Seven Fingers: Traces
Wales Millenium Centre, Cardiff Bay
Tue 16 Mar
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Who knew that pole dancing could be so terrifying? Traces is a show of outstanding acrobatics from a group of young, seasoned circus performers that’s executed with a finely-honed sense of effortlessness, a bizarre array of props and an injection of cool.
The five circus artists pull out skateboards and basketballs, and they namecheck parcours, and the soundtrack includes Gonzales, Gogol Bordello and a fairly obscure Radiohead track. In short, with its adoption of some fairly tokenistic aspects of youth culture, there’s every risk of this becoming the kind of show your dad thinks is cool. It’s an unwelcome distraction, because it’s quite clear that these performers are actually pretty unpretentious and capable of concocting eccentric, explosively choreographed scenes when they’re not trying so hard.
Besides, the best scenes are the simplest. There’s a really silly one based around reading a book that manages to be funny, creative, and awe-inspiring all at once. It’s this kind of whimsical approach that seems to suit the performers best: tinkling piano, a couple of funny pratfalls and, suddenly, an eye-popping stunt. The dancers toy with their audience, joking around with one another, knowing full well that they are making light work of superhuman stuff.
The pole running has to be seen to be believed, as dancers dive headfirst to the ground, clinging on with only their thighs, provoking screams from the audience. The climax of the show, in which the dancers dive through hoops, is effortlessly realized. Like whirlybirds in the breeze, they reel across the stage and clatter to the ground. You’ll be on the edge of your seat.