Cirque De Soleil Costumes

A Streetwise, Stripped-Down Circus Hits NY

Doing skateboard tricks on a theater stage is usually deeply frowned upon. But at the Union Square Theatre these days, they're not only encouraged — they're a big part of the show.

During a recent rehearsal of the touring show "Traces," the seven ensemble members practiced flips, jumps and dance moves on and off their boards as they fine-tuned a section of their 90-minute, cardio-intensive circus.

"Is there any way I can get you guys to drop the boards at the same time?" Gypsy Snider, co-director and co-choreographer, asked from the empty seats. "Let's do it again and drop the boards at the same time."

The show rolls into New York for a 10-week stand that combines traditional acrobatic acts — juggling, teeterboard, hoop jumping and spinning inside an oversized wheel — with street elements such as skateboarding and basketball.

Billed as a stripped-down alternative to Cirque du Soleil, there are no costumes or makeup or elaborate sets. The cast — six men and one woman — interact with the audience when they're not doing things that make your head hurt just watching.

Snider, one of the seven founding members of the Montreal-based collective known as 7 Fingers that created "Traces," acts as a gentle taskmaster on this day as opening night approaches, using both English and French to motivate her international cast.

"Run, run, run, people! This has got to be fast," she says at one point, somewhat annoyed. Another time she is more motherly and encouraging: "Places, people. And music. Cinq, six, sept, huit..."

The skateboard scene is designed to be a light moment between some of the more grueling acts. In it, the cast jumps over each other and screeches across the stage with daredevil precision, but they also stop to dance with their boards as if in a Busby Berkeley musical as the song "It's Only a Paper Moon" plays. The show also includes music from Radiohead, Blackalicious and John Zorn.

The performers — two Americans, one Chinese, one Swiss and three Canadians — range in size from the biggest, Mason Ames, who stands at 6 feet and 2 inches and weighs 228 pounds, to Valerie Benoit-Charbonneau, who is 5 feet and 2 inches and 112 pounds, but they're all made from solid muscle. That's important since they never leave the stage and keep doing crazy stunts for an hour and a half. The show has no understudies.

"The main thing is to try to stay injury-free the whole time. If you have a little sprained ankle and have to do the show every night, it's like super annoying," says Bradley Henderson, 27, who hails from San Francisco.

A streetwise, stripped-down circus hits NY « Artesia News

NEW YORK (AP) — Doing skateboard tricks on a theater stage is usually deeply frowned upon. But at the Union Square Theatre these days, they’re not only encouraged — they’re a big part of the show.

During a recent rehearsal of the touring show “Traces,” the seven ensemble members practiced flips, jumps and dance moves on and off their boards as they fine-tuned a section of their 90-minute, cardio-intensive circus.

“Is there any way I can get you guys to drop the boards at the same time?” Gypsy Snider, co-director and co-choreographer, asked from the empty seats. “Let’s do it again and drop the boards at the same time.”

The show rolls into New York for a 10-week stand that combines traditional acrobatic acts — juggling, teeterboard, hoop jumping and spinning inside an oversized wheel — with street elements such as skateboarding and basketball.

Billed as a stripped-down alternative to Cirque du Soleil, there are no costumes or makeup or elaborate sets. The cast — six men and one woman — interact with the audience when they’re not doing things that make your head hurt just watching.

Snider, one of the seven founding members of the Montreal-based collective known as 7 Fingers that created “Traces,” acts as a gentle taskmaster on this day as opening night approaches, using both English and French to motivate her international cast.

“Run, run, run, people! This has got to be fast,” she says at one point, somewhat annoyed. Another time she is more motherly and encouraging: “Places, people. And music. Cinq, six, sept, huit…”

The skateboard scene is designed to be a light moment between some of the more grueling acts. In it, the cast jumps over each other and screeches across the stage with daredevil precision, but they also stop to dance with their boards as if in a Busby Berkeley musical as the song “It’s Only a Paper Moon” plays. The show also includes music from Radiohead, Blackalicious and John Zorn.

The performers — two Americans, one Chinese, one Swiss and three Canadians — range in size from the biggest, Mason Ames, who stands at 6 feet and 2 inches and weighs 228 pounds, to Valerie Benoit-Charbonneau, who is 5 feet and 2 inches and 112 pounds, but they’re all made from solid muscle. That’s important since they never leave the stage and keep doing crazy stunts for an hour and a half. The show has no understudies.

Serious play, modern clown performance

Frommer's Montreal and Quebec City 2011

Frommer's 2009 Montreal & Quebec City

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