The Cirque Grande final act. Pretty wow. Photo/supplied
The Cirque Grande final act. Pretty wow. Photo/supplied
Suddenly when you've got kids, you notice stuff like circuses coming to town.
And when a big massive tent pops up at public places like Puarenga Park in Rotorua, it's hard to hide them from you children when you're driving around during the school holidays.
So with a bit of arm-twisting and plenty of bribery for clean rooms, off we trotted to Cirque Grande.
Perched in the tiered seating boasting ringside seats, the kids were full of excitement.
The cool thing about little people is they can be plenty chuffed with the smallest of things.
Fair to say, some of the acts during Cirque Grande blew their minds.
It's hard to know where one starts and one ends. Photo/supplied
Here are some facts about the show. These performers are international award winners. The circus is their life. Some are no older than 8 and they all travel the world entertaining people like us.
Cirque Grande opened last week in Rotorua but is still on from Wednesday until Sunday July 29, some days with two shows. Prices start at $19 a child, $29 an adult and $86 for a family. You'll get a good view at all seats.
Back to the show. My personal favourite was one of the young acrobat boys. The determination on his face was adorable as he tackled every hoop dive, somersault and juggling trick like his life depended on it (that's just a saying by the way).
We saw 12 people riding around on one bicycle (their final act that literally made you gasp and say stuff to your mate next to you like "no way"), two young girls balancing metres in the air on 10 dubiously stacked chairs, men seemingly swallowing fire and others doing jump rope on their bums at an alarming pace.
Don't try this at home. Photo/supplied
Despite all this, ask the kids what their favourite bit was and they say the clowns running around talking with whistles and carrying out corny jokes.
The other highlight was when the upbeat African group came and shoulder tapped our kids and some others to join them on stage for some human pyramid-type stuff. Nothing to worry about mums and dads.
Kelly Makiha's twin daughters, Millie (left) and Roni, 3, helping to form a human pyramid at Cirque Grande. Photo/Kelly Makiha
Yes, the sound system was a bit on the average side to allow the audience to hear what the Master of Ceremonies clown was saying, and the general props and costumes seem a little under the weather. But given this is advertised as an "affordable" show, what you experience during the two hours is pretty fantastic.
Don't forget to look at your kids' faces as you leave. You won't regret going.
What: Cirque Grande When: Wednesday to Sunday Where: Puarenga Park Tickets: From the ticket booth at Puarenga Park, phone 0800 BUY TIX (289 849) or go to www.eventfinda.co.nz/tickets
