When brothers Andrii and Ruslan Fomenko were growing up in Russia, they couldn't have known that someday they'd be garnering rave reviews while performing onstage in a festival called World-Fest at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, USA. But they knew that performing was in their blood, because they grew up in the business. Their parents were circus actors who traveled all over the former Soviet Union, so the boys learned the discipline of life under the Big Top when they were still youngsters.
Later they went to Circus School---Andrii (who jokes that he is "older and smarter"), to become a magician, and Ruslin, to become a juggler. Both young men had a knack for comedy, so they incorporated lots of jokes and pratfalls into their act. Like most brothers, they have "heated discussions," but they work well as a team.
Sunday, May 8 is your last chance to attend World-Fest 2011 at Silver Dollar City, and your last chance to see Andrii, Ruslan and their unbelievably talented costars show off their comedic and acrobatic skills in the Mayorov Russian State Circus. The circus show is both astounding and hilarious, and the opportunity to see it is alone well worth the price of admission to Silver Dollar City.
But World-Fest features much more entertainment---the Canadian Powerhouse (world-champion fiddlers and step-dancers), Rhythms of Rajasthan (from India), Irish Eyes are Smiling (featuring lilting Irish harp music), Slovenian Polka Party, Russian Academic Band, Trinidad's Footprints Diego Martin, Ecuador Manta, and Master Yodeler Kerry Christensen.
Vendors at World-Fest sell craft items from their countries, so you can shop the world without leaving the Ozarks. Particularly interesting are the dragon puppets and jade necklaces from China.
You can also treat your taste buds to a global feast at Tastes of the World. Traditional favorites from Greece, Mexico, Italy, China, Germany and Ireland abound. Be sure to save room for dessert from Bavaria. The rich chocolate cake is a chocoholic's dream come true.
But don't leave without seeing the Mayorov Russian State Circus. The performers are not only amazing in their physical prowess as they perform unbelievable feats of gymnastics requiring near-perfect agility and timing, but they also put their whole hearts and souls into their acts.
Constantine, who plays the Fat Man on the Wheel (with the help of a "fake stomach"), grew up in the circus in Moscow, but this is his first time in America. He started performing at the age of 11, and is now 39. He loves the audience's reaction to his character. "I love big people--they have big hearts. My mom is very big, and she always loved me so much."
Constantine admits he was a "little bit scared" about coming to the USA, even though he'd already performed in Berlin, Germany. "But I saw that American people loved my act, and I feel that the people here are really so nice."
That's the other thing about World-Fest at Silver Dollar City. The people who work at the park really are nice, and it's easy to see they enjoy their jobs. Nearly everyone I have ever encountered there has been helpful and friendly, trying to ensure that I have the best time possible.
So you can have the most amazing globetrotting adventure ever, experiencing a wealth of cultures in one short day at Silver Dollar City's World-Fest. And all the park's employees and entertainers will be smiling at you.
If only the whole world embraced the genuinely warm attitude of Silver Dollar City's World-Fest...
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