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World-champion BMX stunt riders, basketball freestylers, breakdancers and beat-boxers are among the athletes and artists in 360 Allstars, a 鈥渟upercharged urban circus鈥� coming to Popejoy Hall on Friday, May 15. Since the show first debuted in Australia in 2013, 360 Allstars have performed for over 2 million people worldwide.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e doing is reinventing the circus by replacing stereotyped, traditional circus art forms with contemporary street style,鈥� Gene Peterson, founder and producer, said. 鈥淚nstead of acrobats, we have breakdancers. Instead of a juggler, there鈥檚 a basketball freestyler. Instead of a unicyclist, there鈥檚 a BMX rider, and so on. Everything鈥檚 been given a twist from the streets.鈥�

360 Allstars takes its name from the 360-degree rotations seen in each act, from spinning bike wheels to spinning basketballs.

鈥淗eru Anwari from Indonesia is the three-time Australian BMX flatland champion, doing things you wouldn鈥檛 believe possible on two wheels 鈥� or often not on two wheels,鈥� Peterson said. 鈥淲e also have Pafo, a world-renowned basketball freestyler from Japan, who spins, dribbles and juggles basketballs like a one-man Harlem Globetrotter.鈥�

Another performer, Josh Curtis from the United Kingdom, does acrobatic moves inside a human-sized metal ring known as a Cyr wheel.

鈥淗e maneuvers this steel ring in every direction imaginable 鈥� upside-down and inside-out,鈥� Peterson said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 spinning and rolling and pulling off what is equally beautiful as it is physical.鈥�

When he was first conceiving of the show, Peterson tried not to let practical considerations limit his vision.

鈥淚 was like a kid in a candy store 鈥� (wondering) how many types of 鈥榓wesome鈥� we can put onstage 鈥� and removing those parameters as a producer, where you might think about what鈥檚 easy to deliver or what鈥檚 affordable, and instead dreaming as big as I could,鈥� he said.

After assembling a team of world-class athletes and performers, he began pitching the show to venues in his native Australia.

鈥淚 thought if we were successful, we could get a six- or eight-week tour,鈥� Peterson said. 鈥淎nd 14 years later, we have delivered over 3,000 performances to more than 2 million people. 鈥� So, what I was optimistically hoping would be a couple months on the road (grew) into a worldwide smash, and my little baby became quite a monster.鈥�

Peterson is a musician, not a practitioner of circus arts, but he said his outsider鈥檚 perspective helps him see the show through the audience鈥檚 eyes to create a visually stimulating spectacle.

鈥淚 approach directing those art forms from the perspective of what an untrained eye will find impressive 鈥� (because) often some of the most technical moves in each of these disciplines is hard to perceive for an untrained eye. Things that might win the competitions, to a layperson or generic audience may not appear as impressive,鈥� Peterson said. 鈥�... It鈥檚 not about choosing one move over the other, but it鈥檚 finding the right moment for each of these different moves in the repertoire.鈥�

The group appeals to audiences of all ages.

鈥淎 huge part of the success and longevity of the show is that it鈥檚 something that resonates with so many people,鈥� Peterson said. 鈥淭he show appeals to a young audience in a fantastic way, and everybody has an inner child.鈥�

For many adults, including parents and grandparents, the show also holds nostalgic appeal.

鈥淢any of these disciplines are what the parents grew up with 鈥� the Harlem Globetrotters, the movie 鈥楤MX Bandits,鈥� breakdancing in the 鈥�80s 鈥� stuff that has become timeless now but that鈥檚 also a bit nostalgic,鈥� Peterson said. 鈥�... It鈥檚 very kid-friendly, but it鈥檚 not dumbed down for children. It鈥檚 definitely a show with high production values that鈥檚 presented in a way that dads can bring their daughters and grandmothers can bring their grandsons, and they鈥檒l all enjoy it equally.鈥�

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the sa国际传媒官网网页入口. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at .