Friday, March 29, 2013

Canadian troupe stages circus of the mind


Courtesy of Peggy Faye Les 7 Doigts de la Main: "PSY"
from:  washingtonexaminer.com
Emily Cary, Special to The Washington Examiner
March 28, 2013
.There are circuses with elephants, tigers, seals and prancing horses. Then there is Les 7 Doigts de la Main (Seven Fingers of the Hand). The circus and acrobatic troupe from Quebec arrives at George Mason University with "PSY" (pronounced "see"), a show that excels in acrobatics even as it probes the surreal underworld of the human mind.

Shana Carroll explained that the name refers to the seven founders of the company, of which she is one of two Americans. Another founder is French, while four are Canadians. Like her colleagues who also enjoyed careers with big circuses, she performed with Cirque du Soleil. At the founding of Les 7 Doigts de la Main in 2002, all seven became directors of the organization that now has more than 200 members involved in administration, performance and other aspects of production. "PSY" is one of the troupe's eight shows that regularly tour.
"This concept seemed like a natural step to us," she said. "We use circus as a language that can be compared to a musical with song and dance. The circus comes out of the story and the story is sprinkled around the acts. The basis of 'PSY' is psychology, and the circus acts are the symbolic path to emotion. The language of the circus can be surreal, as in paintings and dreams that delve into the subconscious.
 
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"The role of 'PSY' is to stimulate the imagination. The audience relates to the characters. Scenes transform in front of their eyes and they discover meaning behind each act. For instance, the juggling act represents the white holes in one's memory. In the case of the teeter board, when an artist flies into the air, the audience is connected with him and wants him to come back safely.
read more:
http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/2525687

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