Okay, so I'm a teacher which means going on field trips right? Well my very first field trip, as a teacher, was to UniverSoul Circus which is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary! This was my first time ever attending one of their shows and let me tell you it was definitely worth it!
UniverSoul Circus is a highly interactive combination of circus arts, theater, and music which includes theater performances, acrobatics, circus animals like tigers, zebras, and camels and much much more just with a twist. It's chalk full of culture!!!!! From many different sides, but it definitely caters to the African American/Black culture specifically in my opinion. To top it all off the whole show is kids appropriate. Y'all know I love to include stuff for my young parents to go to and enjoy as well.
As far as the Charlotte setup was concerned there were two big top tents. There was the first one that you enter and present your ticket. In that one you can find a face painting booth, concession stands, and a circus merchandise booth. Keep walking and you'll exit that big top tent, walk past the porter potties outside, until you reach the second big top tent which is where the main event takes place. The arena where all of the performances take place is smack dab in the middle with bleacher seating all the way around in a sort of U-shape.
Now I don't know what the key differences were between their regular performances versus the ones they had lined up for the 25th anniversary; but either way the show was spectacular. What I do know is that they played catchy music the entire time. I'm talking music genres that spans across Pop, Classic R&B, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz and Gospel. It embraces and celebrates the unique and familiar aspects of pop culture globally by bringing them center stage with a cast of international performers.
In reference to the whole event they held dance contests for both the adults and the kids. They really embraced the everyone is a winner vibe, and I can appreciate that because why would you want to embarrass anyone who had the confidence to go up in front of an entire crowd like that.
During the show I watched, circus performers came out on stilts dancing & twerking. They had this acrobatic troupe where they were super flexible but with the combination of sound effects it looked and sounded like they were breaking their bones. There was this cool Asian group that came and did a ton of tumbling. You also had your usual tightrope routine and tigers in cages section. Closer to the end they had these two dirt-bike performers come out and do some really cool, intense, and risky stunts. Not to mention they ended with a praise dance routine! Like how much cultured can you get?!?!?!?!
I loved it. Loved every minute of it.
So, if you know UniverSoul Circus is coming to your city make sure you grab tickets. It's an amazing experience and one that will leave you feeling like a kid again.
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