Moline Acres was the place to be
By Anisha F. Coleman
For the St. Louis American
Thanks to the UniverSoul Circus, there was plenty of high-flying adventure in St. Louis this past week. Moline Acres, a quiet North County suburb, was the site for this year’s event. The parking lot adjacent to the Lewis & Clark tower at 367 & Chambers was a welcome change in location from the Northland Shopping Mall. Despite the location change, thousands of patrons had no problem following the roar of the crowd to the big tent.
Once under the big top, little kids could be seen tugging at their parents’ hands, hoping to score bags of cotton candy with tiger masks atop. Parents didn’t seem to mind paying $7 per bag because they wanted their children to have the full circus experience, expensive candy and all.
“I’ve been bringing my kids to the UniverSoul Circus ever since it came to St. Louis. I don’t mind spending the money on cotton candy and circus toys because the show is so fun for the kids, even I enjoy it.” said mother of four Tyra Grant.
“As a matter of fact, my family doesn’t even go to the Ringling Brothers circus when it comes to town because I want my kids to see members of our heritage putting on a great show, and the UniverSoul Circus does just that every year. As an African-American mother, I want to support positive African-American shows. That’s what it’s all about, supporting our people.”
Stand-up comedian Shucky Ducky, who graced BET from 1994-1996, has been the ringmaster of the UniverSoul Circus for the past four years. Shucky has an uncanny flair for wooing the crowd with his hip-hop, ad-libbed antics and bass-rich voice.
During Friday night’s performance, Shucky commanded that all men in the audience stand up. A curious hush fell over the room. Voice on full blast, Shucky said, “We need men for the family, men for the community and men to be important role models!” Those words of encouragement set the tone of the evening, with everyone, men especially, feeling good about themselves and excited about the performance.
Cultural diversity and awareness were the founding themes of the circus, with multi-talented performers from all over the world showcasing their acrobatic talents. Sharp gasps could be heard around the room while flexible contortionist Lunga held the audience captive with her seemingly bone-bending act. The Shanghai Swingers amazed the crowd with their trapeze performance. Audience members could be seen holding their breath and clutching their chests while the Caribbean stilt walkers strutted their stuff 25 feet into the air.
Meanwhile, Shucky silently scouted the crowd, seeking children for a dance bout in the ring. At the end of their routines, the audience voted Apollo-style for their favorite pick; all the children came out a winner with circus prizes.
Shucky had a treat for the adults as well: a chance to compete ringside in a Soul Train line
“How fitting,” said Linda Greene. “Had I known they were going to do the Soul Train competition, I would have brought my dance shoes!”
