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Published: September 24th 2007
Written: 9/23/07
Last night the group I am with went to the Circus. This circus is a popular place for families in Nizhni Novgorod. Supposedly, it was closed for twenty years because they were building a new building for it; it was re-opened recently so we were told we had to go. Many of the acts were interesting but there were a few things in the circus that irritated me extremely.
The show started with a skating couple that was amazing. They seemed like they could have been ice-skaters yet they were using in-line skates. One of the things that they did was the guy lifted the girl up and she attached herself to something that was around his neck and then spun around on that while he was twirling around. Next they had a clown that was not quite your traditional clown but very funny and talented. He tended to reappear between a few acts. It was great. He did a few acts to Brittany Spears music sung by someone else and all of us Americans found that hilarious. There we also some people who did gymnastic-type tricks. There were two separate acts that preformed. One was a young kid who was probably around 10. They were pretty good but I felt like some of the stuff was something gymnasts or very good cheerleaders or dancers could do. The show also included a group of acrobats who were really good, one of the guys fell head first from the top of the building into the next on purpose!!! I got a little nervous when I realized what he was doing! It is amazing to see people not have that fear and amazing how watching them, the audience becomes nervous for the performers.
The circus also included three acts that used animals. One was a girl riding a horse; personally I did not think that was very interesting because frankly you can see cooler stuff at a rodeo. A bear act, in which the bears really did not seem right, although they were bears I almost could have guessed it was people dressed up like bears (I did see one later and found they were real bears). I do not know what it was but they did not seam like the bears I have seen at the zoo, not to mention some were dressed in clothes. And the last, most popular one was the tiger act. The tiger-trainer stood/walked on a ball while commanding the tigers to do tricks while standing/walking on/pushing the same type of ball as he stood on. And in one part the trainer and tiger got on to this gigantic globe which was raised in air and walked on it in place suspended above the audience. Now I am not an animal rights activist or PETA member by any means but this act just irritated me. The tigers did not seem happy and were always pawing at or growling/roaring at the trainer if he got close to them. Some people were saying that they were probably even slightly sedated because there is no way they could get that tiger to go in the air like that unless it was. I do not know what is true but it seemed like the tigers were irritated and that got to me. I just do not think you should use animals for entertainment if they do not seem happy or if you do not train them right. It seemed they hated the trainers pole that he used to make them do things, in turn this makes me think that they were trained through pain and the inner San Diego Zoo Member in me just does not like that. I think it is great to use animals for entertainment as along as their well-being is maintained and they are happy. We are supposed to take care of the earth and everything in it, not use everything in it for our own enjoyment. My second problem with this act was the trainer screamed egomaniac. I just got that vibe from him especially at the end of the show when he (not the circus master) sang a goodbye to the audience and the performers all seemed focused around him.
My second problem with the show was the dancers that were used to introduce many of the skits. This was a family environment and these girls might as well have been strippers. Seriously, most of their costumes showed their butts in some way or another. They were always wearing thongs but it depended on the rest of the costume to decide what exactly did show. And their actual dances were quite provocative. I believe that dancing does not have to be like that and can be very entertaining however, that was just nauseating and tasteless. Thankfully most of the guys in our group are smart and agreed with all of us on it being tasteless. In the US, it seems that I always hear sex sells and I tend to think there is no way it could be worse than anywhere else, but it is. And it is accepted so in some ways it is great that people here do not get offended as easily but it is also sad that they are so desensitized to things like these dancers that it is accepted in a children’s show!
As for the rest of the weekend, I spent most of the time just hanging out and relaxing. I lost my voice so I barrowed some movies and tried not to talk. I also went out to eat with some of my friends and found this WONDERFUL little café that is above a bookstore. It is so wonderful because it is Italian and has amazing food! I have only ordered the pizza, but I had a bite of someone’s dish of pasta and noodles and it was just fantastic! I cannot wait to go back and enjoy it again! I think that one of my favorite things so far has been that ability to go out and find random places like that. I cannot wait to discover more!
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ming
non-member comment
hey, can i ask you where is the circus and the little italian cafe situated?? i'm currently studying in nizhny novgorod too~ oh ya, i would be pleased if you would tell me the price range too of the circus and the cafe. thanks~ ming.