Review: Traces
7 Fingers from Montreal is being touted as both dance and circus, a new kind of show incorporating acrobatics, skateboarding and parkour, plus singing (lame), patter (lamer) and video projections (lamest). Supposedly an urban “no fear no net” event, it felt to Toby Zinman, more like a playground than a street corner.
By Toby Zinman
Taking a few days out of their New York run for four appearances here in the Live Arts Festival, a group called 7 Fingers from Montreal is being touted as both dance and circus, a new kind of show incorporating acrobatics, skateboarding and parkour, plus singing (lame), patter (lamer) and video projections (lamest). Supposedly an urban "no fear no net" event, it feels more like a playground than a street corner.
Six men and one woman leap, tumble, somersault, and create a kind of apache gymnastics in a romantic scene. They climb poles with amazing agility, hurl themselves through hoops and, surprisingly, they can all play the piano.
If you've seen Cirque du Soleil, you've seen performances far more astonishing and skillful; if you've seen Tap Dogs or Stomp, you've seen far wittier, wilder testosterone .
But to be fair: Although I and my companion for the evening found it boring, the huge audience at the Merriam roared their approval.
$15-$55. 8 p.m. 9/16. 2 & 8 p.m. 9/17, 2 p.m. 9/18. Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.