Kids

Chinese Circus Delights By Ira Iosebashvili

Issue 7 June 10 - July 8, 2004

	Courtesy Of Kontramarka.ru
	Chinese circus: contortionist

But even the best circuses can get repetitive if you’ve been there one too many times. So what do you do when the kids are no longer delighted by Misha the Magic Bear riding his unicycle? Well, if you’re in town between June 18 and July 4, then grab the kids and take them to the Estrada Theater to catch a performance of the Golden Lion Chinese Circus, an internationally acclaimed circus troupe that is guaranteed to offer a refreshing circus experience for young and old alike.

kontramarka.ru
Amazing animals: golden lions

What goes on at a Chinese circus, you ask? For starters, there are no dancing bears, and far less clowns than your kids are probably used to seeing. Instead, there are battalions of amazingly flexible contortionists, an assortment of jugglers performing with everything from burning candles to badminton rackets, as well as performers balancing what appears to be several cupboards’ worth of porcelain crockery on the tips of their fingers as they prance around the stage. You will also likely see other feats of mind and body, among them acrobats performing their routines on a chair that stands balanced on the tops of four bottles, and a 15-man human pyramid — assembled on a moving bicycle.

If that’s not enough, the Golden Lion also features a full contingent of high-flying Shaolin monks — the same ones you saw in the old kung fu movies you watched as a kid. Capable of performing amazing feats of physical prowess after a lifetime of training, the monks battle each other with poles and spears, balance themselves on razor sharp sword points, and flip and somersault through the air.

	kontramarka.ru
	Balancing act: acrobats

And don’t worry about the kids being disappointed by a lack of bears — the Golden Lion circus is populated with even more fantastic animals, such as enchanted dragons and perpetually smiling, brightly colored lions that your kids will grow to love as much as Misha and his unicycle.