Daidougei World Cup Field Report 3

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 in: News, Travel

After the Kendama show, we headed back to the main strip to catch some other shows. On the other side of the ON areas were smaller OFF sections, for aspiring artists who hadn’t yet made it big. I wandered around a little bit and ended up in a sea of people swarming one of the ON sections, the largest audience I’d seen gather yet. The crowd was so thick all the way around the ringed area that the people on step-ladders gave the illusion of there actually being grandstands. The spot I squeezed myself into was almost behind the performers, which kind of gave an interesting perspective on the show. It turns out it was Cru Cru Cirque, an older troupe of more traditionally trained circus performers. Clowns, if you will.

But not the kind of clowns you might be thinking. Their make-up was light, their hair coiffed into different-colored mohawks, and their bodies did all the talking for them. The act revolved around juggling and object-manipulation, but was still very much a traditional circus act, with its own ring and pseudo lion-taming (see video). Nevertheless, it was still very creative and entertaining, and they had earned the reputation that attracted such a massive crowd to see their set.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFjiuswcaV4

After the show, I saw one of the Cru Cru guys talking to someone, wearing a faded yukata and a top hat, with his black star facepaint still on and his long goatee braided like an egyptian pharaoh. It was such a strange outfit, but I couldn’t help but think “damn that guy is cool.”

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