African Cirque Comes to Westchester Community College

Cirque Zuma Zuma, an unconventional African Cirque ensemble that gained prominence as semi-finalists on America’s Got Talent, will be performing at Westchester Community College (WCC) in Valhalla on February 16. The event is presented by the College’s Smart Arts program. As with any established realm of the arts and entertainment world, circus and acrobatics can be difficult to break into, especially when breaking conventions. The group’s founder, John Jacobs, created Cirque Zum Zuma in Africa after traveling for years as an acrobat and circus performer. The members of the group's robust troupe now hail from 16 African nations and each infuse their own unique style to Zuma Zuma’s shows. Over the course of the group’s two-hour show at WCC, the troupe will blend a variety of classic African art forms with acrobatic and circus skills that together will present a dynamic, modern performance that is undeniably rooted in tradition. The February 16 performance will include Zulu dancing, foot juggling, fire limbo, contortionists and more, and will provide opportunities for audience participation. For more info, visit: sunywcc.edu/about/smartarts.

Image above: Cirque Zuma Zuma (photo courtesy of Cirque Zuma Zuma)

A version of this article first appeared in the February issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s monthly publication. ArtsNews is distributed throughout Westchester County. A digital copy is also available at artsw.org/artsnews.