Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams

Every show I’ve taken my kids to at the Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) in Minneapolis has been awesome, but the Ethiopian-inspired Circus Abyssinia took my breath away and left me cheering for more…and I’m 38! My 7-year old daughter was the easy date choice for this show because she is super into performing arts and all things bold and daring.

This new, unique spectacle was created by circus-performing brothers Bibi and Bichu Tesfamariam in 2017 and uses music and movements of East Africa and, you guys, it’s absolutely stunning from beginning to end. We both left the theatre dancing and twirling and trying to throw our legs behind our heads (ok, just my daughter tried that one).

The show started with a group of acrobatic guys dancing on stage to clap-worthy, foot-stomping Ethiopian music – and led to them leaping from guy to guy doing air stunts, catching each other with nothing more then their bare hands.

Then the lights dim and three females come crawling onto stage bent like spiders, contorting in majestic ways that made me feel inadequate in my inability to even touch my toes. They were brilliant and beautiful and probably backbone-less. It was crazy amazing!

There were a number of acts that followed including cloth-spinning, foot juggling, jump roping and hoop diving. The hula hooper was phenomenal – she blew the mind of my 2nd grader. In fact, immediately following her act, my daughter looked at me – obviously inspired – and said, “Mom, I need to get more hula hoops.”

If you ask my daughter what her favorite part was, she would tell you it was the “funny clown guy.” Used as a “breather break” for the performers, he was actually pretty darn funny with his whistle, tight-roping acts and audience participators. Never have I ever heard her laugh so hysterically – legs wrapped under her chin and back shaking – without worrying one bit if anyone around her was laughing as loudly (they weren’t).

If you ask ME what my favorite part was, I would tell you:

• the aerial arts performer who hung from fabric was stunning and graceful – plus the song she performed to made my eyes well up (Dunya by Alemayehu Demeke);
• the fact that I could talk to my kid almost the whole time because the circus was pretty interactive and loud – especially during the fast-moving performances; and
• the joy. The JOY! THE JOY!!

Every performance was filled with sass and spunk and serious skill, but the overall feeling I had through the entirety of the almost two-hour show was JOY. Every performer’s smile lit up the room – they appeared to be doing what they were born to do and loving it. They were making everyone in the room love it too, no matter their age. Adults, teens, kids – everyone was clapping along, jaws on the floor, awe in their eyes, and definitely –most definitely – JOY in their hearts.

Circus Abyssinia is being performed at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis September 17 through October 20, 2019. Be sure to get your tickets to this must-see performance online now!