We’ll preview the latest production courtesy of Circus Artemis, Portland’s all-women circus, with 5 family-friendly shows scheduled this weekend featuring the city’s most powerful & talented female circus artists.
ROXANNE MACMANUS - WILLAMETTE WEEK
To the Circus (Artemis)!
These ladies can spray a bottle and nail a target with a bow and arrow while upside down, all by the strength and dexterity of their feet. Strongwoman Tera Nova Zarra rips through a phone book with her hands as a man from the audience struggles to tear his smaller one, and Brittney Walsh demonstrates the many ways one can do a splits as she bends with the ease of a Twizzler.
AP KRYZA - WILLAMETTE WEEK (BEST OF PORTLAND 2010 ISSUE)
Best Big-Top Betties*
It’s a man’s world in the circus, but at Circus Artemis (circusartemis.org), the ladies are the ringmasters. The all-female collective stages all-ages shows with aerialists, hula hoopers, trapeze dancers, jugglers, contortionists, clowns, a strongwoman and more. “Of course there’s the sexy in there, but it’s not the only point,” said co-founder and fire performer Shireen Press. “We get so many comments about how empowering it is.” Partnering with members of A-WOL Dance Collective, Do Jump!, Night Flight, the Circus Project and other local groups, Artemis has established itself as a showcase for performers whose talents and grace deserve a better venue than Dante’s. “We show off the strength and beauty of women,” says Press. “We wanted to come up with a showcase that wasn’t the kind of burlesque you usually see around here.”
ALISON HALLETT - THE PORTLAND MERCURY
Circus Artemis' All-Girl Extravaganza
For three performances this weekend, Circus Artemis will overrun the warehouse with an all-women assemblage of contemporary circus acts, including trapeze artists, stilt walkers, and clowns. The kicker, though? Not only are all of the performers women, but the crew is as well, from the lighting technician to the graphic designer to the photographers who will document the show.