This one-of-a-kind show features the mind-blowing dances and acrobatics of Fanti Acrobat International, as well as the freestyle basketball skills of New York’s Rashall Thing.
A great opportunity to see some African cultural performances at the Fringe.
There are four acts: a traditional Ghanan “Tigali” dance, a long feature from the Fanti trio, freestyle basketball, and the grand finale: a limbo competition. All the acts are participative in that the performers invite audience members to help out: whether it be lifting a young girl in the air, speaking Japanese to teach a Japanese audience member to twirl a basketball, or inviting a bunch of members of the audience get low in the Limbo competition.
The Fanti Acrobat International crew, who have known each-other since childhood, are incredibly in-sync and perform some baffling acrobatic moves, balancing and holding each other in various ways. You can expect to see a lot of juggling, spinning, flying, tumbling, and a few legs behind heads.
Rashaun Daniel’s freestyle basketball tricks are particularly impressive, especially to audience members who have never seen this type of performance. He does complex tricks that even the famed Harlem Globetrotters don’t perform, and makes sure the audience knows how difficult they are to master. However, while the New Yorker’s basketball skills certainly qualify as acrobatics, it’s unclear how they fit in with the rest of the show’s cultural exploration. Regardless, this man’s talents are truly unique and unmatched and leave the audience baffled.
The MC is charming but awkward and it doesn’t help that the mic sounds a bit broken and static-filled. A few of his joke are lost on the audience, but he takes the edge off by making fun of himself. “After the show, you all will say yes, I loved the show, but who was that guy?” he says, but it almost rings a little too true. Despite this and the slightly out-of-place but still awesome basketball performance, the show overall is unique and a great opportunity to see some African cultural performances at the Fringe.
