Re-Review of Ovo

So I have had a lot of conversations with circus performers recently and it has led me to conclude that the reviews I’ve posted to date are a single minded in their approach. There are a lot of concepts and thoughts that I’ve been taking for granted which I really shouldn’t be. For one, is the distinction between traditional and “new” circus and what that entails. Sadly, I will yet again put that discussion off for another day. On the surface the line between the two is quite obvious, but in reality there is a lot of grey area. What I thought were simple concepts will require much more exploration on my part before I can do the topics justice. In that light, I am re-reviewing the Cirque du Soleil shows that I had previously discussed. So here are some new thoughts on Ovo.

SET-UP
I persist that Ovo is much different from shows that commonly tour under the Cirque du Soleil name. The transition choreography consists of lines, movements and dances that are not nice and neat, but it works. The plot (carried on by the clowns) is certainly less important than the acrobatics. It is the relationship between the performers and the audience that differentiates circus from other performance mediums. Anything too rigid in its storytelling does not give the audience their due chance to participate.

THE ACTS
* Handbalancing - The piece was like watching a moving sculpture, but the draw of this piece was watching the performer play. The apparatus he used was inviting and perhaps distracting in that sense. When does my playground get one?
* Foot juggling - The foot juggling ants really got the show going. The time and effort required to pull the act off was visible and the audience clearly appreciated that.
* Diabolo - I still persist that a one person diabolo act is very difficult to take up a large stage, but the technicality is all there. A part of me wonders how diabolo would fare in a three ring circus. How does one stand out?
* Spanish web duo - This act was about chemistry and strength. The strength came out well, more so than the chemistry. It might be that properly portraying an intimate moment takes the relationship away from the audience and centers it between two people. It seems to be a very tricky dynamic.
* Caterpillar - The audience was engaged and loving it. They knew it was some kind of illusion, but they clearly didn’t care.
* Volants - Good, technical flying. I’m kind of amazed looking back at it that someone came up with the idea to combine all of the acts into one. It’s a good variation on a theme, if the transition can be done safely.
* Contortion - The set was really cool. It was the same as the handbalancing act - something to play on. The spiders were playful extras throughout the first half of the show, but they didn’t use the set as much. I kept waiting to watch them really get into playing with it. The act beautiful in a quirky way.
* Acrosport - The pyramids were fun and different. It would be great to see them fill up the stage more.
* Slackwire - My mind is still blown by thinking about this act. He had great audience participation too.
* Powertrack/wall - The powertrack/wall is fun. It’s fun to watch. You want to do it. You want to see the performers have fun and they do. “My non-circus companion actually believed that Cirque had found a way to turn off gravity for this act.” I leave this here, because when you’ve done this as a circus performer, you’ve done your job.

OVERALL
Ovo got me thinking if there really is a way to combine theatre and circus flawlessly. I persist in pointing out the disjoint between quirky transition dances and the straight lines in a beautiful, bodily, acrobatic performance. It works for clowns because they’re clowns. They’re not supposed to be the amazing performers (though many times they are). I’m not sure how to overcome the disjoint created when a performer has to stop thinking about his character and start thinking about the incredibly difficult skill he is about to perform. Ovo is another example of Cirque du Soleil blurring the line between theatre and circus, but the transition is not perfectly smooth. It is a lot to ask of a performer to push their abilities to the limit, while maintaining respect for the audience AND trying to stay in character. I still hunger to see performers push the limits of acrobatics, but that hunger will never go away. That hunger is what makes circus circus. It’s sheer delight when I see things I didn’t see coming and that’s really what I want to get out of future circus performances.