Due to popular demand, "The Love Show," a family-friendly combination of circus and vaudeville with a little burlesque thrown in for good measure, will make a return visit to the Arsenal Center for the Arts on December 28 and 29. The Arsenal Center for the Arts is located at 321 Arsenal Street in Watertown.

Created by the Brattleboro, Vermont-based company Nimble Arts, "The Love Show: A Circus & Vaudeville Exploration of Silly & Serious Relationships," offers a unique circus experience for adults and children alike. 

Steeped in the tradition of Cirque du Soleil and other European-style theatrical circuses, "The Love Show" brings together a company of eight world class performers in a funny, thought provoking and physically stunning production that features high flying aerialists, acrobats and jugglers. 

"The Love Show" is co-produced by Arsenal Center for the Arts, New Repertory Theatre and the Nimble Arts Troupe. Rick Lombardo, Producing Artistic Director of New Rep commented, “I saw 'The Love Show' last year and was impressed with the quality of their work. This is different than anything New Rep would do on our own, but with the growing relationship with the Arsenal Center for the Arts we jumped at the chance to help bring Nimble Arts back to Watertown.”

The Nimble Arts Troupe is the creation of identical twins, Elsie & Serenity Smith. The sisters grew up on a farm in western Massachusetts, attended local schools, and enrolled at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst before discovering “their affinity for the air.” 

“We needed summer jobs between years at UMASS,” Serenity explains, “and were hired to teach at a performing arts camp for children in New York State.   We knew nothing about circus and had no dance or gymnastics background, but we were enthusiastic and became apprenticed to a circus program that taught self esteem to children through the medium of circus.”

The sisters quickly became hooked on the sensation of flying through the air. With support from another teacher who had been a professional flying trapeze artist, they created their unique Gemini Trapeze act and embarked on travels that took them around the world as performers with such renowned companies as Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus, the New Pickle Circus and Cirque du  Soleil.

After four years with Cirque du Soleil’s "Saltimbanco," Elsie and Serenity Smith returned to their native New England, settling in Brattleboro, VT, where they founded the Nimble Arts trapeze and circus school and assembled the talented troupe of circus professionals they will bring with them to the Arsenal Center.

Other Troupe members include: Bill Forchion, formerly with Cirque du Soleil and Ringling Bros.; International Juggling Association champions Tony Duncan & Jen Slaw; actor/comic Patrick Donnelly and actor/aerialist Brownyn Sims; and Nimble Art’s newest addition, 16-year-old apprentice Eric Allen, a performer with the children's Circus Smirkus.

Show times are Thursday, December 28, at 7:00 p.m., and Friday, December 29, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.  A Question & Answer session will follow the Friday afternoon performance.

For tickets and information, call 617-923-8487 or visit www.arsenalarts.org.

-- OnStage Boston

12/18/06