Street Acrobats on Parade

Comments (0) By Sebastian del Mármol Thursday, Jun 23 2011

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Not counting seemingly irrational aversions to personal hygiene and ice, there’s a lot we can learn from Europeans. They vacation longer, sit at cafés for hours on end (and not Starbucks either), and generally are more in tune with life on the street. Maybe that’s why their street performers, also known as buskers, are so much more bad-ass than the mooks we parade on the avenue. They have acrobats, contortionists, and fire-eaters who make any urban outing a show. And that’s what Coconut Grove is trying to emulate with Cirque du Grove this Saturday and Sunday. According to organizer Ron Jakubisin, the street performers will include Cirque du Soleil performers, professional acrobats from other circuses, fire-dancers, magicians, and stilt-walkers. This year, the event will also feature street performers from local troupes. Oh, and mimes. (Hey, not all things European can be good.) All the performances will be coordinated by Laurie Allen of locally based Rainbow Circus Arts, who is producing the show. In true European fashion, the shows will be free, but audiences will be encouraged to drop donations in a hat that will be passed around. Saturday, the performances begin on Commodore Plaza; the show moves to Virginia Street on Sunday.
July 2-3, 1 p.m., 2011