Cirque du Soleil

Last week was vacation for the whole school district. It's a time we call Spring Break. It is a much needed rest for students, teachers, and principals. I had wanted to do something special with the family; I have always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon, so I thought perhaps that would be a feasible(1) trip. Unfortunately, I lost track of time and was too late to make any arrangements. Also, my oldest son, Hudson, goes to the local junior college and didn't have the same vacation schedule. So, it looked like the only way we could have a family trip would be to spend the weekend away somewhere. I got online and looked for special events. It just so happened(2) that the Cirque du Soleil was going to be in Redmond which is in the Seattle area. I booked the tickets, and before we knew it we were there, under a big tent that was packed with people. In front of the crowd was a circular stage, above which hung all sorts of equipment. The lights were dimmed, and some characters came out dressed like hummingbirds. The theme of the circus was Mexico. The hummingbirds danced while a man played on a guitar. Next, a man who was suspended from the ceiling pretended to be parachuting. He was a great mime artist. He pretended to pull his parachute cord, and then find that it could not open. The story goes that he opens a small umbrella and floats down into Mexico. Scene after scene had images and symbols of the country, from underwater life, to the desert. At one point the mime artist got the crowd to play a kind of soccer. All of his instructions and comments were made with a whistle, which was very clever and very funny. And then came the turn of the snake. Well, it was a young man dressed like a snake. He was a contortionist who expertly twisted and bent himself into the most unhuman positions. I gasped and had my mouth open for most of his performance. He was very skinny and strong, and moved very smoothly. He finished his act with an incredible position in which he was all folded up, but looking like he could strike at any moment(3). I have never seen anything like it. The whole show was really what you call a 'once in a lifetime experience.' 1. 'Feasible' means possible or 'realistic'. a. I don't know if renovating the school will be feasible. b. It's not feasible to send a letter to every resident in this community; it's just too big. 2. 'It just so happened' is usually followed by 'that', and means that something occurs by chance. a. I talked for a while with a lady on the bus, and it just so happens that our sons are in the same math class. b. I was thinking about my neighbor when it just so happened that I bumped right into him. 3. 'At any moment' is the same as 'any minute'. a. We ran because we knew that the building could fall at any moment / any minute. b. The bus will be here any minute/ at any moment. Try now for pronunciation and fluency practice!