The First Show: Traces

Last night, “Traces” opened at Denver Center for the Performing Arts. I got to view the show with several of the other Traceables and we all found it completely fantastic. We were allowed to take pictures and videos all night (as long as we didn’t have the flash on!) and meet the cast at the opening night party afterwards. First, we got to see about fifteen minutes of the rehearsal before the show. The seven artists all warm up for two hours before every show, loosening up, stretching, and running some of their stunts and choreography. We got to see how the artists work before the show and how they get really ready to perform. It’s really hard work, especially because in Denver’s high altitude, the air is so thin, and the artists aren’t used to it. Nevertheless, they performed an outstanding show—and it looked practically effortless.

The show itself was everything I thought it would be and more. It communicated the human experience through movement and expression—there was almost no dialogue through the entire show. Each character began seeming fantastic and a little bit unreal, but throughout the show, developed into a complex, real character that the audience felt connected with. It was fascinating to me, as a language and word-lover, to see how so much feeling and truth can be conveyed by movement. There were parts where the movement and stunts made me connect with the characters so well that I could feel their desperation, joy, fear, love. One scene that really moved me was a scene near the beginning that seemed to depict a young man and woman falling in love. At first, they seemed shy with each other, doing several simple (well, simple for them) tricks and pulling away quickly. Then, trust seemed to build, and they became more daring in their stunts. At several moments, one of them would pull away and walk off, but the other would always pull them back. Finally, they ended up accepting their love, it seemed, and ending the scene in each other’s arms. I was blown away by the beauty of the unspoken truth told on stage at this point, and I can’t wait to see the show again to experience that feeling once more.

After the show, the other Traceables and I stayed for the opening night cast party. We got to mingle with the cast and other fans and get autographs from the artists. It was great fun chatting with them and asking them about how they like Denver, the show, and performing. All the artists were friendly and humble; they seemed almost a little shy when my friend and I asked for autographs and raved about the show. It was nice to see that although the artists are extremely talented, they certainly don’t let it go to their heads and were still accessible and kind.

Overall, “Traces” was a fantastic show that communicated human spirit and power through movement and other visuals. It was easy to connect with the characters despite their almost inhuman feats, and I will definitely see it again. “Traces” runs at the Stage Theater in the Denver Performing Arts Complex until May 14th.

The Artists:
Mason Ames
Mason was born in New Hampshire but moved to Montreal to train at the National Circus School. He specialized in hand to hand. Mason has performed in several of the Seven Fingers productions as well as in Cirque du Soleil and at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

Valérie Benoît-Charbonneau
Valérie trained at Montreal’s National Circus School for seven years. She specialized in hand to hand and banquine. Valérie has performed in Cirque du Soleil and at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

Mathieu Cloutier
Mathieu is from Gaspe, Quebec, and spent three years at the Circus School of Quebec. He specialized in acrobatics, rollerblade, and diabolo. Mathieu has performed in Cirque du Soleil and in acrobatics shows at Seabreeze amusement park in New York.

Bradley Henderson
Bradley has been touring as an original member of the “Traces” cast since 2005. He is from San Francisco and attended the National Circus School in Montreal until 2002.

Philippe Normand-Jenny
Philippe was born in Montreal. He attended the Circus School of Quebec, specializing in hand to hand, teeterboard, and trampoline. Philippe has performed with Cirque du Soleil and Seabreeze amusement park in New York.

Florian Zumkehr
Florian is from Switzerland. He began his training at a young age and eventually trained at the Berlin Circus School. He specializes in hand balancing and acrobatics. Florian has performed with Cirque Éloize and GOP cabaret.

Xia Zhengqi
Xia was born in China. He joined that Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe at age six. Xia has performed in Cirque du Soleil and is a gold medalist in the National Acrobatic Competition in China.

About Seven Fingers:
Seven Fingers translates from the French “Les 7 Doigts de la Main”, meaning “the 7 fingers of the hand”. It was founded in Montreal in 2002 and was created to make the circus a little more human. They’ve produced several shows: Loft, Traces, La Vie, and Psy, all of which bring circus arts to a more human scale and communicate truth through movement. Seven Fingers finds that juxtaposing dark themes with the life and joy of circus arts helps communicate truth and connect with all audiences.

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