TRACES!

by Cindy Wilkinson

One of the most valuable perks of working in the performing arts is having the opportunity to attend a wide array of shows. In the past year, I have attended Shakespeare productions performed by actors with the Denver Center Theatre Company, by students with the acclaimed National Theatre Conservatory, and even by elementary school aged children with the Denver Center Theatre Academy. I have heard musicians from every corner of the world playing at such venues as Swallow Hill and the Boettcher Concert Hall, and recently enjoyed a magnificent production of Beauty and the Beast at Cherry Creek High School. Denver is rich with it's many cultural offerings for the children of our great city!

Last week I was totally blown away by an amazing show called TRACES, which is now playing at the Denver Center Performing Arts at the Stage Theater. This is a "must see" event for all ages! *Recommended for ages 6 and up. It is produced by a French Canadian company called The 7 Fingers. Audiences are quickly transfixed by the acrobatic skill of these performers. Then, the elements of music, film clips, and narration are weaved together with such other feats as skateboarding and even microphone tossing from performer to performer. The performers in this show hail from areas across the world including San Francisco, Quebec, and even China. Their skillful execution of acrobatic manuevers is matched by their artistry and performanceship. It was a joy to hear the response of the many children in the audience as they "ooohed" and "aaahed" and bellylaughed throughout the performance.

This is what the Denver Center says about this show: "On what may prove their last night on earth, seven street youths celebrate life with dazzling, gravity-defying displays of skill; balancing on each other's hands, tumbling through hoops and leeping spectacularly up giant poles." Here is a link to get more info about this show and to also watch video clips of it. Be sure to scroll down the page to see the video montage of different elements of the show: http://www.denvercenter.org/shows-and-events/shows/traces/home.aspx

So, check out this amazing show. You and your children will experience an evening of both fun and adventure. And you soon may find a budding acrobat emerging in your own family!! Come back to this blog later this week to read about a personal experience I shared with one of the performers in this show. You won't want to miss this amazing story! See you then!!