To say the state of contemporary circus in America is dim isn’t to insult the discipline—it’s merely to point out that, with the exception of Cirque du Soleil, which is Canadian anyway, there’s yet to be a troupe that’s set the country ablaze. The first Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival intends to end this period of relative obscurity with an dynamite program—including eight world-class performances and five days of professional workshops—that will bring a broader contingent of cirque nouveau troupes to mainstream audiences. Earning the same recognition as ballet, Broadway, and opera won’t be easy—especially since “circus” remains synonymous with “freak show” in the American imagination—but the substance is there.
Ricochet is paired with Ilona Jäntti, who performs Muualla/Elsewhere, a duet for rope dancer and animation more pleasing than Harold and the Purple Crayon—an extremity of praise. Jäntti plays with fantastical creatures, mimics their strange shapes, slips through rabbit holes, spirals leagues under the sea, and sleeps on furniture that isn’t there. Her spatial intelligence is exquisite, and I could watch her flirt her way through these imaginary landscapes for days.
Through 1/12, various times Athenaeum Theatre 2936 N. Southport 312-620-2223chicagocircusfest.com $12-$47 $135 main stage pass $300 VIP
