Cirque de la Symphonie makes its way downtown this weekend, opening at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts. The touring circus troupe based in Athens, Georgia was created in 
2005 by William H. Allen and Alexander Streltsov. The performances involve a variety of minimalist contemporary circus acts synchronized to the music of a live symphony orchestra. The concept of the Cirque has been positive both commercially and critically, with shows typically selling out and receiving positive reviewes by critics.
The music is selected in collaboration with each orchestra's conductor, and may include selections from the classical canon, excerpts from ballets, portions of movie soundtracks, and other pops orchestra standbys. The performances are deliberately minimalist, rarely featuring more than two performers on stage at any given time, and 
avoiding "heavy, gaudy costuming" in order to give equal prominence to the music. Cirque de la Symphonie acts are distinctively adapted to very tight spaces compared to traditional circus performances, which typically take place on larger, more open stages. In contrast, Cirque acts are often constrained to performing in spaces no more than twelve to fifteen feet wide, in concert halls not engineered for aerial performances.
This weekend Cirque de la Symphonie returns to the Bayou City where it all started with the Houston Symphony.