Living and loving to thrill
The artists in the Great Moscow Circus bring the audience to the edge of their seats, write Tanya Waterworth and Sacha van Niekerk
THRILLS and spills are all part of the magic of the circus – and artists in the Great Moscow Circus bring the audience to the edge of their seats.
Taking risks is simply in his blood for one of the daredevils in the Globe of Death motorcycle act, Oscar Espinola.
Brazil born, Espinola is the fourth generation of circus artist in his family and has been riding motorcycles since the age of 12.
“My father was a clown and my mother was a trapeze artist. My grandfather used to ride (motorcycles).
“When I was 14, I knew I wanted to be a rider and joined the circus,” he said.
The Globe of Death act is extremely dangerous and the riders put in hours of practice ahead of going on tour.
“Yes it is a dangerous act. We do not practise when we are on tour to avoid possible injuries. Each rider practises his routine on his own and then we come together as the group,” said Espinola, adding he has “had lots and lots of accidents”.
These include one instance when three bikes with hot running engines landed on top of him and a bike part spiked into his leg.
“Most people join the circus because they have found something they like to do. There is lots of travel and we perform in front of so many different audiences.
“I enjoy travelling and particularly experiencing different cultures. I think it is the best education and you learn to respect other cultures. You grow as a person,” he said.
And when it comes to Durban, he enjoys the food, which is spicy, “with a lot of sauces and coming from Brazil, I like tropical places like Durban”, he said.
Another fan of Durban beaches is the circus’s “Man in the Box” and contortionist extreme, Emin Abdullev.
Enjoying his first visit to Durban, the Russian artist said, “I love going to the beach every day, it is so beautiful.”
His fascination with contortion started when he was 5 years old and saw Cirque Du Soleil.
“I saw that and wanted to try to practise it,”
Having grown up in the south of Russia, he went to Moscow when he was 11 years old to watch his cousin in the Great Moscow Circus.
“My cousin could not go on and so I had to stand in for him,” said Abdullev.
By the age of 14, he had become so comfortable in his contorted position in the box, that he could fall asleep.
Now at 24, he has grown considerably taller and when the box is closed, there is limited oxygen.
“I feel nervous before every performance. I normally practise every day for an hour before my act and when we are not on tour, I will practise for two to three hours a day,” he said.
Having travelled across the globe with the circus, Abdullev said, “I like people and having new experiences and seeing new places.”
The Great Moscow Circus’ executive producer, Lizzie Coles, said the passports of circus performers resemble “stamp collections”.
“Since arriving in South Africa, we have done more than 100 shows and there’s less than an hour between the afternoon and evening performances, so it’s easy to lose track of time
“All the artists get close and we become one community when we are on tour,” she said. Since she comes from Perth in Australia, she added: “Durban feels just like home.”
The Great Moscow Circus is at Suncoast until March 26 and it was announced this week that ticket prices are being reduced by up to 40% for selected performances.