By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
November 2, 2000
Two bicyclists, a chair and a tightrope.
No, that’s not the name of a new ABC sitcom, but the components of the most thrilling act at this year’s Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, which opened Wednesday night at Allstate Arena.
Madrid’s Quiros High Wire troupe easily stole the show–not a simple feat considering the competition, which included dancing horses, impeccably trained elephants and the freakishly talented acrobat who, suspended from the ceiling by just her hair, juggled flaming batons.
Though the program noted that the Spanish troupe was a quartet, it was a trio that performed on high wires 18 and 30 feet off the ground. The lack of a fourth performer didn’t hinder the nimble-footed athletes as they tumbled and jump-roped in unison. The most jaw-dropping stunt occurred near the end, when one man balanced a chair on top of a pole hoisted on the shoulders of his two colleagues and climbed atop the chair.
Oh, did I mention that the latter two were on bicycles? And that the only time a net appeared was so they could lower the chair without it shattering?
The most painful act to watch was the raven-haired beauty dangling from the ceiling by her ponytail. The program notes that her mother, who also floated via her hair, fell 30 feet to the floor in 1982 and couldn’t perform for three years.
Anton Beliakov performed simultaneously in the center ring. One patron seated near me said, “Who’s watching this guy? We’re watching the lady with the hair.” But the symmetrical beauty of his art was a breathtaking contrast to the freak show element of hers.
The son of an acrobat and a trapeze artist, Beliakov blended the beauty of ballet with the strength of gymnastics as he performed iron crosses and other skills familiar to fans of men’s still rings. For his finale, he effortlessly climbed 36-foot ropes, wrapping them up along the way. Once at the top, he plunged headfirst with only the unraveling straps to break his fall.
Founded in 1871, the “greatest show on earth” has steep competition these days from artier circuses, such as Cirque du Soleil, that rely more on theatrics than on lions and tigers and bears, oh my. This may explain why the east and west wings of the venue were empty.
But tell you what: Once you see the vaguely gaudy barrage of clown costumes and whiff the smell of fresh elephant dung, you remember when going to the circus was the best treat a kid could ask for.
