Tight-wire acrobats, roller skaters, clowns and even the Wheel of Death: Europa Super Circus pitched the high-top tent today at the Saanich Fairgrounds, ready to bring exciting live magic to audiences April 4-13.
"Cirque du Soleil can't come to small towns like this, and that's really one of the beauties of a tent like [the one] Europa Circus has. It's traditional circus of the purest, oldest kind," said aerialist with the show, Ess Hodlmoser.
The performers are from around the world, many from families of multi-generational performers. That includes Erica Cardinali, who made her debut in her family's circus in Portugal, and Jose Armando Ponce Ramos, a fourth-generation performer who has done the Wheel of Death since age nine. If that's not impressive enough, he also holds a Guinness World Record for the most blindfolded turns on the wheel, a massive rotating apparatus upon which Ramos does acrobatics.
For Hodlmoser, the magic of it all is still palpable.
"It's so peaceful for me; spinning wipes my brain completely clean," Hodlmoser said. "I'm actually a little bit scared of heights, and it's why I like to spin very fast, because I can't tell how high I am.
The family-friendly circus, which aims to provide a modern twist on the beloved classic circus, is making its Canadian debut, with stops in Saanich, Nanaimo, Cloverdale, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and other locations.
The show in Saanichton is at 1528 Stellys Cross Rd. Tickets begin at $25 per child and $35 per adult, and are available online or at the onsite box office, which is open until the event is sold out. It is recommended to purchase tickets online as shows tend to sell out.
Video by Harry Corro
