupe, performing 25 feet in the air."