Urban circus to wow Dublin's crowds

A 21st Century circus is bringing its red hot show to Dublin.

Traces – a contemporary circus from Canada – will arrive in the capital next month.

The thrilling theatrical display, which has wowed crowds at the Edinburgh Festival, combines acrobatics with an urban hip hop flavour.

Having a contemporary look, it boasts dancing, swaggering, swinging, swaying and skateboarding.

Its five talented young performers are now ready to explode onto an Irish stage with an array of displays from traditional Chinese acrobatics to basketball, skateboarding, classical piano, dance, humour and illustration.

It will run at the Olympia Theatre from October 1 – 6 as part of the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival.

“Traces has got an incredible urban street feel, but at the same time it is emotional and poetic,” said Gypsy Snider, one of its artistic directors.

“It is based on five young people in a bunker who perform against the clock, not sure if the world is going to end.

“It shows that we should all enjoy life as if the clock is ticking for us.

“Traces has been performed all over the world and just keeps getting better.

“Because there are only five performers they own the show. It was created for them and with them and it gels. It gets more and more exciting.”

As the daughter of the founders of San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus, Gypsy began her circus career at the age of 4, and continued to perform in the Pickles’ ring until the age of 18.

The 37-year-old co-founded the 7 Fingers production company in 2002 with six other seasoned circus performers.

It took the group 10 months to create Traces, which premiered in Montreal last year.

The show went on to receive standing ovations every night during its run Edinburgh and is currently being staged in one of the most prestigious in the United States – the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC.

Gypsy, who will be giving a workshop during her stay in Dublin, said her childhood in the circus was the best she could wish for.

“I got to travel the world and got to work with so many different cultures and people and because you are performing it is also a very adrenalin filled and physical lifestyle,” she said.

“But you are risking life and limb performing every day.

“From a very young age you learn the show must go on no matter what. That’s the most important thing.”