Moisture Festival - Rachel Strickland Aerial - A Ballet In the Sky - On St Patrick's Day

Classically trained in ballet since the age of three, Rachel is a ballerina turned aerialist and innovative variety performer. Modern, belly dance, and lyrical jazz make up some of her versatile background, as well as four years of aerial acrobatic training at the Circus Center of San Francisco and Emerald City Trapeze Arts in Seattle. Rachel’s cross training gives her the ability to deliver a wide range of movements from lithe and ethereal to earthy and visceral.

Rich, extravagant movements and strong, multifaceted technique are her trademarks. Captivating audiences with an eloquent musculature and a capacity to deliver roles from comedy to mystery, she is based out of Seattle, Washington.

March 17, @ 7:30pm, 10:30pm 
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Moisture Festival Adds Free Special 'Circles of Sawdust' Educational Lecture And Film Event To 2012 Schedule

Rob Mermin founder of the renowned Circus Smirkus 

presents 

“Circles of Sawdust”

Monday March 26 7:30pm

A Special Lecture And Film Event 
Hale’s Palladium 

Free to the public - Donations accepted

The Moisture Festival's continuing mission is to educate our audiences and the general public about the history and experience of circus, vaudeville, burlesque and variete' performing. We are excited and pleased to announce this special lecture and rare film event during our 2012 festival featuring Circus Smirkus founder Rob Mermin.

"Humorous, engaging, eye-opening insight to a culture of legend we spectators know very little about. An evening that shouldn't be missed" - Cultural History Center of Rhode Island 

Rob Mermin is an award-winning performer, with Copenhagen’s Gold Clown, Russia’s Best Director Prize, and the Governor’s Award of Excellence, Vermont’s highest honor in the arts. Mermin trained with the renowned mimes Marcel Marceau and Etienne Decroux, and is also a former Dean of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.

He ran off to join the circus as a teen in the late 60’s. During the next forty years his circus adventures took him clowning with tent shows in Wales, mule wrangling in Lapland with Sweden’s Circus Scott, riding with the Magyars in the Hungarian State Cirkusz, three years with the famous Benneweis Circus Building in Copenhagen, and entertaining royalty in the circus palaces of Europe and Russia.

In 1987, he founded Circus Smirkus, which The Boston Globe called “one of New England’s most treasured cultural and educational resources.”

Moisture Festival - Terry Crane Highlights Festival's Opening Week Of Unique Aerial Performers

Having languished long enough in higher education, Terry Crane finally surrendered to restless urges that lead him to walk calmly away with the circus at the tender age of 20. Since then, his thirst for movement and performance mentoring has been a zigzag constellation of off the beaten path destinations, taking him to the San Francisco Circus Center, Montreal's National Circus School (of Cirque du Soleil fame), and the Beijing International Acrobatics School. He has now performed in countless countries, on 3 continents. Terry is a longtime practitioner of capoeira, contact improvisation, hip hop dance, physical theater, and tree climbing. He infuses his work with these influences as well as his own fiercely unique style. Terry loves the sublime experience of circus performance, and daring to reach across the fourth wall to share with all his audiences.

Hales Palladium
March 15 @ 7:30pm 
March 17 @ 10:30pm
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Moisture Festival - Reid Belstock Consummate Variete' Performer Confirmed For Festival's Open Week

Reid Belstock began juggling at the age of 15, as a way of overcoming gross and fine motor skill impairment. Following high school, Reid went off to study with Ringling Brothers, and Barnum and Bailey Circus Clown College, where he learned the fine art of Slapstick and Physical Comedy. From that time, Reid has performed across the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, China and Japan . He has performed in almost every venue that exists, from Theaters, Theme Parks, Cruise Ships, Casinos, Colleges, Conventions, Street Performing Festivals, Comedy Clubs, and Hotel Review Shows and Seattle's Moisture Festival where his performance and MC skills have delighted our audiences. It's great to have him back at Moisture Festival 2012!

