OVER THE EDGE November 21-December 5, 2007 IVE DROOL CRVORRIE OOOO SSNS ONS OSS SNS NNN SSDI I DON eS. REBECCA CARMICHAEL Copy Eorror A circus came to Prince George recently, but no animals were tortured and no circus freaks were exploited. Instead, show goers were treated to a fantastic display of pure human skill and effort at Cirque Sublime. We almost missed it because the truck carrying their sound and lighting equipment crashed. The show was moved to the next night, with help from the city of Chetwynd to get the equipment down in time. Cirque Sublime is a Canadian company based out of Toronto, similar to the better known Cirque du Soleil. They have been performing since 1997, with many of the artists studying at the Toronto School of Circus Arts. They originally started doing small private and corporate events, eventually branching out into large stadium performances. The show continues to grow and improve each year. The show performed in Prince George was called “Pendulum”, a haunting and spectacular display. While characters were introduced at the beginning, it was more of a loosely themed show than one with a plot. The show centered around Akahi, the keeper of time, Palak, the guardian angel, and Viatrix, the broken girl/time traveller. The set was kept minimal, to allow the atmosphere to be created entirely with light, props and human motion. It often felt more like a ballet than a circus. SrA DLW IIIS NN ILS IIS ISI HOSES amazing. The artists twirled around silk ropes, jumped The feats of acrobatics were truly through tiny hoops, swung around poles in unison, danced hanging from a mobile, balanced fire, and flew on Russian swings, just to name a few of the acts. The most impressive display came at the end with Acrobazia, a world renowned act consisting of two very built men balan- cing on top of each other’s hands and shoulders. All of acts were both technically and artistically beautiful. The amount of effort and training that must have been put into each of the acts is mind boggling. Even the simplest of displays would be far beyond the capabilities of most average people, not just in terms of flexibility but also sheer strength and coordination. Most of the performers are quite young, but still extremely impressive. The performance was quite professional, without the amateur feeling that I was expecting. There were a few situa- tions that looked like they may have been slip ups, but the performers recovered so artfully it was difficult to tell if they were intentional or not. The flow of the show felt somewhat chaotic and repetitive at times, but since the individual acts were the main attraction, this didn’t detract from enjoyment of the show. The flow also seemed to improve and intensify as the show went on. Overall, it was an amazing performance that must be seen to be enjoyed. Words cannot ad- equately describe the experience, which is beautiful in its simplicity. If Cirque Sublime ever comes back through town, be sure to get tickets for it.