Nearly 1,900 students and educators from across the Coachella Valley filled seats at McCallum Theatre on Saturday for a circus-infused reimagining of Swan Lake, complete with aerial stunts, physical comedy and a flock of decidedly non-traditional ducks. The special daytime shows were part of a touring production called Circa Duck Pond, which blends the classic ballet with the story of The Ugly Duckling.
According to KESQ, the Saturday audience included about 1,900 students and educators, and organizers described the show as a mash-up between Swan Lake and The Ugly Duckling featuring comedy and aerial work. The Palm Desert venue has two more performances scheduled for Saturday, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., giving families and the general public a chance to see the production that students got to experience first.
What Makes Duck Pond Different From a Traditional Ballet
Duck Pond was created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble, and it takes the familiar imagery of the iconic ballet and pushes it into unfamiliar territory. The show's own production description, listed on the McCallum Theatre website, says it transforms the stories with extraordinary movement, acrobatics, aerial work and physical comedy. Students attending through the theater's education programming can see the performance at no cost, per the venue's listing.
A Palm Springs Life event listing framed the show similarly, noting that the Australian contemporary circus company swaps strict classicism for something considerably wilder. The same listing described the production as built for aerial work, physical comedy, acrobatics and a flock of decidedly unconventional ducks, a description that echoes the comedy and aerial work featured in the production.
A Show That's Toured the World Before Reaching Palm Desert
The production isn't new to global stages. Circa has been based in Brisbane, Australia, since 2004, touring in more than 45 countries and reaching an estimated 2 million people, according to Noozhawk. The Coachella Valley stop follows closely on the heels of a Santa Barbara run, where UCSB Arts & Lectures presented the show at The Granada Theatre on Oct. 18.
Saturday's student matinees were part of McCallum Theatre's Field Trip Series, which offers performances at no cost to students and teachers.
A Long-Running Local Education Effort
A Long-Running Local Education Effort A 2021 account from iegives.org described the education program as reaching every school in the Coachella Valley and tens of thousands of students annually.
For families who missed the student-only shows, Saturday offers two more chances to catch the acrobats, aerialists and transformed ducks at McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert.
