It’s hard work being a Cirque du Soleil performer, especially if you’re a main character in one of the most story-driven productions the company has produced since it started in 1984.
Gabriel Christo, 29, joined Cirque du Soleil at age 20. He was a professional gymnast at the time — so professional that he earned a spot on Brazil’s national team.
When the team didn’t qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Christo found a second career as an acrobatic performer in one of the world’s most famous circus companies.
“Toruk – The First Flight” is Christo’s fourth show with Cirque du Soleil. “Toruk” is set on the fictional planet of Pandora. You might remember it from James Cameron’s 1999 film “Avatar.” “Toruk” opens in Indianapolis at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Aug. 10 and lasts until Aug. 14.
The events in “Toruk” take place thousands of years before those in “Avatar” — before humans discovered the planet populated by Na’vi aliens.
In “Toruk,” Na’vi teenager Ralu, sometimes played by Christo, sets out to save the sacred Tree of Souls with his friend, Entu. Ralu and Entu speak their alien language throughout the show while a Na’vi storyteller narrates.
The show’s world tour began in December, and it will be performed in 32 cities before it reaches Indianapolis.
Where “Toruk” goes, Christo follows.
Performing for Cirque du Soleil is a dream for him, he said, but Christo’s days are long. And after Indianapolis, there are still 14 North American cities on the tour.
Here, we detail a typical first day in a new city for Christo: from breakfast to back to bed:
9 a.m.: Christo wakes up in his new hotel room.
9:20–9:50 a.m.: Christo eats his breakfast — usually a combination of fruit, yogurt, oatmeal and a slice of gluten-free bread with peanut butter. He has to eat a lot of calories to get through his day. Also, he gets on his laptop during this time to talk to friends and family.
9:50–10:10 a.m.: Christo preps for the day with a yoga routine.
10:10–11 a.m.: Christo takes a shower. He also packs his bag for the day. It contains training clothes, energy supplements, protein powder and a cellphone charger.
11-11:10 a.m.: Christo travels to the place where he’ll perform later in the evening. In some cities, he walks. In others, he might take a shuttle bus.
11:10-11:20 a.m. Christo searches for a dressing room where he’ll drop off his bags and put on his training clothes.
11:20–11:30 a.m.: Christo heads to the warm-up area. He’ll do pushups, active stretching, handstands and squats, among other things.
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: It’s time for Christo’s first onstage training session of the day. He’ll do some jogging, flipping and acrobatics — to ease into the training.. This time helps him get used to the new arena.
12:30–1 p.m.: Christo leaves the stage to eat lunch.
1–1:30 p.m.: For Christo’s second training session, he practices with Toruk, the namesake of the show, and also a flying creature that Christo’s character must search for to save the Tree of Souls. Toruk is a puppet in the show.
1:30–1:45 p.m.: Christo gets a 15 minute break. He often spends it talking to friends, drinking coffee and eating fruit.
1:45–2 p.m.: Christo starts his third training session, which involves climbing ropes.
2–2:45 p.m.: Christo leaves the stage again and starts his makeup routine, but doesn’t finish it. Performers apply their own makeup in two parts.
2:45–3:30: It’s back to the stage for Christo, where he practices a battle scene with a kite.
3:30–4:30 p.m.: Christo eats another snack of fruit and juice, then starts the second half of his makeup.
4:30–5 p.m.: Christo goes back to the stage to help with a scene where performers do acrobatic stunts while hanging from silk fabric.
5–5:30 p.m.: Christo eats his dinner of salted vegetables, rice, meat and lots of salad.
5:30–6 p.m.: It’s time for sound check. Christo gets temporarily mic’d up and returns to the stage to practice his lines.
6–6:15 p.m.: Christo visits the lighting technicians to retrieve his costume. They put sensors on it so the lights will follow him during the show. Christo also gathers the rest of his costume during this time.
6:15–6:30 p.m.: Christo gets a few rare minutes (15 of them) for relaxation.
6:30–7:10 p.m.: It’s back to business for Christo, who places the finishing touches on his appearance. He puts on his costume, which also needs to be mic’ed up.
7:10–7:30 p.m.: Christo warms. He stretches, lifts weights, squats and exercises his core. He even does some pullups.
7:30–10:45 p.m.: The house lights go down and the curtain is pulled open. It’s showtime. Christo is on stage for most of the show.
10:45–11 p.m.: Christo finishes the show. He removes his costume.
11-11:10 p.m.: He removes his makeup
11:10–11:20 p.m.: Christo heads to catering for a second dinner. He also chats with his friends.
11:20 p.m.–12:15 a.m.: Christo returns to the hotel. He showers and gets on the internet to talk to family and friends.
12:30 a.m. – It’s time for bed. Christo will be up in less than nine hours to start all over again.
{ SOURCE: Indy Star | http://goo.gl/m2ucGc }
