Are you a daredevil willing to climb silk fabric six metres in the air or swing on a skinny trapeze performing complicated maneuvers — without safety lines?
If you’re like 99 per cent of the people who keep their feet firmly planted on the ground, there is always the option of watching The Silver Starlets, an aerial acrobatic duo that consistently pushes the envelope.
The Toronto-based pair is one of the International Children’s Festival of the Arts outdoor acts and quite likely the most hair-raising entertainment of all the diverse choices.
Molly Keczan and Glory Dearling are personally full of glam, glitz, and glitter and their sleek, frilly costumes emulate circus artists of old. As a full entertainment package, they showcase a mash-up of breath-taking acrobatics, juggling, comedy, magic, and jaw-dropping performances on the silks and trapeze.
A big attraction is the six-metre, free-standing trapeze rig that looks like a giant steel swing. Strong, yet flexible, it can be dismantled and packed into four snowboard bags for touring.
“A lot of balance and trust goes into the act. We do a lot of acrobatics upside down and Glory supports me. But we’ve been doing this a long time. We plan for the worst and expect the best,” said Keczan.
Both artists met through the corporate circus market. After training in the same space and working on various projects together, the two acrobats created The Silver Starlets.
Keczan, raised in the Beamsville Niagara region, grew up as a high-level rhythmic gymnast who won several provincial titles and competed for Canada at international competitions. She received a bachelor of fine arts in dance from Ryerson University, now known as Toronto Metropolitan University.
“I was really fortunate that in gymnastics I was considered more artistic, more fluid. But as a dancer, I was more athletic,” Keczan said.
Originally from Manhattan, Dearling moved to Toronto with her family. As a child, her passion was competitive figure skating and acro dance. She later fulfilled her love of acting and storytelling at York University with a degree in devised theatre (collaborative theatre), and has been part of the talent pool for Cirque du Soleil. Dearling’s trio, Trillium Entertainment, are also semifinalists on 2022 Canada’s Got Talent.
Keczan and Dearling have performed together since 2015, touring across North American and flying to far-flung corners, from Dubai to Ireland to New Zealand. Prior to COVID, they performed 200 shows annually.
“Our show is fun for the whole family. It’s great for kids and kids at heart. If you’re looking for excitement, there’s acrobatics. The costumes are sparkly and eye-catching, and the comedy is for adults. We get people dancing and there is good surprise comedy. We also give away free souvenirs after the show as a way of saying thank you.”
Free performances run June 2 to 5 at Millennium Park on St. Anne Promenade.
