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'Cirque on Ice' showcases beauty of human body in movement
Show production and original concept design is by Le Cirque de Gymnastique, a three-year-old male/female aerial acrobatic team which includes a nationally ranked gymnast who has won many awards. The team has performed extensively at corporate events, private functions, parades and nightclubs in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Francisco. "Cirque on Ice" features Sara Evenson, whose family resides in Thousand Oaks. Evenson attended Thousand Oaks High School and was involved with the Moorpark College Dance Department. Her dream was to provide Cirque-style entertainment for the local community close to home at an affordable price. "I always wanted to produce my own shows with a group of innovative professionals and find a way to bring what we do to the community level," said Evenson. "This show is on the cutting edge of creating something truly new and different for Ventura County families to see and appreciate." The troupe selected the community theater at 330 Skyway Drive for the shows because the facility was not in use for December. The stage provides an intimate setting for the small show. The production uses acrobats from other companies, including Air Fire, Vertigo Posse and Cirque du Soleil. The performers are donating most of their time to the project. Proceeds from the shows will help fund a new aerial and fitness center for all ages and skill levels. "Cirque on Ice" opens with two male gymnasts in blue tights and face paint performing incredible work on the floor, such as holding a pose on a handstand for several moments. The athletes demonstrate great control and strength. The men then climb the floortoceiling towers of metal rods, one column in each corner of the stage. The acrobats hang from the towers, hold their bodies parallel to the floor, and scamper along the rigging high above the stage. Other acrobats come onstage, including a young woman in white who performs floor exercises and a male/female duo who combine dance with gymnastic flips. Then the action moves to the air, as another woman does her acrobatic moves on a hoop suspended over the floor and the men maneuver inside a large, hollow hanging cube. Even more wonderful are the feats of the aerialists, who perform suspended in the air with long straps or ribbons wrapped around their limbs. Throughout the show, the artists move to the beat of an instrumental soundtrack. Fluid computer animation is projected onto a screen to one side of the stage, and color laser lights flash. It's not quite sensory overload, but there is as much nonstop action as a three-ring circus. The original concept for the show called for ice and skaters, but the production doesn't suffer from the lack, since the focus is on the gymnasts, who are dazzling to watch. The show tries to invoke an "ice theme" with a recorded voice telling a story about an ice world call "Icetopia." However, the voice is too muddy and hard to understand, so the tale gets lost. The show is family friendly and might encourage young ones to take up dance or gymnastics. Running time is about an hour, short enough to hold a child's attention. Le Cirque plans to continue producing intimate shows for small groups and special functions, and hopes eventually to open an all-ages training facility. For more information, showtimes and tickets, call (805) 587-9138. For more about Le Cirque de Gymnastique, visit www.myspace.com/lcdg. |
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