'Traces' mixes circus, parkour
A moment in "Traces" called Hand to Hand. (Michael Meseke)
from: timesunion.com
By Michael Eck
Thursday, February 28, 2013
SCHENECTADY — It's an age-old saw, the one about the kid on the street running away to join the circus. But what if it happened the other way around, and the circus ran off to join the street.
"Traces," a product of the Montreal-based 7 Fingers troupe, melds urban activities like skateboarding, basketball and the corner hang into a sinuous whole with modern cirque tropes of dance, fable and acrobatics. The show's Wednesday night opening at Proctors was, in a word, dazzling. The show was performed again Thursday night.
Perhaps the strongest flavors in the show come from parkour and freerunning, with thrilling jumps, spins and gyrations that blast past the nonsensical martial acrobatics of action films. These moves are entertaining enough, but in "Traces" all feats serve a purpose in the story as well.
It's a unique entertainment, which finds each of its players (traceurs in the parlance of parkour) excelling in many fields, not just one. Gone, it seems, are the days of the "circus act." It's not enough to walk the tightrope anymore; you have to do standup comedy, impersonations and read poetry as well. Frankly, none of the latter "skills" enter into "Traces," but its players do multitask in thrilling varieties.
Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/entertainment/article/Traces-mixes-circus-parkour-4317786.php#ixzz2MHkYcVCk
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