Sea lion duo makes its debut

The Moscow Water Circus recently premiered a new act in Kyiv, where it has been performing for the second straight month.

The Moscow Water Circus’s laser and light super show is taking place in a specially constructed basin at the Kyiv Arena. “Water Feerie” is the world’s only touring water show. A unique basin was built in Kyiv’s circus arena, filled with 170 tons of water that was passed through special cleaning water pumps previously used only for strategic aviation aircraft.

The show features circus artists performing with pythons, a crocodile, pigeons, and dogs; acrobatic clowns, synchronized swimming champs, ballet dancers, jugglers, and tightrope-walkers. There is even a fire-eating fakir. But the real star of the show is Sophie the sea lion. Now she is performing with a handsome sea lion named Bob. The new act has galvanized audiences, and tickets are sold out two weeks in advance.

“Our program is constantly being revamped,” says Andrii Shevchenko, the creator and director of the Moscow Water Circus. “One time after a performance a little girl brought us a huge bouquet of flowers and asked us to give it to Sophie the sea lion. She put a card inside the bouquet and wrote: ‘Dear Sophie, I hope that for the next performance you get a real friend to appear with you. It is so sad to see you performing all alone.’ Now our female sea lion has a partner. I am sure that the Kyiv audience will like all the acts, and Bob’s appearance on stage has made the show even more interesting.”

The Moscow Water Circus will perform until mid-May. By audience demand, there will be four performances a week, from Thursday to Sunday.