Cirque Du Soleil: Kooza, at the Royal Albert Hall

The consistently innovative and spellbinding Cirque Du Soleil bring Kooza to the UK for the first time, which fuses acrobatics and clowning to create a breathtaking and memorable show. Kooza tells the story of The Innocent, who receives a mysterious package that opens up his lonely life and helps him find his place in the world. A return to the original style of Cirque Du Soleil, the production has received rave reviews in other countries and will surely be a spectacular way to start 2013. 5 Jan – 14 Feb

Disco Loco at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club

Head to Bethnal Green for some unusual family fun – a disco in which kids and their parents can party together! Between 3pm-6pm families can dance to music from DJs, watch live acts and enjoy a range of other activities and surprises. The disco is designed to make children appreciate their parents’ music, so you won’t be dancing to the Peppa Pig theme tune! Entry costs £3. 6 Jan

Festival of Winter Walks, Across London

This weekend is your last chance to participate in the Festival of Winter Walks, an initiative by British walking charity The Ramblers to encourage people to explore places on foot. There are lots of great walks around London, which are all free and present a perfect opportunity to discover hidden parts of the city. Check out The Ramblers website for full details of routes and start times. Until 6 Jan

London Short Film Festival, Various Venues

Described as “the Best Short Film Festival in the World” by the Guardian newspaper, the London Short Film Festival offers a diverse menu of shorts from talented filmmakers. Not only does the programme feature cutting-edge films from the UK’s finest, but it also contains networking events, panel discussions and film surgeries. Get into the festival spirit at the opening night party at the ICA on Friday night. 4-11 Jan

Cockroach Tour of the Science Museum

See things from a completely different perspective during this entertaining and fascinating tour. After you’ve put on the special cockroach shell costume you’ll spend 45 minutes exploring the Science Museum’s galleries and looking at human innovation from the hardy insect’s point of view. The free Cockroach Tour is a great way for people to rediscover this fantastic museum, although it is essential to book in advance. Saturdays and Sundays throughout 2013

Every January, Cirque du Soleil takes up residence at London’s impressive Royal Albert Hall. I went along last night to see their latest offering, Totem, which returns to London after a successful run last year.

Loosely based on the origins of man, Totem brings together a variety of amazing circus acts, from a scientist who juggles fluorescent balls inside a giant test tube to a cast of realistic apes.

My favourite acts were the unicycle riders, who kicked dishes from their feet onto their heads; and a troupe of acrobats who performed breathtaking somersaults above Russian bars.

I also loved the modern-day clown, who played a sleazy Italian tourist; and the incredible special effects, which included a “sea” projected onto the stage, from which characters appeared to emerge.

Each act is accompanied by a different style of music from around the world. There’s no speech, which makes Totem ideal for deaf people and non-English speakers.

Totem is at the Royal Albert Hall until 16 February 2012

I went to see Cirque Du Soleil’s Totem at the Royal Albert Hall this week and I was blown away by how good it was. Totem tells the story of the journey of the human species from amphibian to the aspiration to fly.

The set was amazing, along with the incredible acts and characters that filled the Royal Albert Hall with colour and left us in awe of what was taking place in front of us.

The first act, a parallel bars routine, was brilliant and breathtaking as four artists performed just inches away from each other.

More exciting acts followed, including five unicyclists juggling metal bowls at some height, the foot juggling Crystal Ladies and the “swimming” trapeze duo, who had a beautiful routine.

The highlights had to be the pair of roller skaters spinning and whirling at unbelievable speeds on top of a tiny drum-shaped platform, and the amazing Russian bars display with 10 artists leaping from one bar to another.

It’s a great show, and again the Royal Albert Hall does it complete justice.  A must-see!

The international gymnastics federation (FIG) announced this week that the Rhythmic Gymnastics events will be held at Wembley Arena for the London 2012 Olympics.

Rhythmic Gymnastics and the Olympic Badminton competitions were originally scheduled to be held at a temporary venue near the Olympic Park in East London.

But London Olympic Games organisers decided last year to scrap the temporary facility and relocate both sports to Wembley Arena, which will save up to £40 million. A similar announcement is expected from the Badminton powers-that-be soon.

Wembley Arena seats 12,500 and is London’s second largest indoor arena (The O2 is the biggest). Wembley Arena underwent a £35 million renovation five years ago and, as you can see from the pic, it’s looking very flash these days.

Wembley Arena has hosted some huge names in the past and this year has concerts by Flight of The Conchords, Green Day and John Mayer. Stunning acrobats Cirque du Soleil will also take to the famous stage in July.

We trust the Olympic rhythmic gymnasts will enjoy competing at Wembley Arena.