Cirque goes to town with joie de vivre

By Ana Paula Hofling

•	'Nomade' Cirque Éloize 7:30 p.m. today, 2 p.m. tomorrow Hawai'i Theatre $35-$17 528-0506

"Nomade," a new production brought to the Hawai'i Theatre this weekend by the University of Hawai'i's Outreach College, is impeccably crisp without being flashy. It combines the realism of everyday clothes and an everyday setting with the virtuosity and superhuman feats of the circus.

The directors are careful to create a motivation for each scene, integrating every element into the larger setting of the show. In one scene, the contortionist Geneviéve Gauthier is framed as a woman enjoying a sponge bath under the stars. The contortions of her long-limbed, sculptural body may be a result of the need to wash, say, the back of her neck, and it just so happens that the sponge is being held between her toes.

In another scene, three couples dancing a slow waltz seamlessly take turns going into amazing hand-to-hand balances, and then back to dancing, as if balancing in a one-handed handstand on a partner's upwardly stretched hand was something everyone did when dancing a waltz.

The orchestra — accordion, clarinet, percussion, trombone and voice — sharing the stage with the acrobats for much of the show is alone worth the price of admission. At times, the whole ensemble of performers joins the musicians as singers, revealing another talent.

The clowns, Nicolas Leresche and Bartolomiej Soroczynski, were one of the best parts of the show. These are not your everyday clowns: They don't wear pink wigs, red plastic noses and oversized fin-like shoes. They don't mime, they speak (English and sometimes a little French, too), at times addressing the audience in front of an old-fashioned standing microphone, at times arguing, scolding each other or bossing the cast around.

The clown scenes are clever, not at all predictable, and genuinely funny. Following the contortion act, Leresche's torso and Soroczynski's legs perform a delightful spoof of contortionism. Since legs and torso are indeed not connected in this case, the possibilities are endless — and hilarious.

Soroczynski also performs an unforgettable tango on the unicycle. This beautifully choreographed and skillfully performed dance explores every possible way one can ride and balance on a unicycle. Movement seems propelled by the music, and the connection between Soroczynski and the unicycle is organic, convincing the viewer that the tango is a dance that was created not for a man and a woman, but for a man and his unicycle.

Only one note of caution: Cirque ƒloize's physicality, joy and humor are contagious. You may feel an uncontrollable urge to run away with the circus and become a juggling, tumbling, flying nomade yourself.

Ana Paula Hofling is finishing up her MFA studies in dance at the University of Hawai'iiManoa.