THE BALLOON MAN

Zip Zap Circus at Atlas Intersections Festival Saturday, Feb. 23

 

from:  washingtoncitypaper.com
By Sadie Dingfelder •
February 22, 2013
For once, you don’t have to trek to National Harbor or deep into northern Virginia to see world-class circus performers: The Intersections Festival is bringing an afternoon of big-tent entertainment to the Atlas Performing Arts Center on H Street NE. The theater isn’t big enough for a flying trapeze, so the center ring event, “Magic in the Air,” will showcase local acrobats twisting in silks and spinning in suspended hoops, plus clowning by two Maryland-based performers with a penchant for drag, Kolleen and Bobby Kintz. Thinking of joining the circus yourself? Try performing on a tightrope with coaching from the teenage graduates of Zip Zap Circus, a troupe that teaches circus skills to low-income children from South Africa to Anacostia. Or sign up for an afternoon workshop with Cirque du Soleil alum Michael Rossman, who will teach the basics of juggling, clowning, and partner balance. And because this is the upscale kind of circus, you’ll probably escape without a pie to the face.

The performance takes place at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. with other demonstrations running throughout the day at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NW. $15–$25. (202) 399-7993. intersectionsdc.org. The Intersections Festival runs Feb. 22 to March 10 at Atlas Performing Arts Center.