'Cirque du Soleil: OVO' is ready to fly at UBS Arena in Elmont

Elmont has witnessed some amazing feats at Belmont Park, but has it seen  someone balance themself upside down on top of another person’s head with one hand? What about an aerialist suspended 20 feet in the air by nothing but her hair?

Be prepared as Long Island is about to get hit with an infestation of acrobatic ants, beetles, crickets, spiders and other bugs when Cirque du Soleil’s "OVO" comes to UBS Arena Aug. 15-18.

"Imagine if you lifted up a rock and saw all the bugs crawling around — that’s what we’re doing for the audience. We’re allowing them to step into a day in the life of the bugs," says artistic director Lydia Harper. "It gives us a lot of inspiration and opportunity for some kind of wacky, crazy, super high-level acrobatics."

The story focuses on a group of bugs who meet a blue fly known as the Voyager and their journey to accept him. Upon his arrival, the Voyager brings with him a mysterious egg.

"This show is about how to make friends with strangers and accept someone new," says Harper. "Three characters, known as the Voyager, who is a lovable goofball fly; the sassy but charming Ladybug; and the leader of the colony, Master Flipo, all guide the audience through the story providing comedy, heartbreak and competitive jealousy."

SERIOUS STUNTS

At the heart of every Cirque du Soleil show are the circus stunts that have wowed crowds around the world. "OVO" has several, starting with an opening stunt called the Chinese pole, which is 20 feet high.

"Ants climb it and then do acrobatics on the way down such as somersaults, twists and catches," Harper says. "It makes it look like they are defying gravity."

Next up is the midshow stunt called the aerial cradle, in which scarabs are tossed about like kettlebells. Olympic gymnast Nansy Damianova is featured here as she soars 18 feet in the air from one acrobat to another across three platforms.

"It’s very intense and something I’ve never done before," says Damianova, 33, of Montreal. "I come from a gymnastics background, but I’ve never been up so high. I had to learn something completely new. You have to trust your partner. It’s a 50-50 partnership, whereas in gymnastics, it’s 100% on me. In the beginning, it was scary, but now I love it."

Perhaps the most visually striking stunt is the finale which involves a herd of crickets climbing up and down a trampoline wall.

"There’s so many acrobats running around all at once causing it to deliver massive energy from the crowd," says Caitlin Madden, production stage manager. "The audience gets involved by yelling and clapping, which brings a lot of excitement."

MUSIC, NOT WORDS

Although no dialogue is spoken throughout "OVO," all stage movement is enhanced by music from a live seven-piece band featuring original songs by Brazilian composer Berna Ceppas.

"There’s a different song for every emotion you go through during the show. Some will get you nervous and then others will have you dancing along," Harper says.

BURST OF COLOR

The show’s manic movement is highlighted by vibrant colors in both its set and costumes.

"The costumes are all handmade and individually designed by Deborah Colker," Harper says. "When she created it, Colker really wanted to bring the influence of Brazil to the story through a number of colors."

The set is dominated by a huge wall at the back of the stage, which is used to project videos creating different scenes through those projections.

"It’s a technology-heavy show," Harper says. "We can create a super-intimate moment with one person and a flower petal or explode the stage full of lights and dynamic visuals to bring the world to life."

SLEW OF CREW

"OVO" is composed of 52 cast members representing 17 different types of bugs and the company is supported by a crew of 48 and enough production equipment to fill 20 semi trucks. Each show takes eight to 10 hours to set up.

"We have a show crew, a maintenance crew and an office crew. Half of the show crew is watching each act making sure everything goes properly. The other half is prepping for the next scene backstage, moving scenery around and getting things ready," Madden says.

Regardless, everyone works toward the common goal of keeping the audience excited and engaged.

"Our job is to make the impossible possible," Harper says.

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.