Cirque du Soleil OVO: a spider defies gravity and physics in a succession of seemingly impossible feats of strength and balance as he traverses a wire that appears to give him no support.
Cirque du Soleil OVO: a spider defies gravity and physics in a succession of seemingly impossible feats of strength and balance as he traverses a wire that appears to give him no support.

The circus is in town! Chances are, though, it’s not quite how you remember it as a child. Times have changed, let me tell you.

Cirque du Soleil OVO opens tonight in San Jose, featuring a world teeming with insects—crickets, butterflies, spiders, caterpillars, ants. Colorful costumes. Jaw-dropping acrobatics. Astounding human athleticism. All that and more are on display under the Big Top, or Grand Chapiteau, occupying about 180,000 square feet at the Taylor Street Bridge next to Highway 87.

OVO, Portuguese for ‘egg,’ recently completed a run up in San Francisco, the first stop in a two year tour across the United States. It takes up to 11 days, 200 workers, to complete a city to city transfer.

Some of the acts include acrosport, foot juggling and Icarian games, slackwire, and a wall measuring 60ft. wide by 20ft. tall with some 20 artists running, jumping and walking across without artificial support. Power track and trampolines give them the speed, lift and momentum to take flight.

Cirque du Soleil OVO runs to March 21, 2010, and is suitable for the entire family.

Contributor to Stark Insider for tech, the arts and All Things West Coast for over 10 years.