This virtuoso defies gravity and explanation in his powerful and graceful performance. Combining the elasticity of the bungee with the power of the gymnastic rings, the artist soars through the air while performing acrobatic feats. His awe-inspiring performance is a combination of incredible skill, agility and strength. His sculpted physique is imposing, yet he is tender and graceful.

The second act of Alegrķa opens with a flury of activity. The White Singer, in all her beauty, is drawn to the men in the audience. After teasing a couple, she selects one and takes him up on stage. The two dance until the Strong Man - the protector of Alegrķa - roars onstage and takes the man back to his seat. Then a clown on horseback rides by carrying a letter in his hands. He tries to deliver it to the Singer in White but everyone grabs for it. The letter passes from the Clown to Fleur to Tamir to the Strong Man back to the Clown before he rides off.

A man bolts into the forefront, signaling the end of the clownish antics. The stage once again tints Orange as this new performance sets to take hold. It is a little hard to describe this performance accurately. The Flying Man's apparatus is a bungee-cord, but the discipline behind it is reminiscent of similar Elastic, Aerial Straps, Tissue and Spanish Web performances. Regardless of the background, this is one and exciting new performance not to be forgotten.

Flying Man is performed to "Malioumba," which is featured on the extended Alegrķa CD. There is quite a bit of low percussion and string-synthesizer chord progressions over a slow tempo. The airy vocal sonnet provides a floating sensation and you can hear the high notes echo throughout the big top. One of the highlights for me is the bridge, where bassist David Pelletier plays a gliding melody line on his fretless bass that leads back to the chorus-lyric of "Malioumba."

Features text written by Paul Roberts, as published in the "Fascination! Newsletter".