JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Circo del Pantano, a modern dance circus, is coming to the stage next weekend in Jacksonville. The show tells the story of Northeast Florida through a blend of multiple movement forms in one captivating performance.
Rebecca Levy, artistic director and co-founder of Jacksonville Dance Theater, described the show as “a circus that is about our region.”
Levy has long dreamed of creating a performance that combines dancing on the ground with dancing in the air. Circo del Pantano, which means “circus of the swamp,” centers around a character in a dream-like state exploring different parts of the swamp.
“She kind of, like walks into a wild cat and her pride, she goes through a swarm of mosquitoes. She finds lizards, she finds bats. There’s a section about jellyfish,” Levy explains.
The Jacksonville Dance Theater company performs most of the show. Jessica Plonka, who plays the dreamer, shares what it’s like to dance in this unique production.
“The way your relationship to gravity is completely different. It’s not just up and down, but it’s spiraling. And we are dancing with other people as well,” Plonka says.
The show also features local aerialists as guest performers, including one from Los Angeles. Ariel even tried the aerial hoop for a few minutes.
Andrea Mason, a Jacksonville aerialist who teaches aerial hoop, reflects on being part of this production.
“Oh, it’s really been a dream. I’ve done a lot of studio showcases and little gigs, corporate gigs around town, but I’ve never had the opportunity to do a big production, to be part of a big creative team, incorporating dancers and artists and aerialists. It’s unique to the city, and I think even more unique than that,” Mason says.
This performance is designed to appeal to everyone.
“This is a show for everybody. Whether you’re a really small child or you’re an adult. It’s going to be a fun show,” Plonka says.
Levy adds, “It has drama, it has props, it has intense music. And, I mean, it’s like, we’ve gone all the way.”
Mason encourages the community to support local artists.
“If you have any interest in Cirque du Soleil, or you like a traditional circus, you like dance, there’s elements of all those things in this show. So come see what we’ve got,” she says.
Circo del Pantano will be performed on October 18 at 4 p.m. Tickets are still available, and can be found here.