Tender is an intoxicating discovery and celebration of queer desire, sex appeal, and exploration of what it means to be tender. The cast of Cirque X, featuring J. Twist, Missy, Tynga, Mitch Wnek, Chris Barnett, and Penelope Pettigrew make up an all queer and diverse line-up who deliver circus and aerial performances, dance, drag, and powerhouse vocals and original music. The shackles of gender and sexual normativity are unleashed in the early stages of the show, where the audience is presented with common depictions of men and women, before turning this in its head and reversing gender roles. These moments essentially set the scene for what is to come; goodbye binaries and constructs, and hello extreme queerness. Conveyed through solo, duo, and group performances, the portrayal of tender is multi-faceted, moving through the gentleness, affection, vulnerability, and physicality of physical tender lust and love. We see the representations of many queer intersectional identities and experiences in each of the performances, each holding their own at any given moment on stage. Wherever you turn your head to during the performance, the queer is hella pervasive. An impressive showcase of the cast’s aerial abilities are spectacular, with daring flips and entanglements. We also see some neck-breaking contortion, a very intimate brand of circus, energetic dance, and awe-inspiring proudness from Pettigrew’s vocals as she tears down the house with her original songs. Within the group performances, it’s evident that the bounds of being tender are multi-faced and limitless, which get your heart and desires racing for more. Not to mention also, a kinky exploration of BDSM and sexuality. These scenes are both slow and fast-paced, representing the fluidity of tenderness. It is a beautifully written and extravagantly choreographed tale through a queer lens, and we are left to ponder what tender means to each and every one of us in our own lives and relationships at the end.