Inspiration and Fun at the UniverSoul Circus

Yesterday I was invited to watch and blog about the UniverSoul Circus: The World in One Ring, a circus that explores the various talents that people of color have to offer “outside of singing and dancing.” As with many programs and performances that focus on people of color, the goal is to have the contributions and experiences people of color put front and center of an American issue or pastime, challenging the view that we are absent or uninterested.

While the goal may have been to explore the talents of people of color outside of singing and dancing, many of the performances were dancing with a dash of gymnastics thrown in. The ring was disappointingly small and the animals seemed a bit out of place, used more as props instead of being an integral part of the show. There were more than a few mistakes and sometimes the performances seemed a rushed.

Yet for all of these short comings, the UniverSoul Circus did an amazing job of keeping the show funny, familiar, and exciting. The hostess, Patrice Lovely as Maggie Shirley Lee Mae Frances Upshaw Jenkins, delivered an amazing performance, able to keep the audience pumped up and engaged. In fact my favorite part of the show was when an “old school” couple and a “new school” couple were pulled from the audience and acted out a famous song from each generation. The old school couple won, hands down, as the woman threw her wig at her partner while acting out “And I am Telling You” by Jennifer Holiday!

UniverSoul Circus Flickr

There was a tribute to James Brown and to Barack Obama, both of which were fun and moving. The tribute to Obama was done by two child contortionist from west Africa both of whom I had the opportunity to speak with before the show. They only spoke French so my friend Nat over at Internet Drama who came with me had to translate: they were shy but excited and focus a great deal on their studies even though they are traveling across the globe in the circus for 10 months straight.

Being able to chat a bit with some of the performers and the organizers before the show put the circus into an interesting context. Aside from having the basic elements of a circus, there was an emphasis on adding cultural elements from various countries to the show while demonstrating that people of color can perform and manage a circus. The question that comes up is “Does it really matter?” I believe it does—showing the diversity of a group is meaningful both to members of that group and non members. Awareness of differences within a group breaks down barriers and dares people to explore opportunities and challenge their perceptions.

Additionally, I learned more about the circus.  It is an art that requires talent and discipline.  There are circus schools around the world in which children as young as 5 compete for the chance to travel with some of the biggest and best circuses around the world (the UniverSoul included).  The performers were hand picked and go through a great deal of practicing to bring the show to life.

UniverSoul Circus Flickr

Hip hop, calypso, and r&b were played throughout the show, prompting the audience to sing along. People were dancing in their seats and talking with their neighbors making me feel as though we were at a show with extended family. And the food was actually really good! Hot wings and funnel cake make the world go round They will be in Prospect Park, Brooklyn until April 26th, then in the Bronx until May 3rd. It’s a great show for friends and family so I recommend you check them out.

And of course, meeting other bloggers is always exciting. In fact I would love to meet up with some Brooklyn bloggers and attend different events around the city and blog about them. If you’re game hit me up.