Zowie

It's hard to know where to begin. Seeing Cirque live was a religious experience. They're inhuman--but in a good way. It really kind of defies words, so I scanned some pictures from the program book. Even then, it doesn't really cut it.

We had decent seats; third row, balcony. Far enough away that you could get the full scope of the stage, yet close enough that you didn't miss any of the nuances of costume or make-up. The stage was brightly-coloured and painted with designs that looked like they'd been taken out of a kaleidoscope. Every performance was flawless. They started out with the Chinese Poles--excellent idea, to take a hammer to our notions of human limitation early on. I swear their hands and feet were sticky, like lizards, from the way they could move up and down those things, and jumping from one to another. Throughout the show there were times when you didn't know where to look, there was so much going on. The music was glorious. The clowning was funny and endearing and just a little bit ribald. The trapeze act had the feel of a summoning, and there were moments when I was on the edge of my seat from some of those last-moment catches. Another act proved that it was possible to do a handstand on a moving bicycle. This little fella was adorable! I want to learn how to make dolls just so that I can have a mini-him. The hand-to-hand act was incredible: two strapping lads performing feats of strength and balance as easily as an average person walks down the street. My little sister now wants a Russian Swing of her very own. (<-- That one's a YouTube video. The pic just didn't get across how fun it looked. ;-P) In the middle of the act, the band segued into a snippet of the Love Boat theme as a nod to Valentine's. It made me giggle, because the clowns started doing some rather suggestive dancing. Then they went back to the performance without skipping a beat. The whole things was marvelous.

If you ever get the chance to see these people, do it. They're amazing. I'mma go collapse now. Did not get nearly enough sleep. As predicted, though, it was completely worth it!