'by the light of stars that are no longer...' is an emotionally intense contemporary circus work by Circa. It explores the individual's relationship to the infinite and to others. The work is build out of traditional circus acts which are placed under stresses - they are broken into, repeated, interrupted and stretched. From the core languages of acrobatics, tumbling, pitching trapeze and hoop diving a series of leitmotifs emerges - the upside-down body, the caesura, the body frozen then re-awakened by another's touch.

The show is structured in three sections - the first begins with an acrobatic duet where the acrobats continually stop and are restarted. It builds through various overlapped solos and duets to an extended series of short encounters - full of high-level acrobatics. The second section begins with a solo trapeze routine set to Arvo Part's Fur Alina and then looks at the intimate experiences of individuals. The final section is a crescendo of bodies in extreme movement as the characters' journey's meet and intermingle. The piece is set to an intricately structured soundtrack featuring post-ambient works by Sigor Ros, Elluvium and Mum, songs of Leonard Cohen and the Velvet Undergound, contemporary works by DJ Shadow, Radio Head and the Cinematic Orchestra. An integral part of the show is its lighting which is predominantly lit by a single projector pointing down onto the stage, re-enforced by two front projectors. The light is restless, unstable and suggests the mutable nature of lives lived against the elastic forces of time and gravity.

Circa
Circa exists to re-imagine circus as a provocative, delightful and contemporary art-form and since 2004 has successfully worked towards being internationally recognised as Australia's most innovative circus. Its first significant international touring in 2006 included two international tours, with performances in the UK, Europe and Japan of two works: 61 Circus Acts in 60 Minutes and The Space Between. The company also attended the CINARS performing arts market in Montreal.

Nationally in 2006 Circa performed in Melbourne and undertook touring to a number of regional Queensland centres, as well as seasons in its home city of Brisbane. In 2007 Circa performed The Space Between at the Sydney Festival, The Galway Arts Festival, The Taranaki International Arts Festival (New Zealand) and Colombia, as well as undertaking extensive site-specific works in Australia and Asia, a season at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Melbourne and the premiere of 'by the light of stars that are no longer...' at the Judith Wright Centre in Brisbane in July. Proposed tours for 2008 include Canada, USA, Belgium and France. Integral to Circa's artistic success is the maintenance of a full-time ensemble: David Carberry, Darcy Grant, James Kingsford-Smith, Chelsea McGuffin (Artistic Associate) and Artistic Director, Yaron Lifschitz. Circa also operates a Training Centre which offers some 6000 places to young people, adults, emerging circus professionals, community groups and the corporate and government sector.


Contact:
Lewis Jones
Circa
PO Box 116
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Tel +61 7 3852 3110
Fax +61 7 3852 3120
Mob 0411 245 459
lewis@circa.org.au
www.circa.org.au