Are you ready to experience sensations that you’ve never felt before? Be captivated by a magical stage design that will take you to a new dimension. Be swept away by the excitement as the finest acrobatics of the Cirque du Soleil. Enter a world where the lines between reality and fiction are blurred through a moving story. Don’t take our word for it, come see it for yourself!
FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
THE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL IS PRESENTING SCALADA
Let yourself be transported to a new dimension with Scaladia: Vision!
SYNOPSIS
In this new story you will follow the adventures of a brother and sister who have an indestructible bond between them: a closeness that reflects the family values of the Andorran culture.
The protagonists will be faced with finding themselves separated in a totally unknown universe. They will arrive in an imaginary, surreal and futuristic world, where they will travel between reality and fiction. Throughout their adventure they will come across many elements of their home town, but in a futuristic form.
The little sister will let herself be ruled by her instincts until she becomes completely lost in this futuristic dimension. Her brother, meanwhile, will follow her footsteps in the hope of finding her, while immersed in a totally different experience. Separately, each of them must make this journey on their own, overcoming the challenges of their own reality. Their instincts and the strong bond of brother and sister will be the key to their meeting again.
DELVE INTO THE EVENT
Each scene will be carried along by the acrobatic, aerial and choreographic performances, which will evoke unmistakable aspects of Andorra.
• Scenography — This year, the stage makes way for video content to create a truly immersive atmosphere. The stage is built around the concept of a modular box that will whirl spectators between the disparate worlds of a brother and his sister. A series of movable, deconstructed façades provide a unique and mesmerising medium for the event’s storyline to unfold.
• Music — The musical arrangements have been crafted to conjure up two very distinct worlds: that of the brother and that of the sister. Not only are these distinctions the backbone of the story, but they will immerse spectators amidst a sensory experience, rousing a wide range of emotions. The sounds of a beat-boxer intermingle with the melodies of a live singer to deliver the event’s musical essence, which evinces the Cirque du Soleil’s musical expertise.
• Costume Design — The two distinctive worlds the event revolves around are further emphasised through the performer’s costumes: futuristic and linear designs mark the brother’s world, while colourful, imaginative and surreal ensembles represent the sister’s universe. All costumes draw from the reality of the brother and the sister, respectively.
• Lighting and Video — Lighting is used to further the event’s narrative, while enhancing its acrobatic performances. Video projections envelop the brother and the sister in their respective worlds. The brother’s universe is evoked using straight lines, a modern atmosphere, bright lights and a clearly defined tech appearance. The young sister’s world, on the other hand, is more surreal, organic, colourful and innocent. The video takes on a second layer of meaning by interacting with the performers. At certain moments the video content is influenced by the action taking place on-stage.
• Acrobatics — The aerial acrobatics and choreographies in Scalada: VISION were specially created with video projections in mind. The staging is inspired by a modular box allowing the main characters to travel between the two parallel worlds the story unfolds in. A brand new set of magical acrobatics will take the audience on a journey among these two dimensions, evoking the same emotions experienced by the event’s protagonists. This year’s event boasts more group performances than in previous years, making it all the more difficult and spectacular!
THREE UNIQUE MOMENTS
• The City of Lights — The brother experiences, for the very first time, a futuristic world, made of lights and videos, where he meets beings from another time who change. These characters creates a fascinating world of movement. Lost amidst the chaos of that world, where dancers and acrobats perform in unison, he becomes fearful of it, yet unable to resist its pull. He will have to find his way through it to complete his quest: finding his sister.
• Craving love — While seeking his younger sister, the brother finds himself in front of a fallen bridge. On the one side there stands a magnificent woman. The only thing connecting them will be the long rope -his only way across the bridge-, upon which they perform a poetic duo. In a tangible display of sensitivity, the duo bear each other’s weight so they can take flight. It’s an intimate moment where audiences will hold their breath, enveloped by the event’s visual poetry. (Duo Relation Act, created by Rigolo)
• The Giant Door Finale — In the last act, the sister reaches a giant door, which stands between her and her brother, who is on the other side. She must find a way to get to him. Using her imagination, which will have helped her throughout her journey, she conjures up a series of characters who perform incredible acrobatic feats on a power track. The more impressive the acrobatics, the wider the door opens.