March 15 @ 7:30pm
March 16 @ 10:30pm
March 17 @ 7:30pm, 10:30pm
March 18 @3:00pm
March 18 @7:30pm

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Moisture Festival - KamiKaze FireFlies Will Bring WOW Factor To Festival's Opening Weekend

Sexy meets circus! Bludgeoning audiences with wit, crushing them with whimsey, and tearing them a new laugh hole ... It's the Kamikaze Fireflies! Rob Williams is a Moisture Festival favorite. He joined us as a solo act and blew everyone away by making hilarious entertainment while making a baloney sandwich ... with his feet. Then he put together his former legendary vaudeville team from Texas and wowed everyone with the Flaming Idiots. Now he's teaming up with the delightful and frightening Casey Martin, sometimes billed as Super Spacey Casey. But in this case we'll know them as Kamikaze FireFlies, "bringing peace to the world at an affordable price".

Rob Williams and Casey Martin Are The KamiKazi FireFlies

Hale's Palladium

March 15 @ 7:30pm 

March 16 @ 7:30pm, 10:30pm
March 17 @ 7:30pm, 10:30pm
March 18 @ 7:30pm 

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Moisture Festival 2012 Preview - Duo de Luna - Aerial Perfection

Duo de Luna When the two ladies of this stunning and sexy new duo met, it was trapeze love at first sight. Together, Cameron and Marina as Duo de Luna, relay through their movements the complexities of any relationship; the light and the dark, and in particular, the challenges of being in love with your art.

Circus is a hard task-mistress, she will bruise you and break you in a second. And yet, if you put in the work, if Circus blesses you...well, that's just the start of the story. As Duo de Luna, Marina and Cameron began performing together in June of 2011. In August they performed in San Francisco at Teatro ZinZanni's "Cabaret Lunatique." In December they traveled to Europe to perform in Cascade's "Equi-Libre" in Utrecht, Netherlands, then rang in the New Year performing at Supperclub Amsterdam. Regulars at Supperclub SF and with TrapezeWorld production company, Duo de Luna consistently thrills their audience.

Venue: Broadway Performance Hall

March 23 @ 7:30pm, 10:30pm (Burlesque)

March 24 @ 7:30pm, 10:30pm (Burlesque)

March 25 @ 3:00pm (Family Friendly Variete')

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Moisture Festival Audiences Love Comedian Amy G Headlining Festival's Opening Week Of Variete' Shows

Moisture Festival audience favorite Amy Gordon is a revolutionary comedienne.  She returns to this year's festival to the delight of many who have not stopped talking or laughing about her hilarious previous festival performances. We are absolutely thrilled to have her back for 2012.

The granddaughter of The Little Giant, a vaudevillian acrobat/ukulele playing song and dance man of little renown but vast appeal, she took to the stage at an early age as The Tall Midget. This 'comic powerhouse' (The Australian) performs physical, musical, stand-up and improvisational comedy. Inspired by and reminiscent of Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Liza Minelli, Julie Andrews and the Muppet Show; she is very much one of a kind.

Her Credits include Broadway's New Victory, Sydney Opera House, The Kennedy Center, Adelaide International Festival, Festival International de Teatro de Bogota, Montreal's Just For Laughs, Dance Theatre Workshop, Symphony Space, GOP Variete, Quatch Comedy Club (Berlin), Palazzo Amsterdam, RTL's World of Comedy and Britain's Rude Tube.

She's been seen around the world with the Olivier Awarded circus cabaret, La Soirée (aka La Clique- Absinthe – but by any name, voted Best Entertainment 2009); including long runs on London's West End, The Sydney Festival, and in Paris' iconic music hall, Bobino.

She lives in Brooklyn, ostensibly, but calls anyplace home that comes with keys and a bicycle.

March 15 @ 7:30pm, March 16 @ 7:30pm, 10:30pm
March 17 @ 7:30pm, 10:30pm, March 18 @ 7:30pm

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