Sultry Circus seeks to inspire

Forget the clowns in their tiny car. Forget the trained dogs and the lions jumping through hoops. Yes, the circus is coming to Three Oaks on Saturday, but this one might have made the Ringling brothers blush.

Last year, the Acorn Theater celebrated Mardi Gras with a big fat benefit party — lots of music and fun, all in the name of raising funds for a good cause. This year, they’ll follow it up with “The Other Side Show,” a presentation that definitely ups the outrageous factor with some very different performances and an extra emphasis on the carnival atmosphere.

When the show rolls into town, it will bring a dash of danger and a dose of sultry fun to the stage. This little circus is on fire. Literally.

The event features a tantalizing aerial burlesque artist and a duo that combines violin-playing and fire-eating into one sexy act.

In addition, the show will offer belly dancers, tarot readings, the punk-y marching band-ish stylings of Chicago’s Black Bear Combo, interactive drumming with local group Rhythm Works and a number of DJs spinning between acts. Tickets will benefit Burners Without Borders Disaster Relief, and attendees are invited to sport a costume, bring a dish and, most importantly, let loose and have fun.

Shirley Myers, who organized the event, says that this year, she was looking for more spectacle, more performance, some audience participation and just a little bit of chaos.

Myers is herself a fire performer, although she may or may not light up her torches on Saturday.

“I’m planning on wearing a big fluffy dress and I’d have to change, because if you’re performing with fire, you pretty much have to wear cotton,” she says.

Myers has seen a number of alternative circus acts in recent years and thinks that this sort of show offers real inspiration to its audience. It’s very different, for instance, from the polished look and high production values of something such as Cirque de Soleil.

“I think it’s really just because you don’t have to go away to school to learn (how to do these things) and it doesn’t have to become a whole lifestyle,” she says. “ It’s gritty … and much more accessible.”

Two of her performers — burlesque aerialist Lola Martinet and fire-eater Jen Ratelle — share her desire to inspire.

Martinet’s act, as she explains it, is “the traditional burlesque style but performed in the air” — on a trapeze, in a hoop or hanging from a piece of fabric.

According to Martinet, “the danger element is very entertaining,” and the whole burlesque aspect is a lot of fun for both men and women. Really, Martinet says, it’s all about “the tease” and promoting a positive sexual image.

“Stripping is a very, very beautiful thing. It doesn’t have to be raunchy,” she says. “That’s important for people to understand.”

As for providing inspiration, Martinet hopes that people go home from her shows with ideas. For instance, they may see one of her acts and decide to try tassel twirling. (When asked if this is a difficult skill to master, Martinet says not really. The secret: “It’s basically about bending your knees and being OK with the things going on up there.”)

At the Acorn, Martinet will perform two acts: the first, a circus-inspired acrobatic piece along with a belly dancer, and the second, a traditional fan dance in the air.

Also out to inspire when they take the stage Saturday are David Hammond and Jennifer Ratelle, aka Dixon and Lady Mischief, aka Strings of Fire.

Hammond is a classically trained violinist who loves improvisation and experiments with a range of styles, such as gypsy, electronic, blues, jazz and rock. Ratelle is an experienced fire-breather, spinner and eater. So what happens when they get together?

“We play off each other — it’s very impromptu. … He has a wireless (violin), which is way cool. We kind of dance around and interact with each other. It’s a very classy, sultry, sensual movement and performance,” Ratelle says.

She doesn’t mind admitting that her own beginnings in the art were humble ones.

“I started just in general playing with fire as a bartender,” she says. “They taught us how to breathe fire off our fingers with 151 (proof alcohol), and that’s the beginning, right there!”

Her serious work with fire performance came later, as she got into fire-spinning, fire-breathing and — finally — fire-eating.

“Fire-eating is way more intense because it’s very close to your body — very close,” she says. “You just have to relax. Don’t be afraid of the fire — respect it. When you respect the fire, it respects you.”

For Ratelle, performance is always exhilarating. As for what she wants the audience to get out of it …

“I want the hair to stand up on the back of their necks — I want them to be amazed and inspired!”