Putting the Cirque in circus

At least the circus dog did not relieve himself on my foot or hump my leg.

But, to my shock, he did charge from the stage, barking, jumping into my lap and licking my face in the middle of the first act of "Kooza," Cirque du Soleil's hugely entertaining show that opened Thursday in a big tent in downtown St. Paul. It all seemed too real.

The production mixes surprise divertissements, including the dog-suited fella who is part of the show's clown court, with tremendous feats of strength, skill and athleticism.

The result is far better than "Saltimbanco" and other recent shows in the Twin Cities by the Montreal-based troupe. And the surprises in store for the audience -- including a pickpocket demonstration and a seat that rises about 10 feet in the air -- work.

"Kooza" is Sanskrit for treasure chest, so it's an apt name for a show full of many-faceted delights. An innocent (Stephan Landry) flies his kite. A bike messenger arrives with a box that contains a gymnastic trickster (Mike Tyus) who takes the innocent (and us) on a magical ride.

The wowing moments include the segment by contortionists Julie Bergez and Natasha Patterson, two women with ordinary-seeming bodies who do extraordinary things. One of them lies on her stomach on the floor, then brings her feet from behind her over her head. To a dramatic score, her feet dance around her head as if she had no bones. In fact, as the performers go through their synchronized movements, they create forms that you want to appreciate by standing on your head. More than once, the pair suggest dreamy, shape-shifting creatures at the bottom of the sea.

Even as Cirque has replaced the freaks and animals of circuses past with artistry and Olympian feats, the troupe retains a primal aspect of the form in "Kooza." Performers Jimmy Ibarra and Carlos Marin Loaiza, both dressed in horns, performed a sequence called "Wheel of Death" on a contraption that resembles two spinning Ferris wheels. As the death wheel zooms through the air, the two men leap and tumble on it, a study in timing as they ride it like a toy. The danger is palpable as the performers put themselves in harm's way, then cheat death.

At Thursday's press opening, there was one reminder of the stakes. One of the four men in a highwire act -- they did sword fights and rode bicycles way up there -- slipped while jumping over another. He had a net under him and he caught himself, but that sense that tragedy may be only a millisecond away sharpened the thrill of a show that has many "ooh" and "aah" moments.

Rohan Preston • 612-673-4390