You may say you've seen better, but few acrobatic circus shows evoke the kind of erotically-charged shock and awe that you'll find in Spiegelworld's brand new "Desir," making its world premiere at South Street Seaport's Pier 17.

Alternating in performance with the better-known burlesque-inspired Absinthe, "Desir" is a perfect blend of mood and motion, a non-stop 80-minute display of gorgeously lithe bodies twisted up in obscenely impossible contortions.

Not quite R-rated, but as the clothes come off, "Desir" becomes a titillating orgy of acrobatics. The mirrored, stained glass Spiegeltent, seating no more than 300, provides an intimate setting evoking century-old Paris.

The motif is a Parisian nightclub where we're witness to backstage couplings among about a dozen very attractive performers.

Some of the characters are familiar names, like Josephine Baker, depicted in a hula hoop act. The famed Baroness Raymonde de Laroche, the world's first licensed female pilot, is featured in an jaw-dropping aerial pas de deux with another woman and a simple metal square. Their lithe bodies tangling into human knots is stunning to behold.

Effortlessness marks the entire company. Strong and sinewy, each of these performers don't even seem to break a sweat.

Much of the credit for the success of "Desir" goes to director Wayne Harrison and choreographer John "Cha Cha" O'Connell, best known for staging the dance sequences in the film "Moulin Rouge." Not only did they scope out the gifted acts from around the world, they crafted the mood-rich setting and eclectic score that showcase these unique talents in such flattering light.

Watching those incredibly fit bodies and considering the intense discipline it took to get them there reminded me of a line from Shakespeare: "What a piece of work is man." And woman isn't so bad either.

But at show's end, as I got up from my seat, I became painfully aware of my own lack of physical fitness, and another Shakespearean line came to mind. I paraphrase: "Get thee to a gym."