Incidentally, I was also reminded of Dolphy more than once by a fully made up clown prancing down the stage with white paint all over his face. The show is very diverse, never just focusing on one single element. It has trapeze acts, comical acts, a contortionist act, etc.
My best friend Ruth loved the Chinese Pole Act, which does not surprise me since she loves watching live cheer dance school competitions, another form of symmetric group performance. With their colorful chameleon costumes, their reptile cocking of heads and stare, it really was hypnotic to watch them simultaneously in action. I'm not sure if it was part of the Chinese Pole Act, but I also loved it when one of the men climbed up the pole using just his 2 hands, with his body as far away from the pole as possible as if he can just throw his weight around and around the pole while climbing using his 2 hands. He made it seem so easy that I itched to try it for myself, feeling that I would have tried it that moment, had they allowed the audience to try their apparatus during intermissions.
One of my favorites -however dizzying it was for me to watch and however painful for my craning neck- was the woman in blue doing the trapeze. I couldn't find a solo pic of her, though. Perhaps, she really is part of this duo trapeze act. Maybe her partner couldn't make it so she did a solo. But anyway, I liked her. Perhaps, it was for the graceful lady she signified, or the power of being a woman and being alone up in the highest part of the arena, doing dizzyingly fast acrobatics and never failing. Simply put, she made me proud to be a woman just by watching her, even if i pains me to think of how many Bonamines she had to swallow and how long she has to endure hunger to be able to roll in the air like she did.
The Boleadoras consisted of two very rhythmic individuals who played the drum, tap-danced and skillfully twisted around a weight-attached clicketing cord in coordination with each other and to a certain rhythm. The woman, who was taller than her very 'brusko' partner stole my attention more, with her very expressive face during the whole act. She raised an eyebrow or two, alternated between smiling for us and pursing her lips in concentration, vigorously nodded her head with a flourish every time a new rhythm started, and held her chin up high in proud confidence as she went through her routine. Her partner, whose curly long mane, abundant facial hair and grim expression remind me of Tagalog movie goons like 'Amay Bisaya', although much faster, bored me with his bland, non-changing expression. The quicker he gets through his routine, the blander and more bored his face goes. The Boleadoras Act happened right before intermission time, and being a percussion fan/heavy beater myself, I re-enacted the rhythm in my head and tapped my feet to periodic moments as I headed out with Ruth to get snacks and refreshment.
Ruth and I agreed unanimously agreed that this was our favourite...
The show also had a comic relief portion, thanks to these 2 jesters who tried to re-enact the Macho Men Act.
A key aspect of any Cirque du Soleil production, I've noted, is the fully made-up clown faces on the performers. At first I wondered why they make such an effort in painting their faces, especially since it could scare away some children from the audience [I was a bit terrified myself.] But then, as I observed that no way could anyone ever recognize them because their features are masked behind elaborately drawn shapes, I figured out that that was really the point. They cover their faces so much, perhaps, to allow them the privacy they need in their off-stage lives. So they can shop, dine, and travel anywhere without fear of being interrupted by a fan.