Not your average circus act

Heads up: the circus is in town.

And no, it's not your average yellow and white striped tent with clowns, unicycles, elephants and peanuts.

It's the Cirque du Soleil.

At risk of a shameless self-plug, as an arts writer for the Diamondback, I get a lot of amazing opportunities to see shows that I cover. After finding out that the Cirque du Soleil - the king of all acrobatic circus shows - was coming to Washington, I had to take the chance to see its show, Kooza.

For all not in the know, the Cirque du Soleil is the pinnacle of acrobatic performance, a combination of circus acts with the theatrical "wow" factor that has cemented the Cirque du Soleil reputation since its inception over 20 years ago. Based in Montreal, the company tours several shows each year in specific regions: Cirque 2009 in Montreal, Alegría in Korea and Taiwan, Quidam in the United Kingdom, and Saltimbanco in Hawaii and mid-southern US states.

For Washingtonians, our chance to experience Cirque du Soleil is through Kooza, which is touring mainly the Eastern US coast and performing at the National Harbor in Washington through Dec. 14.

Kooza tells the story of the Innocent, a lonely misfit who is searching for a place in the world. He meets the Trickster, a mysterious and agile character who shows him the world of Kooza with its death-defying feats and out-of-this-world performances.

Experience the familiar, like a unicycle, a trapeze and juggling, but with the flair of the Cirque du Soleil. Experience the jaw-dropping stunts like the Wheel of Death and a 23-feet tower of chairs on which an acrobat balances.

Either way, if you make the trip out to the National Harbor for this show, you'll be in for a treat and leave the show wowed and talking about it for days to come.

Art for the Fashion Conscious

Art isn't just for walls anymore. It's for the most sacred of all temples - your body.



For all D.I.Y., indie-lovin' hipsters, etsy.com is the Mecca of all things cute, stylish and unique. But more than just style, Polaroid Jewelry, sold by jerseymaids, is a new line of fashion that transforms the nostalgic Polaroid into something we can all love and appreciate: a nice silver necklace.

Made with shrink plastic (another tip of the hat to an old favorite, Shrinky Dinks), Polaroid Jewelry features an adorably small Polaroid hung by an 18-inch silver chain.

The photos replicates of Polaroids taken by Lauren Beacham, a photographer, creator of Polaroid Jewelry and the mastermind behind the jerseymaids line on Etsy.

Choose from yellow or pink botanicals, trees, cherry blossoms or a monument, it’s really up to your aesthetic. But be excited to combine your stylish flair and your love of art with this tasteful and unique piece.

Beacham’s line also features a number of other Polaroid-inspired products, such as postcards, a tote bag and a keepsake box, so your reverence for this old art form can be expressed in any number of ways.

Whatever your interest lies in, this line of Polaroid-inspired goodies may spark a new revolution of that old instant camera we all know and love.

And maybe, just maybe, we can even start to shake it, shake it, shake it like a Polaroid.

The Bend and Snap- for senior citizens

Doris Nhan

Arts and Entertainment Editor

Let’s be honest. Legally Blonde was not geared towards the middle-aged or older population. With Reese Withserpoon’s perfect blonde hair and her ‘bend-and-snap’ methodology to winning a man, Legally Blonde is and always will be for the tweenage and young adult nation. My bet is that Legally Blonde the Musical is not singing a different tune.

But when Legally Blonde the Musical comes to Washington this December at the Kennedy Center, chances are the only ones who will show up are the middle-aged theatre patrons who donate proliferously to the center. The upwards of $90 per ticket is far too much for a college-aged student who eats 50-cent canned Spaghetti-Os like it’s his job. So what exactly is the Broadway touring industry expecting from these types of shows?

Theatres are beginning to target younger audience, hoping to pull in the fresh faces of our generation. National Theatre has “student rush” tickets that market $25 tickets versus their usual $41.50 to $151.50 price range. Seemingly perfect, they come loaded with specific stipulations – available only two hours before show time and only at the box office and a limit of 2 per person, with student ID.

Theatres will always have a reputation of being pretentious, unaffordable and mostly about Shakespeare. But that’s far from the truth. Theatre is about classics, yes, but also about the contemporary. Altar Boyz, a satirical musical about a Christian boy band with one Jewish member, is playing at the Bethesda Theatre. The Wizard of Oz, a beloved classic is showing at the Warner Theatre. But as long as prices are steep and the reputation of theatre continues to be fulfilled by its wealthy, older patrons, no matter how modern plays and musicals get – theatre will always be behind the times.

From the Arts and Entertainment Section

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