Kinetica combines circus, dance, and theatre and has fast acquired a well-deserved reputation for polished and mesmerising works of stunning acrobatic artistry. This year’s production of Hold Close is no exception and the troupe artfully uses elegant yet effective costuming and evocative music along with their powerful performance prowess to convey a haunting story of unlikely love seeking resolution.

The lighting is instrumental in generating moods and landscapes yet manages to remain unintrusive, painting gorgeous scenes as the story unfolds. The set design is minimal permitting the talented acrobatics and dancing to embrace the unfettered fullness of space. Each aerialist winds their way to their lyra, hoop or silk with considered grace, generating anticipation in the audience as to what delights are about to be witnessed.

While the concept of combining acrobatics, dance, and storytelling theatre is no longer unusual nor unexpected, Kinetica manages to defy with its unique approaches to each of the circus artforms. Their bodies throw shapes in exquisite and exceptional ways, eliciting applause and gasps of appreciation. Each performer communicates facets of the story and emotionality of their characters with their facial expressions and ingeniously choreographed movements of their bodies, all against the complimenting backdrop of vividly resonant music. In this manner, they provoke a sense of character, emotional journey, and charge the audience with a wistful hopefulness for the main characters to come together. Inspired by Ingrid Tan’s digital artwork, the troupe has managed to elaborate upon the piece creating a magnified multidimensional experience of fire and water, two seemingly opposing primal elements, falling in love.

Be prepared to be drawn into an ethereal world that makes the real world fade away as you are astounded by their feats of acrobatics, the exquisite grace of their dancing, and soon your heartstrings will be pulled with the storyline as ably as they tease their own silks. A sublime performance that will captivate and bewitch as it transports you into an elemental story where love must transcend in order to find its way.