Humans 2.0

Lead image - Photographer: Lesley Martin

This company’s performance raises the bar of acceptable performance to dizzying heights. The dramatic opening gave the hint that this show is special. The ten performers use their bodies to create bustling artistic forms backed up with simple staging and costumes, and music and lighting so integrated into the movement that it became a scaffold for the daring physical feats.

Photographer: Yaya Stempler

The performers cheekily took the usual circus set pieces and with splendid ensemble work went beyond the expected in an exciting demonstration of angular momentum, gravity, trust and what must have been an amazing amount of training. So, if others can build human towers and walk around, they dance. Tumbles and flying leaps were caught and passed on, human towers in many, many iterations and splendid, risky forms were all executed with humour, grace and security. They didn’t hesitate to explore what might happen if grace was removed and jerky asymmetrical movements were foregrounded. It worked!

Most of the show is carried along by the ceaseless, energetic movement of the ensemble. There were some moments of stillness and others of focus on a single performer on the silks, high swing and double ropes.

Photographer: David Kelly

Even though the technical work is simply astonishing the deep connection of the ensemble is notable and affecting. Performers are not just caught, they are cradled and a sense of the utter commitment and trust the technical work is built on emerges.

Circus certainly isn’t what it used to be and this performance by C!rca is carrying it forward to the future. The grateful audience gave many a gasp and rousing applause during the performance and at the end, a standing ovation.

Ruth Richter.