As scientists continue to seek out new forms of alternative energy I would suggest they check out Cirque Zuma Zuma. From the time the troupe hits the stage they are dancing and don’t stop until their final bow. An initial musical number introduces us to our cast, legs pistoning at an almost unbelievable pace. This is followed by a dancing drum session.
The first solo number is a chair balancing act where a performer does handstands off first one chair, then continuing to stack up to four precariously balanced chairs. This is followed by a bounce juggling number (instead of in the air the juggler bounces the balls off the floor, off themselves, whatever they have to bounce off) again upping the stakes with audience encouragement to a seven ball cascade.
Zuma Zuma does acro really well and their five-man partner balancing act at times seems to snap together as flyers run and leap onto the base man, at one point basing two guys on his shoulders and holding two out to his sides.
One of the things I really love about circus is when mere mortals do the seemingly impossible. Zuma Zuma’s pole act embraced that aesthetic as three performers continually upped their game to the point where one performer planked face up and propelled his body up the pole kicking upwards.
To ground us after their high-climbing feats of strength Zuma Zuma performed the limbo showing that not only could use their athleticism to climb high they could also bend over backwards and get oh so low, the final limbo pole position almost scraping the dancers muscles as he thrust himself under.
A hat juggling act and a clown act teaching a couple of audience members how to drum lead into the big finale drum and dance session, inviting audience members to join them on stage. Sorry Zuma Zuma, too exhausted from just watching! What a great time I had!
Cirque Zuma Zuma played Sunday, April 10 at 2:00 and 6:00 pm and Monday, April 11, 2016 at The Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center – 7995 Georgia Avenue, in Silver Spring, MD. For a list of upcoming events at The Cultural Arts Center, go to their events page.
LINK:
The Cultural Arts Center Presents ‘Cirque Zuma Zuma’: An African Cirque-Style Spectacle Sunday, April 10, 2016 @2PM & 6PM & Monday, April 11, 2016 @11AM on DCMetroTheaterArts.
