LES 7 DOIGTS DE LA MAIN
How appropriate that my 1,100th column is about a circus (of sorts.) I was in a circus, which is one of my favorite stories of my life!
But I was far from a circus performer of the caliber of the Les 7 Doigts de la Main members! I doubt that many are. They’re all amazing! (And you know that I’m not one of those people who uses that word frivolously.)
While I was writing a preview of their recent show at the Valley Performing Arts Center, their style sounded familiar to me. I described their new presentation, Séquence 8, (to everyone who would listen,) as being like a wonderful show I had attended on my birthday several years ago, at Hollywood’s Ricardo Montalban Theatre. That show was called Traces, and even Mr. X was awed by the acrobatic troupe’s feats.
Alice and Karen at the party, looking nothing like the fabulous circus performers to come!
It turns-out, this is that same company! We in LA had all called the show by its title, not by the name of the group. Seeing them again, I just knew it had to be the same performers I had seen all those years ago, but I can’t believe that they’re able to come up with so many different ways to showcase their talents!!! Séquence 8 is a completely different show than Traces. These Canadians are so innovative! What a creative bunch.
It’s unfathomable to me that there are so many different feats you can perform on a pole. Or with boxes in your hands. Or even on a trapeze!
And they choreograph every step. None of their bits is about “look what I can do!” Rather, they’re all sandwiched in dance. Or humor. The audience at the Valley Performing Arts Center was entertained every stop of the way.
The ice cream bar. Photo by Karen Salkin.
There was only one segment of this new show that I wasn’t a fan of; three of them (two guys and a girl) came center stage, and inexplicably stripped down to their undies! They had little on to begin with, so I don’t get that act. I have a feeling they have some creative reason behind it, but, as much as I love seeing guy’s half-naked bodies, (only when they look like these guys do,) I just wasn’t into it. Maybe they all just needed some downtime in-between all the fireworks.
The Whyman Project. Photo by Alice Farinas. (It’s blurry because it was shot from four floors above.)
But everything else was great. There was no sense for us audience members to do anything with our own arms (like fold them, hold hands, snack,) because we constantly broke into spontaneous applause! (Except for the flat-lining woman next to me. She was strange.)
As if the show wasn’t special enough, we VIPs were treated to a circus-style fete before the show, complete with jazzy music from The Whyman Project in the lobby (which all could enjoy, party-goer or not. The private soiree was on a floor high above the lobby, but with the beautiful building design, we could hear it all, loud and clear.)
Some of the party snacks. Photo by Karen Salkin.
The fun fare included Pink’s hot dogs with all the trimmings, (including the choice of turkey or beef dog,) ice cream novelties, and bags of popcorn, cotton candy, and Cracker Jack, (with their not-cute-anymore prizes these days.) There were even colorful lollipops, to complete the I-know-it’s-junk-food-but-it’s-oh-so-delicious feast.
Now, a bit about the Valley Performing Arts Center itself:
Photo by Karen Salkin.
The whole place is like an oasis of the arts. I love it! From the outside, the building looks sort-of like the Lincoln Center we see in films. It’s not as magnificent, of course, but the essence is similar to me.
I just recently discovered them, and I’m so glad I did! I really encourage you to check-out the calendar of their upcoming shows because they’re all so worthwhile. (The link is at the bottom of this column.) I’m planning to see the screening of the Disney classic-of-all-classics, Fantasia, which is being shown accompanied by a live orchestra next month, and then the Martha Graham Dance Company in April. I’m dressed and ready for those two events right now!
