Sasha Vosk believes very little in today’s world is unique.
“Being surrounded by world-wide chains of Home Depot, Starbucks and IKEA, few things are different,” he explained.
Vosk, the artistic director and co-producer of the famed Moscow Circus, thinks young people are ready for a new experience.
Fresh from several performances in Alaska, California and Washington, the Moscow Circus will make its only Oregon appearance on Sunday at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts.
“The circus is a unique opportunity for students to come and absorb a foreign culture,” he said.
The current show, called “A Russian Folk Fair,” invokes fables, music and traditional costume to recreate a Russian folk festival.
The show begins when the audience steps into the theater.
According to a press release, the foyer is filled with Russian musicians, clowns, costumed performers and dancers. Vosk wants people to feel like they have walked into a traditional Russian street fair.
It is a folk fair that starts in the Red Square in Moscow and travels through fables and fairy tales, he said.
The audience will experience original acts,
Fast Facts
WHO: | The Moscow Circus |
WHAT: | A world-renowned circus troupe. |
WHERE: | Silva Concert Hall, Hult Center (7th Avenue and Willamette Street) |
WHEN: | Sunday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m. |
COST: | $18 to $39, students and youth receive a $6 discount |
Visit hultcenter.org or moscowcircus.biz for more information.
including acrobatics, gymnastics, aerial acts and contortionists.
Performers range in age from 11 to 57 years old and are well-known in the industry.
“People can expect to see the best circus troupe in the world,” Vosk said.
“The jugglers are not just jugglers, they are also acrobats. The dog act isn’t your usual dog act, it’s also an acrobatic team.”
Vosk said the show isn’t just circus for circus’ sake.
“Circus is the main body, but it’s a cultural presentation. I’m trying to present as much of Russian culture as possible.”
The show will utilize elements of music, set and costume to show the landscapes, pictures and sounds of Russia.
Vosk, alongside his wife and co-producer Lena, has been creating and producing North American tours of the Moscow Circus since 1998.
“In the 1990s, after the fall of the Soviet Union, it took us a long time to re-establish the name with presenters, performers and promoters,” Vosk said.
“It’s very difficult to bring back the respect the Russian circus deserves.”
Vosk said some people have confused the Moscow Circus with an American-based impostor called the Moscow State Circus.
“People do not know the difference; they experience a lot of things that tarnish the name of our group,” said Vosk, who has been performing since he was a child.
According to the Moscow Circus Web site, Vosk got his start in show business at age 11, when his uncle taught him the art of mime.
After attending the Moscow College of Architecture and serving two years in the Air Force, Vosk followed his dream and enrolled at the Moscow College of the Circus and Variety Arts.
He has been involved with the circus ever since.
The Moscow Circus recently celebrated 120 years of performance.
Vosk said circus arts have been around for so long and continue to thrive because humans are interested in humanity.
“It’s humans being able to push the limits of what we are capable of,” he said. “That’s an attraction that will be there forever.”
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