Fast, funny, filled with feats and fancy footwork, “Dance On!,” the colorful 33rd edition of the Big Apple Circus, is winning applause that pays tribute to the rich array of talent in its familiar single ring and behind the scenes under its little big top.  Andrey Mantchev performs in âDance On!â More Photos »  Contortions by X Bud Roses Troupe in âDance On!â More Photos »  Creatively the guard has changed, and this year’s show in Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center fully bears the imprint of Guillaume Dufresnoy, who in 2009 succeeded Paul Binder, the Big Apple’s founding artistic director. Like opera singers, circus artists must be booked well in advance, so “Dance On!” is the first with a lineup chosen by Mr. Dufresnoy, who picked Eric Michael Gillett as guest director to stage the swift proceedings.  In “Dance On!” highlights abound. There’s the carefully plotted clowning of the grand goofball Rob Torres, whose mischief displays his skills as a hat tosser, cup juggler and world-class crybaby in search of audience succor.  With juggling of a more serious sort, Girma Tshehai sends orange balls flying between hands and off angled surfaces. The show’s daredevils on single wheels are the monocycling Wuqiao Acrobatic Troupe, hurdling across bodies from one wheel to another, skipping rope or leaping from a vehicle to a cyclist’s shoulders and somersaulting off. In Act II, turning their belts into lassos, these acrobats jump, spin, flip and tumble as the ropes whirl.  Supple of spine, the five smiling members of the X Bud Roses Troupe can pile atop one another and contort themselves backward to the point where their legs hang past their heads. Strength too is the forte of the Kenyan Boys, clambering up and down a mast by foot or hand and just hanging out. Not to be overlooked is the handstanding Andrey Mantchev (returning this season, like the ringmaster, Kevin Venardos; the signature clown, Barry Lubin, who portrays Grandma; and the high-flying Regina Dobrovitskaya). The scampering mutts and speeding steeds are courtesy of Jenny Vidbel, a third-generation animal trainer.  Bright costumes by Ann Hould-Ward, energetic choreography by Peter Pucci and the propulsive music led by Rob Slowik add luster to this Big Apple.
With new leadership, the Big Apple Circus rolls out a show full of clowning, juggling and one-wheel wonders.