The UniverSoul
Circus , a single ring circus based in Atlanta, Georgia, and
founded in 1994 by Cedric Walker, currently containing 75
performers and twelve acts, came to Cicely Tyson School on
Wednesday, June 9th, to perform a small portion of their full
scale circus show to over 1,400 excited students from the Middle
School and Elementary School in two separate performances.
Mr. Frederick Goode directed The East Orange
Unified Marching Band to open both of the shows. The band played
while the auditorium was filling up with students. On Thursday
evening (6/10/10) at 7:30 PM, the Cicely Tyson Middle School
Choir led by Ms Jean James will be opening the UniverSoul Circus
Show across from Bear Stadium in Newark.
In attendance at the Cicely Tyson School show
were Mayor Robert L. Bowser, Vice President of the Board Everet
Jennings, and other city and school officials. They seemed to
enjoy the circus as much as the children.
The show was opened by M.C. Lucky and a clown
act performed by Onion Head the Clown. All I will reveal is that
it involved lots of audience participation and several rolls of
toilet paper, and had everyone rolling with laughter before it
was over.
A troupe of acrobats called the Javanese
Warriors, faces painted African style, performed next. They
formed tall towers with their bodies, tumbled, danced and
climbed. It's difficult to describe, but it was wonderful to
watch.
The next two performers, Double Dribble and Above the Rim,
were from Belgium and Holland. They performed with basketballs in
what was called "acrodunking."
A troupe from China, known as the Chinese
Checkers, performed a beautiful dance act with drums, tambourines
and silk scarves.
An act called the "African Dream Team"
consists of acrobats from Gabon and Guinea performing various
acrobatic stunts, and then flying high from a Teterboard. I'd
feel bad about showing you just this one photo, except that we
also have a bit of their flying feet captured on video.
At the end, all the performers came out for a
curtain call, and stayed for some questions from the audience.
They also wanted to remind everyone that the UniverSoul Circus
will be in Newark until June 19th, and from what we have seen
from just these four acts, the full show is sure to be a hit. For Tickets, CLICK HERE.
