Review: C!rca

The spectacle of C!rca

A THEATRICALLY EXCITING WORDLESS SHOW

C!RCA moves in ToHu 

By Byron Toben

This is not an English- (or any language-) speaking show and is also not a Montreal based company (it is from Australia). So, it is not strictly a candidate for CharPo's motto… "All Montreal English Language Theatre..all the time". Still, it is so good that, to quote Arthur Miller, “Attention, attention must be paid”.

This heralded Brisbane company has travelled the world, amazing audiences with their focused body control as they blend acrobatics with modern dance. As a dancer, I am your original two left feet guy, but, as Harry Truman once remarked. "I may not lay any eggs, but I am a better judge of an omelet than

any hen in the state of Missouri".

Though there is no verbalizing, there is plenty of well chosen music to suit each stint of the 7 dancers (5 men, 2 women). Three of the musical pieces do have recorded words. I did not identify the two English lyrics, but the one in French was the wonderful Jacque Brel's “Paris”.

During the other instrumental background music, viewers witnessed performers flopping like rag dolls, only to bounce upright from prone positions and then sliding as on ice in bare feet and seemingly floating on air, defying gravity without yogic levitation.

Especially eye grabbing were the double somersaults performed from a standing position! Some stunts resonated with Apache dancing. A hand-stand with fingers only was impressive, but pushing it to one finger only was the sole failed attempt of the evening.

All this done without fancy costumes or clowns as in Cirque de Soleil; a minimalist exercise of the Dance is the Thing. They may not have captured the conscience of any king, but we did notice DanceTiger Robin Henderson somewhere in the audience, presumably making notes of ideas for her next Dance Animal show.

C!RCA continues at ToHu until February 25. 514-376-8648.