Circus Luminous
A collaboration between Wise Fool New Mexico and the Lensic Performing Arts Center, Circus Luminous is an annual "new circus" extravaganza featuring breath-defying circus acts created and performed by a predominantly local circus, dance and musical cast. Circus Luminous has become a Santa Fe family tradition for Thanksgiving Weekend, playing to sold out audiences at the historic Lensic Performing Arts Center each year. Circus Luminous began in 2002 as a collaboration of Wise Fool New Mexico, The Lensic, Moving People Dance Theatre, and Bing!. Circus Luminous is proudly sponsored by Los Alamos National Bank.
"We have made [Circus Luminous] a Santa Fe tradition at Thanksgiving! We plan our out of town travel around it, and invite grandparents when they are in town. It is the start of our holiday season. Oh yeah, the show is fabulous: magical, creative, daring, and inspiring with laughter and incredible performances by all. We love you Wise Fool!" -Audience Member
"One of the most dazzling performances I’ve ever seen, homegrown or otherwise… (an) intricate, glorious production." -Audience Member letter to the editor, Santa Fe New Mexican
"Entrancing… exhilarating…with its penchant for graceful acrobatics, surreal tricks and subtle drama…like a Santa Fe version of Cirque du Soleil."- SF Reporter
Circus Luminous 2011
Acrobalance Act:
Aerial Fabric Act:
Circus Bike Act:
Circus Luminous returns in 2011 with an uplifting story of inspiration and transformation. One night, Mr. G, a curmudgeon who likes to control things, including the flowers in his yard, finds himself transported to another world by the fuzzy puffs of dandelion seeds. There he discovers that the simplest beings, from bees to caterpillars to dandelions, can be full of magic and beauty. The Circus features aerial fabric acts, acrobatics, trapeze, stilt-walkers, clowns and the break dancing of 3HC Holy Faith. A pair of elk as well as bumble bees, a giant caterpillar, a dog named Chicharron, humming birds and dragonflies all appear on Mr. G’s journey. Ten students from Moving Arts Española, a nonprofit performing arts outreach program will perform this year on stilts as whimsical insects. Furthering this year’s connection with Española, Mr. G is played by Roger Montoya, a former professional dancer, gymnast, visual artist and community activist who started Moving Arts Española in 2008, in response to a number of violent racially motivated acts in the city that same year. Local musician Jeremy Bleich composed the music for the production and will play in and conduct The Luminous Orchestra, a group of local musicians including: JQ Witcomb, Mark Weaver, Scott Barkan and Paul “Feathericci” Groetzinger.
Circus Luminous 2010 in review
Typing canaries descended on the Lensic stage for the 8th Annual Circus Luminous, a high-flying family show that made audiences want to hug their favorite book. The story was a whimsical interpretation of children’s book The Rebellious Alphabet, by the exiled Chilean writer Jorge Diaz.When the nasty generals forbid all reading, words, and letters, one peaceful villager trains her canaries as a printing press, providing hope and humor for the downtrodden villagers. When she is jailed and all the words and letters in town are set aflame, a storm of magnificent proportions prepares to rain down all of the words the generals have been trying to hold back. Wise Fool’s interpretation included an original Latin-inspired musical score by musician, composer and producer Luis Guerra, the beat-boxing heroine played by Albuquerque-based Saywut Moyer, the Hoop-a-Loop Girls from Penasco, the local break-dance group 3HC Holyfaith, and an outstanding cast of Wise Fool aerial fabric artists, trapeze artists and stilt-walking acrobats.
Circus Luminous Video Archives
Montage of the 2007 show:
Other videos of past Circus Luminous performances:
Angel Monlogue from Circus Luminous 2006 - Cynthia Ruffin
Triple Fabric Act from Circus Luminous 2006