Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk at Center for the Arts at George Mason University

Known for modern circus incorporating mechanical marvels, Cirque Mechanics introduces the wildly astonishing Pedal Punk, set in a Steampunk-inspired world where cycling provides wondrous escape from pervasive obsession with technology. A 22-foot, pedal-powered performance platform (dubbed the Gantry bike) serves as the caravanning centerpiece of this high-flying thrill ride, featuring spectacular storytelling and daredevil acrobatics. The awe-inspiring ensemble of aerialists, jugglers, and clowns—including a zany bike shop mechanic— interacts with the elaborate contraption as well as penny farthings, unicycles, and tandem cycles. The New York Times raves “exceptional, evocative, eye-catching, ear-catching and, to keep the list short, engrossingly entertaining.”