The redefinition of circus arts with Trengo Circus Festival of Porto this July

The task of describing contemporary circus is not simple; rather, it leads to the combination of performing arts of different fields, from non-circus arts to contemporary dance shows, video art, extreme sports, or even the fine arts. The result is a fragmented show into many small shows, which works as a whole.

From 3 to 7 July, the Gardens of Corujeira, in Campanhã, the Gardens of Palácio de Cristal, the Square D. João I and the Municipal Theatre Campo Alegre host the fourth edition of Trengo - Circus Festival of Porto. Expect no less than 14 performances, in a total of 20 presentations by 30 artists of different nationalities.

The event kicks off with the "Sweet Drama" performance, "a contemporary street show, both amusing and intense", combining "skateboards, juggling acts, theatre, music and live drawing with a special flair", at Square D. João I, scheduled to start at 7pm, on 3 July by the Erva Daninha Company, in-charge of the festival's organisation.

That same day, Theatre Campo Alegre features the national premiere of "Le Vide - Essai de Cirque"; this is a difficult show to explain, as it is based on physical strength and circus performance. It defies conventional definitions.

This presentation repeats on Friday, 5 July and on Saturday, 6 July, always at 9pm.

The Oyun balancing act (it means game in Turkish) will take to the Garden of Corujeira and to the Gardens of Palácio de Cristal, on 4 and 5 July, respectively, at 7pm.

A further highlight of this event is "Calor", inspired by the "accidental travellers, who are forced to abandon their homes", on 5 and 6 July, at 9.30pm, at the Gardens of Palácio de Cristal.

Also, the performance "Gravitas", where "two partners build themselves a stage out of a floor levelled with air, which allows them to play with gravity" will be presented on 6 July, at 5pm, at the Gardens of the Palácio de Cristal.

Trengo's programme also includes workshops, backstage visits, and Cafés-philo.

All the performances included in the Trengo's programming are jointly organised with Porto Municipal Theatre and Porto Lazer.

Entrance to the events are free and children over three years old are allowed, except to the "Le Vide - Essai de Cirque", which is targeted at children above six years and costs 10 euros.

The closing party of the Trengo Festival is set to happen at Café Rivoli, starting at 11pm, on 6 July. See here for ticket info.