The holiday season is all about traditions and making memories. This year, elevate your traditions and get your tickets to “A Magical Cirque Christmas” at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, December 29, 2024, at 3 and 7 p.m. for a fresh, new, amazing night to remember.
At the Washington Center, It’s Ballet One Night, Foot Archery, Contortionism and Unicycles the Next
“A Magical Cirque Christmas” puts a new spin – quite literally – on this festive winter season. Performers take to the trapeze, stacked skateboards and balancing poles then rocket Christmas to new heights.
Aryn Shelander is a contortionist, foot archer and unicycle expert. A San Francisco native, she joined the circus at age 21. She trained for seven years as a contortionist before traveling to Mongolia’s capital city, Ulaanbaatar, to learn foot archery.
Shelander says that their upcoming visit to Olympia is part of a larger, nationwide tour that has performed nearly 200 shows since starting in 2018.
“The cast is made up of 10 acrobats, one magician and one actor/signer,” explains Shelander. “We come from all around the world, including Argentina, Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia and all over the United States. Some members were born into multigenerational circus families, some trained in gymnastics as a kid and translated these skills to circus arts, and others got into circus after other professions.”
A Magical Cirque is All-Ages, Family Fun with a Very Real Twist (and Spin and Juggle and Magic)
This all-ages show is “loaded with nostalgia, charm, comedy, music and magic,” says Shelander. It’s so popular that a second performance was added to their Washington Center itinerary.
Because of the holiday theme, the actors meet seasonally as well. “We come together each year to put on ‘A Magical Cirque Christmas,’” says Shelander. “Some cast and crew have been with us for four years; some members are new this year. This is our first year welcoming Mark Clearview, our magician, and we are lucky to have him. He has been performing magic professionally since he was six years old and just got the Golden Buzzer on ‘Canada’s Got Talent.’”
Your Family Can Take to the Skies with ‘A Magical Cirque Christmas’
As you might expect, a show like this doesn’t exactly keep its feet on the ground. Performers take to the air using a trapeze and ropes or build wobbly foundations of unexpected objects to climb. And the busy tour schedule means set-up and tear-down are hectic.
But, says Shelander, it’s all worthwhile. “Performing on this tour is a lot of fun and takes a lot of work. What people may not know is that we perform in a new city every night. After the show each night, we pack up the show, lights, apparatuses and props and put them into two semi-trucks. Then, the cast and crew all sleep on tour buses, with bunk beds each night as we drive to the next city. The crew is incredibly skilled at setting up our show in a new theater every morning. In the afternoon, the cast and crew work together to set spacing on the stage and lighting for each act. In the evening, we perform!”
Get a taste of their jaw-dropping moves on Facebook, Instagram or A Magical Cirque Christmas website. There, you’ll find photos, videos, an email newsletter, upcoming tour dates and much more. Then, head over to the Washington Center Box Office to get your tickets.
The Box Office is open from noon until 5:30 p.m. from Tuesday through Saturday or two hours before any ticketed event. Call 360.753.8586 or email boxoffice@washingtoncenter.org with questions or purchase seats to the 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. shows online.
The holidays are about celebrating together with those you love. Give the gift of magic thanks to the “A Magical Cirque Christmas.”
