Circa's CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS to Play Arts Centre Melbourne

Acclaimed Australian circus ensemble Circa will perform its wondrous first work for children, Carnival of the Animals, at Arts Centre Melbourne during the September School Holidays. From 28 September - 4 October, Circa's acrobats will whisk audiences away on a thrilling circus escapade inspired by French-Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns' delightful salute to feathers, fur and fins.

The imaginative fusion of circus, animation and music tells whimsical tales of creatures of land and sea, who tumble, fly, leap and spin their way through the extraordinary worlds of the animal kingdom. Zebras juggle and flip, kangaroos skip and somersault and there are elephants with street-cred and rhythm.

Created by visionary artistic director Yaron Lifschitz, the production brings the joy of the animal kingdom to the stage in a sophisticated and visually stunning physical theatre extravaganza for children and adults. Circa is world renowned for pushing artistic boundaries and creating powerful works of art that thrill, challenge and captivate. Transforming into creatures from land, sea and sky, seven Circa performers take children and their adults on a journey through the lives of beasts of fur, feathers and fin using high-level circus skills including table sliding, trapeze, acrobatics, juggling and skipping.

For this production Australian composer Quincy Grant reworked and extended the original suites and the Circa performers are accompanied by and interact with animation created by UK-based Australian video designer Michaela French.

Michaela French said she wanted to re-create the feeling she had as a child when reading book and slipping into an imagined world.

"This was how I imagined the world of Carnival of the Animals, almost as though one slipped into an alternate reality where elephants can dance, frogs ride uni-cycles, gravity is defied, where the magic of the circus is the most important part of life and the entire world can be carried in a small suitcase,' Ms French said.

Since 2004, Circa has been at the frontier of new circus. Highly sought after across the globe for their innovative blend of movement, dance, theatre, music and acrobatics that boldly reimagines circus as an art form, they have performed at the world's leading venues and festivals.

During the season of Carnival of Animals, children and their families also have the chance to experience other performances including the tiny circus world of The Teensy Top - the shortest, sharpest and smallest show in town and allow their imaginations to go wild in the creative world of Polyglot Theatre's Paper Planet.

Carnival of the Animals
Mon 28 September - Sun 4 October (excl. Sat 3 October)
6pm: 28 September
10:30am & 1pm: Tues 29 September - Fri 2 October & Sun 4 October
Opening night Animal dress up - Come dressed in your favourite animal pyjamas or costume : Monday 28 September, 6pm
Playhouse
Ages 3 - 10
Tickets: $25 - 37
Bookings: artscentremelbourne.com.au or 1300 182 183

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