I like the circus

I went to the circus last week. I like the circus. The clowns aren't so great, but everything else is terrific. I like the balancing acts, the trained puppies, anything labeled "death-defying" and anything that looks like I could do it in my own backyard if I was just gutsy enough and had a really good insurance.



For example, they have these swings, a simple piece of wood with two supports that form a triangle around and put a pivot point, imagine a triangle hanging underneath a bar. With four of them at the cardinal points of the compass, they get swinging back and forth until one of them launches into the air and lands on the other side in perfect timing with their downswing. It is such a simple set-up, but very cool. Because, of course, they have to do flips, twists, and pikes in the middle of it all.



You Tube Clip Look at the 3:06 mark…



I am a big fan of acrobatics of all kinds. I like the formal disciplines of college and Olympic gymnastics, with the powerful tumbling the bursts of energy off the vault, and the amazing strength routines of the Rings. I like groups like Cirque du Soleil (by the way, my voice recognition software got that right the first time, I am shocked) which combine music, song, dance and acrobatics to make performances that boggle the mind.



The circus had one group doing what I call "ribbon work" where they descend from over 60 feet in the air along wide strips of fabric, wrapping themselves up, spinning themselves around, and using only their own strength and each other’s grip to stay in the air. It is difficult for me to describe what they were doing, but imagine grabbing your partner by the wrist and spinning at the end of the 60 foot rope and not letting go. The women were as strong as the men, holding iron cross positions, wrapped only in the fabric, and doing moves that would make any pole dancer jealous. The only difference is that they were spinning and twirling 50 feet off the air while it happened.



Once I got past the athleticism of the performance I noticed how beautiful these women were, and the men. Not an ounce of fat hid on their frames. The bare-chested men had almost perfectly symmetrical bodies and were able to do full body sit-ups, where, while holding the themselves with only one arm, they were able to lift their feet from below to up above in one smooth motion.



The women in this troop were slim, muscular, but in a way that accentuated, instead of overpowered, their femininity. They were women first and foremost, athletes next, performers above it all. They were talented in many ways, and physically, I'd challenge you to find a better set of thighs and asses anywhere. Their glutes were firm, tight, well-muscled, and perfectly separated underneath the white tights. It was not only an amazing athletic performance; it was subtly sexual as well.



And of course, ignoring the chanting of the eight protesters with poorly-made magic marker signs, I really do get a kick out of the elephants and tigers. Perhaps that is politically incorrect, but it is still pretty cool when 12 elephants come into an arena and start doing tricks. They're just so freaking big. It brings out the little kid in all of us and I think that is what circuses are for.



I can still do without the clowns however. They are just time killers while they change the sets and they're never that funny.