Every year during the Cuenca Independence Day celebrations, the Moscow Circus comes to town.  The image above was on the screen during part of the performance. The first poster I saw in town had some other posters plastered over the top of it, and all I saw was the image of Elsa (from Frozen) and the tag “Suenos de magia y diversion” (“Dreams of magic and fun”).  I therefore told Evelyn I wanted to go see the Moscow magic show! ☺

I had forgotten that the circus comes to town every year.  It was still an interesting evening, even if not what I expected when I bought the tickets (and first looked at them closely and said….  hmmm… I don’t think this is a magic show after all…)

The circus was on a theater stage at Pumapungo, instead of under a circus tent. Almost no verbal (so there was no language barrier issue), much like a Circus Soleil show.  Superb balance was a recurring theme for the evening, as seen above. In the lower row is a tightrope walker jumping over his team mates on a tightrope.

There was only one clown in the show, who “talked” with only a whistle.  He went into the audience and chose four young men as volunteers — including the man sitting next to me.  He put the audience volunteers through a few comical dance routines, then sat them down on four chairs… and proceeded to pull each chair out leaving them apparently resting comfortably in space (right image).  He started to walk off stage, then returned, pulled one persons leg out and they all collapsed in a pile.

Other acts included a woman simultaneously twirling 8 hula hoops at one time (upper left) and various dancers (middle-right and lower row).

Another of the tightrope jumpers (upper-right) gave a rather interesting abstract photo effect, as he moved too fast for the camera. One tightrope performer had a bag over his head (middle-left), and his feet bound together, as he made his way across from one platform to the other.  At one point, he slipped, and it was touch-and-go as a teammate reached out to him, but he refused, and managed to regain his position and finish the walk.
Of course, at any circus, the kids in the audience were a show unto themselves.  One girl (upper-middle) went in front of the stage and danced to the music, while others played with various light toys their parents had purchased for them while in line waiting to enter.