Aspen audiences can see death-defying stunts from the “Acrobats of Cirque-tacular” at the Wheeler Thursday evening.
“Acrobats of Cirque-Tacular” include aerialists, contortionists and fire artists, along with other acts.
Tad Emptage formed the company in New York a decade ago. He had a background in musical theatre but was drawn to the circus because of the physical challenge involved. He says audiences may not realize the work put in behind the scenes.
"The acrobats generally train for 4 to 6 hours each day, and that goes on for several years. That is many, many tens of thousands of hours of sweat and tears and pain that go into it," he said.
Emptage says those hours are worth it when a performance looks effortless to their audience.
“Acrobats of Cirque-Tacular” perform at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.