Circus on the clock
Circa will attempt a feat never seen before in the Englert
May. 11, 2011Written byStephanie Wise
Iowa City Press-Citizen.com
To hang suspended in the air by a flying trapeze or balance your body, one-legged, on a person's shoulder are feats in themselves.
To complete 61 circus acts in exactly one hour -- well, that's a different story.
Circa, an Australia-based circus group, is coming to Iowa City to prove to audiences that not only can they provide what they call "circus without the boring bits," but that they can jam-pack more than five dozen acts in 60 minutes or less. Can they do it?
You'll have to see for yourself Saturday at The Englert Theatre.
Daniel Crisp, one of four performers on the Circa tour and the only one with an aerial act in the show, said so far on tour they've finished five, two and less than one second under the clock.
"It's stressful," he said. "I nearly had a nervous breakdown when we finished (the) shows."
Circa will perform two shows on its five-and-a-half-week tour this spring, including 61 circus acts in 60 minutes and a shorter version, 46 circus acts in 45 minutes. A stop clock is onstage at each show, counting down the minutes the group has to complete their high-end acrobatics, Crisp said, from plate-spinning to tossing people across the stage.
"The show's all about power, tension, excitement," he said.
Crisp and his circusmates all graduated from the National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne last year and were hired immediately after graduation, he said. The members come from all walks of physically active lives, from gymnastics to synchronized swimming to martial arts.
Crisp said he joined the circus for "the rush of the lifestyle."
Circa is no Barnum & Bailey-esque company. Founded in 2004, it's very much a professional community, Crisp said, with structure and a lot of hard work to produce high-end skills. They also don't use animals, elaborate sets or props.
"People think circus is a bit wild, but it's very professional and everyone respects and loves each other," he said.
Circa's performance in Iowa City is sponsored by Spot -- The Hancher Family Arts Adventure, an ongoing program in which area communities host an artist for free residency events and a public performance. Most Spot performances, like Circa's, are geared toward families. Circa will offer residency events in McGregor and Iowa City schools before its performance Saturday afternoon.
Erin Donohue, education programming director for Hancher, said bringing in a circus act like Circa is unusual for Hancher's final show of the academic year -- let alone its season.
"(We) were really looking for engaging family programming, not just something good for children but fun and really good, interesting, effective art that's applicable for children but also for families," she said. "Circa is a really contemporary circus group."
Though Hancher doesn't stage strictly children's shows, Donohue said, Hancher staff hopes the younger crowds will be more engaged in the arts through similar future programming.
"I love it when the kids are leaving, saying, 'That's the best thing I've ever seen,'" she said.
Crisp said he and his group look forward to seeing the audience's reactions. That, and finishing the show on time.
"It's always a really awesome feeling finishing under the clock," he said. "That's definitely my favorite part."
To hang suspended in the air by a flying trapeze or balance your body, one-legged, on a person's shoulder are feats in themselves.
To complete 61 circus acts in exactly one hour -- well, that's a different story.
Circa, an Australia-based circus group, is coming to Iowa City to prove to audiences that not only can they provide what they call "circus without the boring bits," but that they can jam-pack more than five dozen acts in 60 minutes or less. Can they do it?
You'll have to see for yourself Saturday at The Englert Theatre.
Daniel Crisp, one of four performers on the Circa tour and the only one with an aerial act in the show, said so far on tour they've finished five, two and less than one second under the clock.
"It's stressful," he said. "I nearly had a nervous breakdown when we finished (the) shows."
Circa will perform two shows on its five-and-a-half-week tour this spring, including 61 circus acts in 60 minutes and a shorter version, 46 circus acts in 45 minutes. A stop clock is onstage at each show, counting down the minutes the group has to complete their high-end acrobatics, Crisp said, from plate-spinning to tossing people across the stage.
"The show's all about power, tension, excitement," he said.
Crisp and his circusmates all graduated from the National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne last year and were hired immediately after graduation, he said. The members come from all walks of physically active lives, from gymnastics to synchronized swimming to martial arts.
Crisp said he joined the circus for "the rush of the lifestyle."
Circa is no Barnum & Bailey-esque company. Founded in 2004, it's very much a professional community, Crisp said, with structure and a lot of hard work to produce high-end skills. They also don't use animals, elaborate sets or props.
"People think circus is a bit wild, but it's very professional and everyone respects and loves each other," he said.
Circa's performance in Iowa City is sponsored by Spot -- The Hancher Family Arts Adventure, an ongoing program in which area communities host an artist for free residency events and a public performance. Most Spot performances, like Circa's, are geared toward families. Circa will offer residency events in McGregor and Iowa City schools before its performance Saturday afternoon.
Erin Donohue, education programming director for Hancher, said bringing in a circus act like Circa is unusual for Hancher's final show of the academic year -- let alone its season.
"(We) were really looking for engaging family programming, not just something good for children but fun and really good, interesting, effective art that's applicable for children but also for families," she said. "Circa is a really contemporary circus group."
Though Hancher doesn't stage strictly children's shows, Donohue said, Hancher staff hopes the younger crowds will be more engaged in the arts through similar future programming.
"I love it when the kids are leaving, saying, 'That's the best thing I've ever seen,'" she said.
Crisp said he and his group look forward to seeing the audience's reactions. That, and finishing the show on time.
"It's always a really awesome feeling finishing under the clock," he said. "That's definitely my favorite part."
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