======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) T h e U n o f f i c i a l C i r q u e d u S o l e i l N e w s l e t t e r ------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.CirqueFascination.com ------------------------------------------------------------ ======================================================================= VOLUME 14, NUMBER 9 September 2014 ISSUE #128 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. Since we last spoke Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour held its final curtain call (on August 31st in Guadalajara, Mexico), to much fanfare. Although not a favorite of mine, the show proved highly successful for Cirque du Soleil: more than 3 million fans across 27 countries on 4 continents experienced the show, and it frequently found itself among the top earning tours in the world. Not bad, not bad! Other than the closing of IMMORTAL and the pending final shows of Dralion later in the year (or more technically mid January next year), it's been another quiet month, news wise. There have been some rumblings heard that when the Cirque Online Boutique reappears - which it should do some time in the fall - that not only will there be a KURIOS CD for purchase, but also a DVD of the show to get our hands on! The show is now in Toronto so we could see a filming there soon enough, but considering how long it takes Cirque to release a DVD these days (Amaluna took a year from filming to release), I won't hold my breath. Still, if they can make it happen I'll be one of the first to order it! (Better still, put it out on their Video on Demand system... we could use a few more new titles there!) For our feature articles this month we have a couple of special reprints. The first is an essay we found online entitled "Crossing Borders: The Multimodal Language of Cirque du Soleil". Written some- time in 2001 or 2002 by a student at the University of Toronto, it examines the nature of Cirque du Soleil and how it is able to find success in lands with different cultures and languages. It was quite the interesting find. Therefore, we re-print the essay in its entirety within. The second is an interview Ian Reents of the Solar Flare Podcast held via phone with Natasha Hallett, former performer with Mystère and La Nouba. While the podcast is currently on hiatus (we've been assured he'll be back in the near future - with some great interviews!), in the meantime we thought it would be great to showcase Solar Flare's first interview. It's a great one! As always we've got the latest news items posted to Fascination! Web, the posts made to CirqueClub's pages and Cirque's Facebook links, and, of course, updates to Cirque's tour schedule. So, let's get started! Join us on the web at: < www.cirquefascination.com > Realy Simple Syndication (RSS) Feed (News Only): < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?feed=rss2 > - Ricky "Richasi" Russo =========== CONTENTS =========== o) Cirque Buzz -- News, Rumours & Sightings o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Didyaknow? -- Facts About Cirque * Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube o) Fascination! Features * "Crossing Borders: The Multimodal Language of Cirque" By: James Skidmore - Special Essay Reprint * "Solar Flare: On-Call with Natasha Hallett" By: Ian Rents - Special Interview Reprint o) Subscription Information o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= Interview with Selloane, vocalist for La Nouba {Aug.02.2014} ----------------------------------------------------- Selloane, one of the vocalists for La Nouba, talks about her start with Disney, working in various productions of The Lion King, the Cirque environment, and more. Check out this video interview from Orlando Examiner: LINK /// < http://youtu.be/Rje9-fLE3Tk > { SOURCE: YouTube / Orlando Examiner } Cool Find: Nouvelle Experience 1992 TV Spot {Aug.03.2014} ----------------------------------------------------- NouvelleBaron, a member over at CirqueSpotlight, discovered and posted this video today – a 60-second TV Spot advertising Nouvelle Experience's 1992 US Tour (at the Mirage). Cool find! LINK /// < http://youtu.be/wDze5WDjbmE > BONUS: TV Spot for Cirque du Soleil's 1985 Tour! LINK /// < http://youtu.be/_5hYq9ejmgk > { SOURCE: CirqueSpotlight, YouTube } New act, new clowns, new laughs at La Nouba {Aug.18.2014} ----------------------------------------------------- Not all laughs are created equal. Just ask the new clowns in Cirque du Soleil's "La Nouba." "When the people smile, I feel safe. I feel comfortable," says Pablo Gomis López in Spanish. "When I see all the world laughing, I feel at home." Gomis López is half of a clown double-act that joined "La Nouba," Cirque's show at Downtown Disney, this year. Besides their jobs, the two new performers have other things in common, such as their nationality — they're Spanish — and their names. "I'm Pablo G," says Gomis López. "And I … am Pablo B," says Pablo Bermejo Medina. They're both dressed as regular guys, without the outfits and makeup that transform them into circus clowns, as they converse