What started as a popular gymnastics exercise in Germany has become a crowd-pleasing act for Cirque du Soleil. Six-and-a-half feet in diameter, the wheel consists of two metal hoops joined at six points. Identical twin brothers turn and spin the wheels while performing gravity-defying somersaults and acrobatics. Though both were featured in Cirque du Soleil's Nouvelle Expérience, this is the first time they are performing together as a duo.

Dark, fast and furious, the artists march around the stage for reasons known only to them as they wait for two men to descend from the heights above. And just as predicted, two men dressed in multi-colored uniforms join the frey; taking arms in two metal wheels. Twisting, twirling and amazingly keeping themselves balanced, the two men dazzle the audience with their strength and stamina as they master the art of the German Wheel. Then, as quickly as they arrived, their time ends and the wheels disapear back into the shadows.

Text written by Richard Russo, as published in the “Fascination! Newsletter”.