Live Shots: Circus Something dove into the solstice with ‘The Longest Night’

For those tired of decking the halls and fa, la, la-ing, Circus Something offered a darker piece this holiday season with The Longest Night. Three shows on December 20 and 21 at the Dance Mission Theater were a black-and-white reprieve from seas of red and green.

Ash Rexford (director, producer, choreographer) and Igor Dulkin (tech director) are the creative forces behind this homage to the winter solstice. Exploring light and dark with motifs of circles, ouroboros, eyes, shedding skins, triangles and triads, the show began with Irene Zhu’s contortion-based dance inside a simulated placenta. Zhu emerged as darkness personified, joined by guides in black robes whose only defined feature was their arms, symbolically giving life to the show that followed.

Sparkles Devine, the emcee, acknowledged that The Longest Night is very adult as they both employed and subverted the Dorothy a la The Wizard of Oz trope. In black “slippers” with a sexy corset and argyle socks, Sparkes, using sultry humor and pointed commentary, shepherded the audience through the part-cabaret, part-burlesque, part-circus, all visually stunning show.

Ash Rexford as “the hierophant” in a layered flowing white gown danced with the ensemble, who gradually left the stage, leaving only two winged sirens in white and amorphous representations of night in black. The hierophant’s dress became an altar accepting flower crowns as offerings—one of the few strategic uses of color during the show.

Body confidence is sexy, and sexy bodies in motion permeated the show: the Kaleidoscopic juggling and unicycle riding of Harlequin Grim—a former mortuary worker who can appreciate the interplay between the quick and dead; Ashanti Altoves’s angel striptease and vampire vixen burlesque; Shanon Burla’s tantalizing sword dance. Jen Maicha’s poetic strap dance added another layer to the evening. With a full-length mirror as a prop, Maicha’s elegance reflected the permanence of art amid the ethereal nature of life, or perhaps what we see in the mirror vastly differs from what others see of us.

Cat Hedral, the Hypnocatist, explored the connections between body, art, costuming, and masking: How are clothing and costumes masks? How do they reveal our personalities? Her soft swirling striped costume lined up with her body art—blurring the distinction between the two. With Doctor Calico on trumpet (and in a fetching pair of shoes), the duo offered a gentle song and dance about the joining and dividing of people, of arts, of ideas.

Achillea Grim, in addition to juggling with Harlequin Grim, mesmerized with her lyra aerial hoop routine. Physically representing the circular nature of life – the seasons, death, rebirth – she wove in, out, and around the lyra. Enhancing the circular iconography, Slither siren, Helen’s contortion capabilities were on full display. Wearing ram’s horns – reminding us how pagan images were demonized by Christianity – she also illustrated her body’s ability to curve.

The different acts knitted together a theme exploring how we have a tendency to see the world in false dichotomies (light or dark, male or female, good or bad). Instead, the show posits that we should embrace the dualities that co-exist. Moonlight Movement’s aerial artwork explored this concept with their twinning aerial chains piece. With grace, strength and sensuality, Alicia Streetman and Meredith Calderas Precit climb, twirl, overlap, separate, and reunite, juxtaposing the tenderness of their touch with the rigidity of the chains they use as their medium.

The Slither Sirens (Helen, Irene, and Amanda) appeared in two enchanting pieces. First, embodying the mythological sirens, their white wings with delicately choreographed moves hypnotized; the golden talons inspired a bit of fear (another duality) befitting the mythical creature. Later closing the show with a dance featuring fans and black-white ombre fabric, their tender moves quietly ushered us to the evening.
Visually captivating, thought provoking, vaguely trippy, ritualized exploring, The Longest Night was the perfect antidote to what can sometimes feel like forced holiday cheer.

Let’s hope when the wheel of time turns again to the summer solstice, Circus Something has another ritual for us. Sign up on their website to become a “cultist” and receive early details.