The anticipation is palpable as several girls hang from the air. They've wrapped long shards of red fabrics, that hang from the roof (their only defence against gravity), around their wastes.

All of a sudden they each let go of the life-supporting cloth. With nothing to repel the strong force of gravity anymore, they tumble down at a rapid and scary pace. The audience members sense the imminent danger…and just for a second a collective gasp escapes from the rows of seats.

But of course none of the girls hit the ground. The fabric each has wrapped around their waists is  support enough for them to dangle just above the ground, unharmed.

The audience explodes in a rapture of applause. It’s the Zip Zap circus. And it’s their long awaited roof wetting show, in the Cape Town city centre.

All they've ever wanted

The new venue; Founders Garden, Jan Smuts Street (just near Artscape) is not only convenient for you to take the kids for a day of fun while visiting the city, it’s also a dream come true for the Zip Zap.

Check out the Zip Zap circus. Book a Cape Town package now.

It began with just a swing

It all started in 1992 when trapeze artists Laurence Esteve and Brent van Rensburg (engaged to be married at the time) set up a pay as you go swing at the V&A Waterfront for mildly daring mall rats.

This grew into something bigger; Laurence considered her business background while Brent considered his affinity for teaching and they decided to start a circus training school.

Circus free for all

But it wasn't just any old school. The objective of the school was to teach practical circus skills to children of all cultural backgrounds and circumstances, free of charge. The first workshops; trapeze, trampoline, floor acrobatics, circus comedy routines in township schools led to a Grahamstown show in 1994.

Soon after that show, the troupe performed in Johannesburg, Cape Town and the stage grew bigger and bigger in France, Denmark, United States Australia, Germany, and Switzerland.

City centre envy

With this growth, the performers honed their skills and the techniques became polished and the Zip Zap demand grew. But through out this growth, there was always something lacking; a prime location in the city.

Finally, through government and several private sectors funding, Zip Zap has found a home in the city centre. Where it's easily accessible to all. Now it's no longer a matter of what to do with the kids when you want to catch a grown-up show at the Artscape...

Just a sample

On the big night, a preview really of all the different kinds of shows you can expect, the smaller kids who are still learning the tricks performed a series of co-ordninated and complicated movement pieces. Re-enacting various Zip Zap milestones, like the original group's international trip. The kids range in age from seven to seventeen. Ten year old, Luyolo has been a member of the circus since 2004. "I love weekends because it's circus training time," he says.

After big laughs featuring a physical comedy act, fresh off the boat from a run in Paris, the show ends in a high energy swinging trapeze act from two of the older students. One part of the trapeze couple is Jaimee Allen, 16. Surprisingly she used to be terrified of heights. "Not only was I really scared, the first time I tried to swing, I just really couldn't imagine going up that high." Three years later she's a star act.

There are more star acts for your kids and the whole family to enjoy at the new Zip Zap dome in the city centre. Do check it out when you’re out in Cape Town.

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