In the Air Tonight

‘Taganai’ features plenty of high-flying acrobatics

By Pete Tattersall — Sun Herald – (Published January 21, 2004)

BILOXI – Get ready to buckle in for another high-flying/performance-art experience when the Beau Rivage premieres “Taganai” tonight at 7:30.

“We have a very talented group of artists, who are all from Russia with the exception of one member, and this year’s show is going to be very acrobatic,” said Misha Matorin, creator/executive producer of the show and owner of Dreamcast Entertainment, a Las Vegas-based company that produces corporate events and entertainment for casinos.

Matorin, who was also the driving force behind “Balagan,” a show that premiered last year at Beau Rivage, is himself a retired performer.

“This is going to be very different than last year. ‘Taganai’ (pronounced tag-a-NEYE) is very acrobatic. We have trampoline, a Russian high bar, flying trapeze, skipping rope, a beautiful female hand-balancer, contortionist,” Matorin said. “Last year we had dancers and aerial acts. This year a lot of things happen in the air, but we decided to go with more of a gymnastic/acrobatic theme. We have Russian gymnastic champions, for example, playing characters in the show.”

And what exactly is a Russian high bar?

“That’s when two acrobats hold a narrow pole on their shoulders. A girl stands on the pole, they throw her in the air using the flexibility of the pole, and she’s doing these crazy somersaults and then lands on the pole,” Matorin said. “It’s a very high precision act. No mistakes can be made.”

Matorin, who as a child accompanied his father, who was director of the Moscow Circus, on tours around the world, said “Taganai” is a throwback to the old European circus-style show.

“The show has a very vague, kind of dreamy storyline. But rather than trying to make people follow a storyline, we try to provoke a feeling,” Matorin said. “Each segment has a certain ambience around it. It’s based on old European art and poetry. For example, people might find images that may look like a Picasso image, or Chagall or Dali, and they are behind these magnificent acrobatic talents who are doing absolutely amazing tricks in the air. It’s scary sometimes, what they do.”

Mary Cracchiolo, Beau Rivage public relations manager, said the show is a series of individual acts weaved together with music, choreography and a storyline.

“‘Taganai’ basically combines a number of acts from the traditional Russian circus, such as flying trapeze and jugglers,” she said.

The 80-minute show also features a segment with American comedienne Diane Wasnak.

“She balances soup bowls while she’s riding a bicycle backwards. She’s throwing soup bowls on her head, making a pyramid. It’s a class act,” Matorin said.

And in case you were wondering, “Taganai” (the name of the Ural Mountain chain dividing Russia from Siberia) translated in English means “moon holder.”

“The show is very surreal. It’s stylish and includes a high level of disciplined acts,” Matorin said. “It’s sophisticated and technical entertainment, and that’s very hard to find these days.”