More Nearly Naked Gymnasts to Ogle

Now that the Olympics is coming to a close, you don't have to worry about where to get your fix of hardbodied humans who seem to perform superhuman physical feats. [Absinthe] and [Desir](http://www.spiegelworld.com/desir/desir.html), two of the shows down at [Spiegelworld](http://www.nypress.com/21/32/abouttown/abouttown.cfm), offer an adult circus of quasi-kinky cabaret acts that combine a little bit of Las Vegas glitter and glam with with enough European flair to make you feel sophisticated rather than lascivious.

I'm never quite sure who these shows appeal to. I mean, I have the privilege of checking them out for free, a bonus since tickets for the spectacle of aerialists and acrobatics goes for $45-$79. And after you've seen a single Cirque du Soleil show, you may have reached your quotient for such displays of body contortion and physical prowess. Except during Desir, you get a guy whip creamed in his skivvies and a lipstick lesbian bondage scenario. In a world where kink is available at the click of a button, it is refreshing to see somewhat titillating entertainment up close—even if it's fairly naive to think it's at all arousing. And just as all circuses are a little depressing, this one is no different.

As I watched Olaf Triebel (pictured) balance on one hand, I thought, "Oh, so these are the guys who wanted to be Olympic gymnasts but didn't make the cut." And instead of going on to win medals, they have to dress up likes fantasy sailors and do a strip tease to earn a few bucks. I mean, it's not bad work if you're intelligence is focused on the body and you don't mind a little indignity every night as women and men ogle you for the price of a ticket. I mean, it could be worse, he could be getting dollar bills stuffed down his silky trousers.

Photo by Joan Marcus