From Russia With Love

A New Twist On Alice!

Who better to play the heroine of Circus Chimera's amazing new production of Alice In Wonderland than Russian superstar contortionist Ekaterina Bazarova? After all, the sultry blonde beauty has been growing larger and smaller to the wild applause of audiences under the World's Biggest Big Top three times a day for the past three years.

"No, we didn't design the production around her," laughs Circus Chimera owner, Jim Judkins. "Alice In Wonderland is a story I've been in love with for years. But once we decided to translate the classic into a circus performance, Katya was a natural for the part of Alice."

The twenty-year-old former Olympic gymnast is thrilled to fit the bill. "It's a great honor," she says in her delightfully accented English. "In this adaptation, I am not on stage throughout. Circus performers do not share the stage with one another the way theatrical performers do, it would take away the focus from other acts. But my performance sets the tone for the other performances. So it's a big responsibility."

It's a responsibility Ekaterina knows well, growing up in fabled St. Petersburg as the daughter of two circus performers. After her Olympic turn she briefly considered a career as a professional athlete. In the end, though, she decided she preferred performing to competing: "Who needs judges' scores when you have the children's smiles?"

With the world-famous Budapest Circus, Ekaterina performed throughout Europe from Moscow to Monte Carlo. She's been with Circus Chimera ever since ñ though there have been a few "twists" along the way most notably at the 2004 Milton Bradley Twister world Championships where our Alice took First Prize.

Circus Chimera tickets may be ordered by phone (1-888-663-7464) or online (www.circuschimera.com)