The magic of the circus enchants Figueres

Figueres (CNA).- More than three hours of magic, music, colours, professionalism, adrenaline, energy, nerves, and above all, amazing artists summarizes a unique closing night of the first edition of the International Circus Festival which Figueres showcased over 4 days last weekend. The final of the Festival, the Golden Show, brought together the best artists of the Festival who delighted the audience with their spectacular performances throughout the night. The winners of this first edition were the Troupe Zolà, a Mongolian group whose platform leaps became the star attraction of an extraordinary night.

With just five minutes to go before six o’clock in Sunday evening and with 14,000 people crammed into the big white top of the Sant Ferran Castle in Figueres, nerves were on edge as the finalists prepared to give it their best shot. With the press and photographers in position and the public eagerly applauding, the performances got underway.

The opening shot was sent out by the Carmino D’Angelo, orchestra, the best circus musical group in Europe, in charge of musically accompanying all the performances throughout the night. Applause rang out for Genís Matabosch, the Director of the Festival, who appeared in the ring to give his welcome speech to all present and announced the circus parade of all those participating artists in this first edition of the Festival. The artists paraded around the ring with the flags of their countries and the big top began to fill with colours. 

The group Love in Spring broke the ice. The dangerous moves which formed part of their aerial show made the public nervous. The Vietnamese duo was acclaimed by the audiences and their set served as a preview for a high quality night. Next came Kevin Flores, a very energetic juggler from Mexico who offered an enjoyable act with maces and hoops, which he played with his feet, forehead and nose. He immediately spread his energy to the public, who applauded him constantly.

Genís Matabosch appeared in different places of the big top throughout the night presenting a wide repertoire of professional artists. Vertiginous funambulists, spectacular tight-rope walkers, agile trapeze artists all trod the ring of the white big top leaving everyone open-mouthed in their wake. Exotic contortionists such as Rich Metiku from Ethiopia or Sasha from the USA captivated the public with their unusual chewing gum elasticity and extraordinary movements. Both artists were perfectly illuminated by beautiful light effects, which made the show even better.

The night was also full of humour as different comic acts from the USA and Russia managed to get a laugh out of everyone in the public. Smiles and illusions were clearly present on the faces of both adults and children, as a fantastic harmony and understanding between the public and the artists grew throughout the night. The last performance was led by the Troupe Zolà, a Mongolian group dedicated to platform leaps who performed the most spectacular and difficult jumps and acrobatic moves of the night. 

One of the most eagerly awaited moments of the night was the awards ceremony. Different prizes were given to all the artists of the golden show with the amazing contortionist Sasha voted top by the audience. The most important awards were the six Dalí Elephant sculptures: two bronze, two silver and two gold. The second golden award went to the Russian Troupe Grechushkin and, finally, the First Golden Elephant award for best group of the night went to... the Troupe Zolà. The public seemed happy with the verdict as applause rang out throughout the Big Top. 

That night, 14,000 devoted spectators could go around the world in just three hours as incredible artists from 13 different countries brought the multicultural world of the circus to Figueres city which, at this rate, is firmly on the way to becoming a European capital of circus.