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It was a celebration Dewhurst had avoided for decades. He said he never did much to observe the usual milestone birthdays, not his 30th or his 40th or his 50th, either. All he ever did, he said, was work. Old family photos show Dewhurst walking with his hands on a tightrope, his body above him in a head stand position. His hair was dark then. After performing for years with his parents and sister, Dewhurst launched his own circus troupe with his children. The show caught Cirque's eye and the Dewhurst family was invited to hold workshops on their craft. They later joined the company. Dewhurst served as the artistic director of "Mystere" when it opened in 1993 in Las Vegas. The show follows a babbling baby as it encounters contortionists, dancers, clowns and acrobats. Musicians pound Japanese drums and a giant, colorful snail named Alice slides across the stage. After two years, Dewhurst longed to return to the spotlight. He became Le Petit and was given his own segment within the show, during which he makes advances at a young lady in the crowd and pretends to fatally shoot a dancing bird. At one point, he partially unbuttons his shirt and tweaks his nipples mid-dance. At each performance the audience erupts with laughter whenever Dewhurst enters the theater. "He's kind of that crazy uncle at a wedding who is always running around bothering people," the show's artistic director David Gomez said of the character Dewhurst portrays. Dewhurst's family said he won't give up the spotlight. "He lives for this," said daughter Sally Dewhurst, 37. With 10 performances each week, Dewhurst's craft is demanding. He said he stays fit with regular exercise and eating well. His body is trim and he looks younger than his 80 years. Aging has forced him to slow down somewhat. He no longer walks the tightrope.
[Associated
Press;
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