By Emily Van Malden
Correspondent
Acrobats and contortionists took center stage in the Brower Student Center atrium on Thursday, Feb. 3, as students witness to go to a pseudo circus of sorts.
The College Union Board’s Solo Circus featured Mike DuBois, a self-billed magician, juggler, comedian and circus artist alongside Viktoria Grimmy, a fifth-generation circus performer.
DuBois entertained the audience by taking well-known circus acts, like tightropes and unicycles, and making them his own while Grimmy engaged in seemingly “impossible” activities as she hula-hooped 17 hoops at a time in her first appearance and performed a perfect front-walkover while coming out for her bow — in heels.
Event coordinator Mallory Guzzi, sophomore graphic design major, wanted the event to be a “one-of-a-kind indoor circus.”
Whether it was through card tricks, juggling balls and pins or sticking a balloon through his nose and having it come out of his mouth, DuBois kept audience members at the edge of their seats.
Sophomore business major Rocio Castillo had the opportunity to witness the magic up close when she was chosen to assist DuBois, who creatively integrated her into part of his act.
“He’s amazing,” she said. “It was really cool to be up there with him.”
DuBois has made guest appearances on both the “Jay Leno Show” and “The Tonight Show,” while Grimmy has been in Cirque de Soleil and toured with Britney Spears.
Their experience aided in the fun. Who else could have thought of juggling while trying to hold balance on a on one-foot wire? Or escape from a straight jacket whilst riding a tall unicycle?
Aside from the acts themselves, adding further to the circus vibe were face painting, balloon-animal making and classic circus food, including peanuts and popcorn.
“I got a purple seahorse. It’s my favorite animal,” said Bhavini Nayee, sophomore biomedical physics major, excitedly. “I asked them to make it and they were like ‘Yeah, no problem.”
Though actual animals did not come to the circus, the acrobats were certainly created a circus-like atmosphere.
