It's like having a smaller version of Cirque du Soleil — with an East African edge — onstage at the Children's Theatre Company.
"Ethiopian Dreams," by Circus Abyssinia, opened over the weekend in Minneapolis with oodles of primal joy. Its feats of daring and dexterity are ooh-some and aah-some.
No animals do tricks in this modern cirque, the first time a show of this type has been on the Children's Theatre stage. Nor are there any oddities or freaks — things that define traditional circuses. But there is lots of freakish talent.
Contortionists bend their bodies into shapes that make them seem as boneless as any octopus. Acrobats somersault effortlessly through the air. And mesmerizing jugglers use their heads, noses and feet.
Founded by brothers Mehari "Bibi" Tesfamariam and Binyam "Bichu" Tesfamariam, who juggle in a cameo near the end, the company has brought a show that offers immediate thrills.
Still, the acts provoke questions. One wonders more than once: How did they come up with that trick?
That's especially true of "hoop-diving," an impressive act by the quartet of contortionists who balance the weight of their bent bodies with their mouths as they bite onto the padded ends of a metal contraption. We've seen dogs hang on to a rope with their mouths. Humans can do that, too.
That bit is strange and strangely alluring. I suppose that's a feature of all good shows that grab and provoke you.
