So Much Circus

September 2nd

Two stops are timed perfect on today's route: we'll have tea with Stardust Circus in Robinvale, then roll into Mildura just in time for the Circus Oz show.

Stardust is a traditional (or Trad) circus, unlike Circus Oz, which is considered contemporary circus, like Cirque du Soleil. [Contemporary circus is huge in Australia.] We're going to see Pixie Robinson, Tim's sister-in-law and Grande Dame of Circus, who's trained scores of performers over the years. This is my Trad Circus Crash Course.

We pull onto the grounds and head over to Pixie's trailer. She's just finished giving one of the circus kids school lessons. The young girl scoops her books off the desk and leaves with a big hunk of meat Pixie has pulled out of the oven. She lays out a spread of food for us, which she apologizes for (it's delicious, if slightly haphazard -- after all, she wasn't expecting us).

Tim introduces me.
"So, you're the dancer..."
"It's been a while."
Tim asserts that in a few weeks, I'll be unrecognizable.
"Contemporary or classical?"
"Contemporary, mostly. But I'm trained in classical."

I mention that Tisi and I are thinking up an act for The Tilt Festival in Canberra mid-October. Tim looks to Pixie, then leans forward slightly. "Um, we have a show this Sunday."

It's Wednesday evening and the first I've heard of this. I sit dumbstruck and slightly slack-jawed as Pixie and Tim launch into circus gossip.

***

A little past 7pm, we're waiting outside a motel in Mildura. Tim is working on a room. Cal squints at the situation inside, "He has milk: we must have a room."

Sure enough, Tim returns carrying a couple of containers.
"Milk?"
"It's a motel; that's what they do," says Tim, confident that statement explains everything.

At The Arts Centre five minutes after the curtain went up, we're in the audience for Circus Oz courtesy of some sweet string-pulling by Tisi. I'm the only one of the group who hasn't seen the show at all -- the other 3 have seen it several times. Tisi gets a kick out of my reactions.

***

Jump back to earlier in the day while driving, two seemingly inconsequential events:
1. Silver and The Doc are put forth as potential names for our act [my initials, AG, are the elemental symbol for silver; "The Doc" is inspired by a childhood name Tisi's brother had for her]
2. While belting out tunes in Sharky's front seat, I comment that we've never done karaoke together and we should remedy that.

It's Wednesday night and Mildura would not be mistaken for a bumpin' town at the best of times. Tim and Cal are quite happy to drink at the first place we pass (a nice Italian restaurant), but Tisi and I are hoping for something a little more relaxed. We find it: the only Irish pub in town.
And tonight is karaoke.

Silver and The Doc sign up for Kung Fu Fighting. Our performance garners us drink tickets (awarded by audience applause).
We follow it up with a spectacular version of Shoop, the glory of which is lost on a large fragment due to their relative youth.
But we're still a hit.

I have a Texta. We tag a chair. Chat it up. Dance like silly people. Text Sally and Carlie about our performances, that we wish they were here, except that it's Mildura and no one should be here.



We're at the bar, waiting for drinks. A girl comes up and asks if either of us would like her rum and Coke. She promises there's nothing wrong with it: "I'm Catholic and studying medicine." Her boyfriend got it for her; she hasn't seen him in a while and really wants some action -- she has this drink and she'll be in no fit state.

***

My alarm goes off at 6:53am.

"Wait or roll out?"
"Let's go."
"I like your style."
"Who's idea was it for me to eat Doritos last night?"
"Yours. Well, the guys incited it. Or at least facilitated."
"I brushed my teeth twice and I can still taste them."
"I offered to make you a sandwich..."

A few blocks later, after I've loudly cursed Mildura and its founding:
"Who's idea was it to go for a run this morning?!"
"Yours."
"Right. From now on, my ideas get immediately vetoed."