Visiting Oriental Circus flips with flair for fun
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Claudio bravely approached the large feline and patted it on the head, then sat on a wooden bench with the tamed beast trailing behind. The 49-kilogram leopard put its large paws on the chubby thighs of the boy, who will turn three in December, and posed for a photo-op.
The 6.5-year-old Ocol is one of the feature attractions at the Oriental Circus Indonesia, which has unfurled its tents in a vacant lot in Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta, which is reached via the turnoff to the Palm Court apartments.
Running from Sept. 2 through Sept. 29, the circus -- which is under the joint management of the Indonesia Air Force Cooperative Center (Puskopau) and Taman Safari animal park in Cisarua, Bogor -- has seen a good season this year.
According to circus manager Yulia, the show was only slightly affected by the Sept. 9 blast outside the Australian Embassy in Kuningan, about one kilometer away.
"We only suffered a slight decline in the number of visitors on Sept. 9 and Sept. 10 from the usual weekday turnout. We were told many people canceled their visits because of the severe traffic congestion to reach this place, as access roads to Jl. Rasuna Said were closed for the investigation -- not because they feared another bomb attack," she told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
On weekdays, Yulia said, visitors only filled 30 percent of the red-and-yellow striped circus tent, which can seat 2,500 people. On Fridays, the visitor rate increases to 50 percent, while on Saturdays, the tent is 80 percent full.
The sole national traveling circus performs breathtaking feats, such as the high trapeze and trained animal shows. Pert poodles, lazy yet sharp-eyed Bengal tigers and African lion cubs, dancing elephants and a chimpanzee motorcyclist receive warm applause from visitors.
This year, the Oriental Circus contracted the world-renowned Sichuan Acrobatic Troupe, whose artists are adept at amazing maneuvers that require not only accurate timing in catching large porcelain jug on their heads or with their backs, but also the agility and strength of martial artists to fall gracefully from an eight-meter tower of chairs.
The 1.5-hour show is open to visitors of all walks of life, with ticket prices ranging from Rp 10,000 (about US$1) for the peanut gallery and Rp 75,000 for VVIPs.
Weekday performances are at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., Saturday has an additional matinee performance at 2 p.m., while Sunday features a fourth performance at 10 a.m.
"The next show will be in Bintaro, South Jakarta. We will be on the road to Sukabumi and Bogor until the end of this year, then tour Sumatra next year," Yulia said.
The Oriental Circus' hot-line service is: Tel 021-70961156, 70966227; or Fax 021-7690587.