Parasouls
Parasouls @ The Birdcage
10:00pm, Sun 28 Feb 2010
It was a really quick dash from Zack Adams at the TuxCat down to The Birdcage, and the show had literally just started as I scurried in and took my seat. And, knowing little more about the show than the line “five young women on stage, stripped down but still dressed,” I settled in for what would be a curious experience.
Parasouls was a blend of dance, mime, and simple circus acrobatics, all tinged with a hint of burlesque. In their little pinnies and short skirts, the girls juggle, hoop, and balance their way through an hour of quirky music. There’s always plenty going on to catch the eye – the choreography and direction is wonderful, and I often found myself switching focus from one side to the other as new tricks brought themselves to the fore. The candle balancing and burlesque feather bits, in particular, were really well done – I genuinely appreciated the restraint shown.
There’s more than a hint of the Stepford Wives within Parasouls, with an unseen and uneasy menace behind the perpetual smiles, wide open eyes, and perfect makeup of the performers. Everything is competently performed, and the presentation makes this well worth seeing; whilst the tricks alone aren’t the best you’ll find, the coherent motif makes it all worthwhile.
(This YouTube video gives a pretty good overview of the show.)