Cirque du Soleil: Kooza

Overview

Roll up, roll up, Cirque du Soleil is back in town. As they've proven over their last seven visits to Australia, the Canadian troupe is more than just the usual circus. However, for their eighth display of acrobatic feats on our shores, they're going back to basics.

Kooza offers high-flying, death-defying feats (twin highwires that intersect diagonally at 15 and 25 feet above the stage, and an enormous spinning contraption called the Wheel of Death, for example), combined with the age-old art of clowning around. As far as the latter is concerned, prepare to watch a choreographed skeleton dance, plus the finessed fluidity of seven hoops spinning at once — and they're just the fantastic feats that we know about.

Of course, there really is more when it comes to Cirque du Soleil: the music, the movement, the mood and the accompanying musings, specifically. This time around, in addition to showcasing eye-popping displays of physical trickery and amusing antics, Kooza also contemplates deeper notions, including fear, identity, recognition and power.

Image: Matt Beard Costumes: Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt ©2012 Cirque du Soleil.