Innovative Canadian circus to strut its stuff in capital

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 and skateboarding.

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

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,” she said.

“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,” said Ms Snider.

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

The 37-year-old cofounded 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 in Edinburgh and is being staged in one of the most prestigious spaces in the US — the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC.

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

“I got to travel the world and got to work with so many different cultures and people... From a very young age you learn the show must go on no matter what. That’s the most important thing."