CREATIVE TEAM
MUKHTAR OMAR SHARIF MUKHTAR
DIRECTOR
Mukhtar has been part of the Cirque du Soleil family since 2005, when he started as an artist in the event LOVE. In recent years, he has employed his creative talents in the design of the choreography and the staging of several major projects. He was involved in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing as an assistant choreographer. He also participated in the 2013 and 2014 editions of the event One Night for One Drop in Las Vegas, as choreographer and director, respectively. In the team 45Degrees, Mukhtar choreographed events for General Motors in Germany and the Mosaic Gala in Washington, and was behind the staging of the Cirque du Soleil section of C2-MTL 2013.
ALEXIS LAURENCE (LEX)
SCENOGRAPHER AND AUDIOVISUAL DESIGNER
The confluence of art and technology is what defines LEX, a new studio dedicated to new means of communication based on the design and production of audiovisual projects for the theatre and television, architectural projections and large-scale exhibition spaces. Since 2008, LEX has been specialising in art direction, stage design, production management, technical drawing, animation, 3D modelling, video content creation, programming, and the design of interactive lighting and sound for unique projects. The aim of the studio is to support the artistic process of a project through innovative, strategic and creative solutions and always with the aid of state-of-the-art technology. The studio’s founder, Alexis Laurence, has contributed as artistic director and in the technical development of corporate events, installations and events for both Cirque du Soleil and also for Cirque Éloize, Moment Factory, GSM Project, MUTEK, Igloofest and Montreal?s Quartier des Spectacles.
TONY ADIGUN
CHOREOGRAPHER
A man of many hats: creative director, curator, choreographer, dancer, educator and mentor. Tony Adigun devotes all his passion and performance to each project, giving it his own unique signature style. He is founder and Artistic Director of the dance company Avant Garde Dance and seeks to continuously explore new terrains with his work. Tony’s iconic style is renowned around the world, and he has choreographed and performed with top artists including Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Usher, Ashanti, Cheryl Cole, JoJo and Mel B, among others. His work with older people in community dance projects, commercial tours and artistic endeavours has enabled Adigun to get the best of the people he works with, bringing them his unique and innovative artistic vision. Tony creates works that transform and educate people, challenging them to accept his motto “Innovate Never Replicate”. Recipient of the BEFFTA Award for the Best Choreographer in 2011 and 2012, Tony is currently Creative Director on Sky One’s Got to Dance and dance consultant for the programme Britain’s Got Talent and two dance projects in London Collabo and Show & Prove.
BRUNO RAFIE
LIGHTING DESIGN
Bruno Rafie has the benefit of more than 20 years of experience as a lighting designer in the worlds of circus and music, as well as for television and special events. Since its very beginning, he has collaborated in the Montreal International Jazz Festival, where he has created the lighting for artists such as Stevie Wonder and Ben Harper. Rafie has twice received the Félix Award for lighting designer of the year, in 1994 and again in 2001. Outstanding among his work with Cirque du Soleil is the lighting he designed in 2010 for the 26th creation, ‘Banana Shpeel’. He is currently part of the special events team, with which he has just created the lighting for the event commemorating 30 years of Cirque du Soleil.
JEAN-MICHEL CARON
SOUND DESIGN
Kurios was the first complete Cirque du Soleil event co-designed by Jean-Michel Caron, who has two decades of experience working in the world of sound. Jean-Michel has spent the last six years of his career dedicated to creating sound environments, primarily for a series of special Cirque du Soleil events. He has also participated in several productions by the Moment Factory studio, based in Montreal, including ‘Ode to Life’, a multimedia event projected onto the facade of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona in 2012. He has also worked on numerous theatre projects and exhibitions in Quebec. Since joining Cirque du Soleil, Jean-Michel has worked on a variety of projects, including the events OVO, Zarkana, Totem and Amaluna. Jean-Michel has also been professor of sound design at the Collège d’Alma since 2012.
Check out more at SCALADA’S Website:
http://scalada.visitandorra.com/ENG/
