A circus aswirl
Daredevils show their dragon hearts at the Wells Fargo Center.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & BaileyThe Flying Caceres, top, will attempt a full twisting double bar-to-bar somersault. By Matt Huston Inquirer Staff Writer
from: philly.com
Fri, Feb. 24, 2012
In an industry known for big things - big tents, big animals, big crowds - it might be hard to outdo a show that explores the fiercest creature of mythology in the luckiest year of the Chinese zodiac.
The sister-sister partnership behind a new Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey production is setting the tent pole high.
"Dragons," the circus tour running through Monday at the Wells Fargo Center, may be the most thematic, modern, and inclusive one yet. In coordination with the Chinese Year of the Dragon, the show - conceived by Alana and Nicole Feld - targets a tech-savvy generation of children by blending contemporary with traditional elements, high-tech with human-powered spectacles, and fantasy with reality.
"When kids and families come to the arena, they are comparing our show to what they see at a rock concert and what they are doing with a video game," Nicole Feld said in an interview.
There will be dragons. But someone has to lure them out of hiding: That duty falls to a diverse cast of performers, including clowns, "Cossacks," martial artists and aerial contortionists. In order to summon the beasts, the cast must exhibit four dragon traits: courage, wisdom, heart, and strength.
A family of eight motorcyclists blazing around the inside of a steel globe requires at least a few of those characteristics. So does the rider who hangs off a horse galloping at 40 m.p.h.
"They're putting forth the most incredible feats to summon this dragon," which reveals itself gradually throughout the event, Alana said. "The more incredible the feat the performers do, the more the dragon starts to show itself."
If dragons seem like a boyish fixation, the Feld sisters' production demonstrates that their spirit spans the gender line. The lead creators of "Dragons" are women, as are the performers offering some of the show's most dangerous acts.
Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20120224_A_circus_aswirl.html#ixzz1nJBve5v1 Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else
The sister-sister partnership behind a new Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey production is setting the tent pole high.
"Dragons," the circus tour running through Monday at the Wells Fargo Center, may be the most thematic, modern, and inclusive one yet. In coordination with the Chinese Year of the Dragon, the show - conceived by Alana and Nicole Feld - targets a tech-savvy generation of children by blending contemporary with traditional elements, high-tech with human-powered spectacles, and fantasy with reality.
"When kids and families come to the arena, they are comparing our show to what they see at a rock concert and what they are doing with a video game," Nicole Feld said in an interview.
There will be dragons. But someone has to lure them out of hiding: That duty falls to a diverse cast of performers, including clowns, "Cossacks," martial artists and aerial contortionists. In order to summon the beasts, the cast must exhibit four dragon traits: courage, wisdom, heart, and strength.
A family of eight motorcyclists blazing around the inside of a steel globe requires at least a few of those characteristics. So does the rider who hangs off a horse galloping at 40 m.p.h.
"They're putting forth the most incredible feats to summon this dragon," which reveals itself gradually throughout the event, Alana said. "The more incredible the feat the performers do, the more the dragon starts to show itself."
If dragons seem like a boyish fixation, the Feld sisters' production demonstrates that their spirit spans the gender line. The lead creators of "Dragons" are women, as are the performers offering some of the show's most dangerous acts.
Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20120224_A_circus_aswirl.html#ixzz1nJBve5v1 Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else
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