REVIEW: Cirque Éloize - iD Reloaded

© Caroline Thibault

A truly nail-biting, interactive and pulsating dance show connected with the audience in a sensational way.

Cirque Éloize - iD Reloaded is now playing at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

Right from the moment the lights go down and the curtain goes up there is nonstop dance and acrobatics action that dazzles the senses with incredible athleticism and skills that defy the laws of gravity.

This electrifying street dance show uses innovation to fuse modern dance with circus style showmanship that immediately invites the audience to tap or clap in unison with the action taking place on the stage. The gravity-defying moves and hypnotic dancing are absolutely jaw-dropping.

The tale – wafer thin as it is – taps into the West Side Story theme of fighting and love across the barricades between individuals from rival gangs in an urban landscape that reeks of back alleys, industrial warehouses, inky shadows and glittery high rise offices and apartments.

The high-octane energy of the show is such that the audience is constantly engaged and there is no room for boredom or distraction, the material never pauses, the dancing never stops, and the insane stunts using poles, hoops, a BMX bike, stacks of chairs, straps and ropes keep getting more edgy and impossible until members of the audience are gasping and peeping at the action through eyes obscured by their hands.

Yes, it’s that kind of show, the kind where you are compelled to look even though you want to shut your eyes at the death-defying choreography that makes you marvel at what the human body can do.   

Talking about choreography, we have a whole set of styles on display here that weave and transform from one style to another, with such colour and passion, that it becomes impossible to categorise or pigeonhole them. Juggling, breakdancing, hip hop, street styles from South America and Europe, pole dancing, balancing on chairs at impossible angles, trampolining, hula hoops, ropes, even trapeze and BMX jumping and riding are all performed as if they were a part of a dance ritual, natural and free, and full of passion.

Body contortionist Alexia Medesan was amazing with her unbelievable agility and skills. She was so supple and bendy that it looked as though she had no bones in her body. Her moves flowed fluidly as she left the audience mesmerised. Alexia is a truly gifted performer whose body is an instrument that makes visual music that is savoured by the eyes.

Kayden Woodbridge and the dancers who climbed the pole like Spider-Man were quick and nimble as they pulled their bodies away from the pole and mocked gravity by holding onto the pole by their very their fingertips. This was superhuman strength in action.

Bike rider Trevor Bodogh had full control as he rode the BMX and did stunts by using only the back wheel of the bicycle. It was as if the BMX was a horse rearing up on its hind legs. Trevor was able to do high and low stunts as well as jump over bodies.

Aerial dancer Florence Amar wowed and delighted the audience when she used a hoop in midair to dance – and seductively weave around in – by using a long flowing piece of material. It was so magical how Florence managed to wrap her body around the fabric as she entertained the stunned audience with midair dancing. For her finale she somehow managed to twist her feet and ankles around the material and defy gravity. Just as the audience thought she was at the very pinnacle of her magnetic performance, Florence gracefully glided her body towards the ground and was able to conduct a still-frame and hold her pose like a ballerina. This was elegance at its very best.

The juggling by JP Deltell was done with precision and perfection. The act was thought through carefully and superbly performed.

Adam Dransfield’s act with chairs being stacked one on top of the other while he precariously kept balance with only one hand was breathtaking.

The final act with the trampoline was seamless and magnificent. All of the entertainers – including dancer and b-boy Bryan “Slinky” Boyer, dancer and b-girl Lakesshia ‘Kiki” Pierre and Christophe Bate who used straps and the Cyr wheel - showed resilience, dedication, endurance, passion and a zest.

Cirque Éloize - iD Reloaded is a show full of energy, dance, music and entertainment like you've never seen before!

Verdict: ★★★★★

Cirque Éloize - iD Reloaded is now playing at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until Saturday 4th October