Colombian circus offers an alternative festive celebration

Fresh from Colombia’s capital city, circus company Circolombia promise an uplifting on-stage party at Brighton Dome this Christmas (December 17-27).
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Acéléré fuses acrobatic feats with live singing, dancing and rapping in a circus-concert, ideal for families, a friends’ night out or an alternative festive celebration.

The company of singers and circus artists will deliver an energetic, gravity-defying performance that showcases their skills and bravery while transporting audiences to the vibrant streets of Bogotá through the upbeat sounds of Latin music, they promise

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Described as ‘fireworks in a matchbox’, Circolombia live by the motto ‘Compartir es Vivir’ – to share is to live – and life, love and laughter overflow from all the artists on stage.

Felicity Simpson, director and creative producer of Circolombia, said: “Combined with the company’s mesmerising abilities, their performances engage the audience in authentic, visceral and spine-tingling emotions to provide an unforgettable contemporary circus experience like no other.

“Acéléré means accelerate and this perfectly explains the theme behind our show. It is all about taking risks and having the courage to move forward and most importantly it is the women who lead the way. After the darkness of the last year, we cannot wait to bring our Latin passion and energy – the DNA of Circolombia – to Brighton!

“Circolombia is a modern circus company made up of some of the most revered circus performers in the world who trained and graduated at the National School of Circo Para Todos (Circus for All), a place that supports disadvantaged young people in Colombia to succeed against the odds through circus training, radiating a message of hope and peace within their communities.

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“Since 2011, the company’s most significant shows Urban and Acéléré have toured around the world to international festivals and major venues.”

“The performers are all from Colombia and they're all from different parts of Colombia and it is such an incredibly diverse country. You've got the Amazon and you have got the flat plains and have got the Atlantic and you have got the Pacific. It is such a great place.”

Her starting point for the company is that she was a performer too: “And my partner for 18 years was Colombian. He died and I carried on so that's why an English girl is doing this. We have made an amazing school in Columbia and it was the world's first professional circus school for these most incredible youngsters. We made the school but once they graduated it was about where do they go and what they do and they have gone all over the world, but we started making our own productions. We started in 2006 with the productions. We had our first graduates in 2001. We set up a UK company with all the visas and insurance and it has enabled us to make bigger productions, but it is all Colombian.”

And it is great to be back performing: “We had a very dramatic repatriation from Australia when the pandemic hit. We were doing the Adelaide Festival and suddenly everything went pear shaped. We were getting on a plane to go to Auckland and everybody said ‘No!’ New Zealand was the first to start quarantine. So we came back and everyone was on the same page. We have got the school and the structures there so we did what we could but actually we were really lucky. We were invited to open celebrations for the Coventry City of Culture Year and we were there from July to September. We were the only international artists that were doing international things!

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“It has been great. I think the whole relationship with the audience changes. You love them and you want to kiss their feet when they come in. Before we were very international popping from one place to another and we've always loved our public but you just love them even more now. The public are half the show. It is for them and they share the emotions.”

Tickets start from £15, including family and group discounts and a special NHS staff offer.

Socially distanced seating is available at some performances for audience members who may be vulnerable.

Book online brightondome.org or call 01273 709709.

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