The Performance Arts Series at Shepherd University will sponsor a performance by Circo Aereo on November 15, 2012 at 8 p.m. in the Frank Arts Theater.
As described in a 2009 Shepherd University press release, “Circo Aereo is an international contemporary circus group from Finland that mixes time-honored circus arts with cabaret theater, masterful movement, and charming humor.” Circo Aereo is one of the leading “flagships of Finnish cultural exports” and is “contributing to the rise of Finnish contemporary circus internationally.”
Since its founding in 1996, Circo Aereo has evolved to bring performances that have been produced through “a human touch and on a human scale” which allow the performers to “get close to the audience and their emotions,” a feat which is a “fundamental value” for the group.
According to the press release, “The artists evoke stories—earthbound and in mid-air—through the art of juggling, dance, and aerial performance.”
The group features a wide variety of performances, each telling a unique tale through dance, music, and object and movement theatre. Such performances include Motet, a “jugglers’ journey in the spirit of baroque,” Petit Mal, “a combination of the tradition of village fools and performing art, where sweat and bruises embroider the skins of the performers,” Louisiana Circus, “an unprecedented combination of intimate circus art and high-quality jazz,” and Un Cirque Tout Juste, headed by State Art Prize winner Jani Nuuttinen. This performance is described as a “warmly nostalgic contemporary circus performance in the spirit of object theatre.”
The Performing Art Series at Shepherd University will sponsor Circo Aereo’s performance. PASS is a subcommittee of the Student Life Council of Shepherd University. PASS has been charged with the “responsibility of planning and producing quality cultural arts performances and lectures that are relevant to and consistent with the goals of higher education for the college and community.”
PASS is committed to bringing works of “quality, variety, and diversity, including the presentation of culturally diverse artists and works,” as well as to presenting “works which deal with significant and timely themes which help provide audience members with a framework for viewing life experiences.” PASS is also committed to education and developing “activities and related classroom and co-curricular activities both on the college campus and within the regional community.”
Tickets may be bought at the Shepherd University Bookstore (located on the bottom floor of the Student Center) until 4 p.m. on the day of the event. Tickets may also be purchased at the Frank Arts Center lobby box office one hour before each performance (if the show is not already sold out).
To purchase tickets online, visit the Shepherd University Bookstore Web site at www.shepherdbook.com and click on the link for Performing Arts Series at Shepherd. Online ticket orders will be accepted until noon the day of the performance.
To purchase tickets by phone, call the Shepherd Bookstore at (304) 876-5219. Phone purchases will be held under the purchaser’s name for pick up at the Frank Center Theater lobby box office on the night of the performance.
Tickets are $15 for the general public, $10 for both seniors and Shepherd staff, and $5 for children. Tickets for Shepherd University students are free with a valid Rambler ID.
To learn more about Circo Aero, feel free to visit their Web site at www.circoaereo.net. To learn more about the Performance Art Series at Shepherd or more on how to get tickets for this event, go to passweb.shepherdpb.com.