"When kids and families come to the arena, they are comparing our show to what they see at a rock concert and what they are doing with a video game," Nicole Feld said in an interview.
There will be dragons. But someone has to lure them out of hiding: That duty falls to a diverse cast of performers, including clowns, "Cossacks," martial artists and aerial contortionists. In order to summon the beasts, the cast must exhibit four dragon traits: courage, wisdom, heart, and strength.
A family of eight motorcyclists blazing around the inside of a steel globe requires at least a few of those characteristics. So does the rider who hangs off a horse galloping at 40 m.p.h.
"They're putting forth the most incredible feats to summon this dragon," which reveals itself gradually throughout the event, Alana said. "The more incredible the feat the performers do, the more the dragon starts to show itself."
If dragons seem like a boyish fixation, the Feld sisters' production demonstrates that their spirit spans the gender line. The lead creators of "Dragons" are women, as are the performers offering some of the show's most dangerous acts.
Carmen Torres, of the motorbiking Torres family from Paraguay, is the sole stunt-riding sister among the eight Dragon Riders. The producers praised her and other female thrill seekers, including three horseback riders and eight Ukrainian contortionists that perform 30 feet above the ground.
"There's definitely an emergence of more female daredevils," Alana said.
The Feld family's ownership of the circus dates back to the mid-1950s, when "The Greatest Show on Earth" ceased production, changed hands, and moved from tents to arenas.
