Cirque Zuma Zuma, an African style performance group, performed in the Great Hall this Wednesday night, and it was truly something you had never seen before.

As we get older, some of the childhood wonder fades. You are not as excited by the new or different as you once were. You grow more calloused. I was fortunate to sit beside children for this show, and that made all the difference.

From the start of the show with a balancing act to the end of the show with an acrobatic act, the children behind me, off to the sides, and in front were enthralled.

The balancing acts, especially one including balancing on top of four chairs, prompted gasps, ooos and aws, and cheering from the children. Laughter rang out as volunteers were made to perform on stage.

When the performers were interacting with the audience, the children were standing on chair pushing each other over, and yelling for them to “pick me” and/or “over here.” Audience interaction was an important part of the show, and the kids couldn’t get enough of it.

Something magical happens when you hear children reacting. You are suddenly a kid again, and that magic was felt by the adults in the audience. When the children were having an amazing time, the adults felt the joy as well.

There were some down moments, however. the in between acts could get a little long. At times the audience was left clapping and hyping acts, such as limbo, for way too long. The act sometimes would not satisfy the build. 

However, despite these few hinderances, The performance from Cirque Zuma Zuma was entertaining to all ages. Gasps and exclamations of awe were frequent as the acts continued to surprise us. You never knew what would come next.

Something happens when you are around children in an audience. You experience the performance in a richer, more magical way, and that was my experience at Cirque Zuma Zuma that night.