Circolumbia was formed in order to provide professional opportunities for the graduates of Columbia’s national circus school, Circo Para Todos which provides circus training for disadvantaged youth in the cities of Cali and Bogota. The company has gone on to create site specific shows and performances created for cruise ships;
A fantastic hour of circus.
The cast enter singing “See us, hear us, feel us” and, over the next hour, we certainly do. The skills on display are spectacular; there’s a trio rope routine that draws gasps and is an exciting approach to a classic act, some wonderful acrobalance with many flips and catches that, although they don’t always land perfectly, generate enthusiastic applause. A phenomenal straps duo has a finale that’s not for anyone squeamish about their teeth and there’s a take on a classic duo balance routine that delights. Each act is slick, professional and performed in a way that leaves no doubt that these routines have inherent danger and the audience reacts accordingly with many a scream and fist in mouth.
The whole show is scored by a live DJ mix which is often very loud. The beats mostly add to the pounding excitement of the show but occasionally they overpower the action and the singing from our two female singers. A section where a performer speaks whilst on a rope swing is completely drowned out by the music which is unfortunate as it had the potential to be a quietly introspective moment in the show. Another small criticism is that most of the singing is in Spanish, a language that I don’t speak, but that’s absolutely my failing, not theirs. In fact, my Spanish-speaking partner who accompanied me to the show assured me that I should just enjoy the sound of the voices and focus on the beat. Great advice for a fantastic hour of circus.
