Circus Circus
The lights in the tent dimmed, and a foreboding looking man stepped into the ring. He looked like he’d just stepped off one of the vintage posters, with his tan knee length breeches and slick black boots that came up to his knees. His bright red tailcoat had gold accents to contrast his black waistcoat, and a top his head was a tall black tophat with red and gold ribbon to tie it all together. In his hand, he carried a bullwhip, which when he snapped it, cracked as loud as a gunshot. Nikita couldn’t help but jump.
“Welcome!” The man said in a booming voice. “Welcome to Cirque Paradiso, prepare yourself to be amazed by our performers. The Cirque has spared no expense to bring you the most thrilling entertainers from around the globe!”
Nikita had forgotten about the popcorn the moment the show started, with Motel, the Ringmaster announcing each act. Brynn and Kiki, dressed in colorful clown costumes rolling around the ring in German wheels, narrowly missing each other as well as the ringmaster. As Motel’s narratives were interrupted, he would shake his fists in an exaggerated fashion, chasing after the girls who managed to just stay out of his reach,making the crowd laugh. Catching each one, he directed the wheels out of the ring, the girls rolled the wheels out of the ring, back behind the circus train. He announced the next act, in which two giant top hats were rolled into the ring, Rini popping out of one, Rakki, the other.
Rini and Rakki, dressed in tailcoats over their strapless teddy corsets performed magic tricks, including crowd participation. Olin was chosen for the disappearing act, stepping into the box, and when the curtain was removed, Rakki was in his place. With another wave of the wand, Rini opened the box to reveal Rakki with Olin, looking as if she’d just been caught in a childish game of “seven minutes in heaven,” coquettishly covering her mouth to hide her shock, before running off stage. Rini planted a kiss on his cheek, popping her foot in the air as she did so to show her appreciation before joining her sister.
Two brothers with long flowing hair, Tier and Taika performed balancing acts, holding Brynn and Kiki above high their heads on outstretched arms, tossing them through the air to each other while the girls performed acrobatic tricks, flying through the air. As the men in Tiger-striped pants climbed the ladders to the trapezes above, the girls performed tricks on hanging silks and Cyr Wheels. Once the Tigers were set, they performed death defying stunts without a net, sliding back to the ground by the aerial silk.
After their bows, Brynn and Kiki rode unicycles while juggling to entertain the crowd while Tier and Taika brought the Wheel of Death into ring, and Motel reintroduced the bunnies. The wheel itself was a large beam with hooped tracks at either end. Rini and Rakki each started inside one wheel, running until their momentum caused it to spin. They alternated between inside and outside of the wheel, performing handstands and cartwheels as the crowd gaped and gasped. Towards the end, they were joined by Tier and Taika, the twin ‘tiger brothers’ starting inside the rings as Rini and Rakki stood on the outer portion, switching midway through. After their bows, they cleared the ring for the grand finale.
Brynn and Kiki came back to entertain with tumbling and contortion until the stage was set for the star performer.
Feng, dressed in a glittering body suit with red and yellow phoenix motif came down from above starting her routine with ring aerials, contorting and spinning until she was lowered on the ground. She continued dancing and performing acrobatics with fire fans, the fire changed color flowing out like water as she spun along with the music. Switching to a rope dart with the end bursting into flames, she spun and whipped it around, the flaming dart looking like a speeding comet, performing a seemingly dangerous fire trick with carefully choreographed pyrotechnics. There was clearly some careful wire work done to make it look like she lifted into the air spinning and flitting like a hummingbird and she whipped the fire dart in the finale, landing back on the ground amid arcs of fire that spiraled unnaturally around her.
All of the performers returned to the ring, including Motel, to take their bows and signify the end of the show.
“Good job, good job, Motel encouraged his performers, tousling the shaggy hair of the taller blonde men. “Tier, Taika, great work, Rini, Rakki, beautiful as usual,. Brynn, Kiki, I want to see more energy. That last act. Brynn, you put your hand down on that left side aerial, and Kiki, not once, but twice you had flexed feet on your back walkovers.
“Sorry, Mr. Motel,” they both said in uniform.
“Don’t be sorry, be better. Nothing a little practice won’t fix,” Motel told them motioning with his crop for them to help the others.
There were no stage hands, the performers were self-contained, meaning they did all of the prep work before the show, and the clean up after. Brynn offered a small smile and half a wave to the handsome Mr. Olin, until Mr. Andreas walked over.