Circa (Australia)

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, along comes Duck Pond, Circa’s irreverent take on the timeworn classic Swan Lake. Throw out any preconceived notions of balletic preciousness, tutus and frou-frou, and embrace the exquisitely controlled chaos that is Australia’s preeminent dance-circus company.

Under the visionary direction of choreographer Yaron Lifschitz, Circa mixes it up, throwing in burlesque, heart-in-throat acrobatics, romance, and more than a little madness and mayhem to create a fully feathered concoction.

In Duck Pond, elements of Tchaikovsky’s iconic ballet and Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved parable The Ugly Duckling leap headlong into the pool together. Performers leap, tumble, and proffer topsy-turvy takes on the roles of pining prince, black swan, and an army of yellow billed duck-dancers in sequinned flippers. The result is a circus marvel, glittering with theatrical magic and laughter, all cued up by the words “Once upon a time.”