Cool Bugs Flip Out at OVO by Cirque du Soleil

What you'll remember about OVO are the phenomenal and impressive acrobatic acts that will have the wheels in your brain turning, in an attempt to dissect what you've witnessed in these talented performers.

It's been twenty five years since the infamous Canadian Troupe that merges "circus arts with street entertainment" first pitched its tents off the Santa Monica Pier, and for many, it's become an anticipated tradition. Last week, Cirque du Soleil raised its Grand Chapiteau for a limited run of OVO, one of the company's most kid-friendly productions to date, interpreting the world of insects.

Cirque du Soleil's productions have evolved since the company was founded in 1984. Going from one show with 20 street performers, to 22 shows with more than 1400 artists, Cirque du Soleil is now a global entertainment success, performing for more than 100 million people in countries all over the world. With the company shifting to more permanent resident shows and touring shows held in various arenas, productions held under "The Big Top" are becoming few and far between, which is why OVO's limited run in Southern California is so significant.

OVO, which was created and directed by a woman (the first woman to create a Cirque production), is a vibrant, colorful journey through the ecosystem to get a peek at the world of insects. "Ovo" is Portuguese for egg, and is the symbolic theme throughout the performance.

The show opens with a brilliant act: the insect community "awakens" and a mysterious egg appears as the insects gaze in awe and curiosity. As is common in most Cirque du Soleil productions, a loose story is woven together through a variety of awe-inspiring (and often-times gravity-defying) circus acts and live music.

Cirque du Soleil has taken a subject not immediately compelling to most, and transformed it into a fascinating experience. From their appearance and movement to the sounds they make, each performer embodies the characteristics of the the insect they represent. At any given moment (be sure to look around the entire stage), these creatures are running, jumping, and leaping across the stage.

What you'll remember about OVO are the phenomenal and impressive acrobatic acts that will have the wheels in your brain turning, in an attempt to dissect what you've witnessed in these talented performers. As one of the most hardworking species of insect on the planet, capable of carrying up to 50 times their own weight, it's only natural that the ants in this production would juggle large rounds of Kiwi...and eventually each other. In one of the most difficult acts in the world, six scarabs (aka beetles) soar 14 meters above the stage during the flying trapeze act. The most exciting act in the production is the last act which has 20 artists running and jumping via trampolines, and walking up a vertical wall.

OVO will perform through March 11th under The Grand Chapiteau in Santa Monica, CA. *Tip* Pay for parking online to receive a discount on parking. Tickets are $45-$189.

Caryn Bailey is a blogger in Orange County. See more of her work at Rockin' Mama.