in the big, white tent-shaped building that has housed the show since 1998. On the subject of laughter, both artists say they want to generate "laughs that come from deep inside, ones that are really felt. Chuckles don't do much for us," said Gomis López, 37. He has learned that mouth movements and wrinkles around the eyes are the giveaways for real laughter. "As you can see … I have laughed a lot," jokes Bermejo Medina, pointing out his wrinkles. In "La Nouba," the two are the first and last characters the audience sees. They are responsible for two skits and five acts during the show. The pair's clowning links the acrobatic feats of "La Nouba" and "humanizes much of the show," says Bermejo Medina, 38, who is tall and thin and wears a lilac overcoat. In contrast, his shorter and stockier companion dresses in orange overalls. In the show, their relationship is like that of mischievous brothers as they joke in their own invented language. In fact, Gomis López and Bermejo Medina have been friends since they met at the High School of Dramatic Arts of Murcia in their native Spain more than 15 years ago. For five years, Gomis Lopez worked on the Cirque du Soleil touring show "Alegría," which closed in December. Bermejo Medina joined the tour in its last six months. Two of the five clown acts in "La Nouba" come from "Alegría." The other three are new and were created by the pair. Gomis López, who was born in Alicante, says his family members are happy that he has work, despite the thousands of miles that separate them. "They told me, ‘Don't come back here,' because Spain is in crisis. ‘Stay there so you can be well,' but in truth, I miss being in Spain," he says. He smiles as he explains that he pursued a career in theater to court a young woman. "In the end," he says, "the theater made me happier than the woman, and I stayed with the theater." { SOURCE: Orlando Sentinel | http://goo.gl/RW4xkR } KURIOS represents a bold return to early days {Aug.22.2014} ----------------------------------------------------- For Cirque du Soleil, what happens in Vegas winds up in Toronto. Kurios — Cabinet of Curiosities, the latest touring show from the Quebec company, opens at the Port Lands on Aug. 28. It's a bold return to the early days of Cirque, filled with unique performers, a handmade style of design and a desire to entertain, rather than impress. But the show's origins can clearly be traced to Sin City on a night 14 months earlier. June 29, 2013 was Cirque du Soleil's Charles Dickens evening: it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. At 11 p.m. that night, the opening night party for Michael Jackson: One was in full swing at the Mandalay Bay Resort, fuelled by the joyous realization that the losing streak of mostly unsuccessful shows that had plagued the company around the world for the past six years had finally come to an end. But at that very moment, just a few blocks up the strip at the MGM Grand, the second show that night of Robert Lepage's KA finished abruptly and tragically as an acrobat named Sarah Guyard-Guillot suddenly plummeted 15 metres to the ground and became the first performer in Cirque's 29-year history to die during a performance. It was a cathartic moment for the Quebec company which began as a group of ragtag street entertainers and had transformed themselves over three decades into one of the most successful entertainment empires ever, having played to over 90 million people around the world, employing 5,000 people from 40 countries and grossing $1 billion in 2013. Their rags to riches story was the kind of saga people loved to follow and when they boldly confronted Las Vegas titan Steve Wynn to have their first show on the Strip, Mystere, done the way that they wanted it, everyone cheered, especially now that their Nevada empire has swelled to include eight shows which play to 9,000 people nightly. But something went wrong along the way. And that night in Vegas was a powerful reminder to Cirque that the life of one artist meant more than all the commercial success in the world. Around the time that the public became aware that Cirque's founder Guy Laliberté had become a certified billionaire thanks to his worldwide troupe of travelling players, it also started to register that Cirque was producing too often, in too many places and the law of diminishing returns was starting to set in. The numbers tell the story. In the first 15 years of their existence, they produced 11 shows. The next 15 years saw them producing 22. And Laliberté's almost Napoleonic desire to conquer the world led to unsuccessful expeditions into Tokyo, Manhattan, Chicago and Los Angeles. "They just started doing too much," says Montreal Gazette theatre critic Pat Donnelly, a close observer of the Cirque scene from the very start. "There was an ill-advised foray into Los Angeles with Iris that lost them a bundle of money. Banana Shpeel in Chicago and New York just wasn't their field of expertise. "And even something that should have been a no-brainer, like doing Viva Elvis! in Vegas, put the wrong show in the wrong setting and the marriage didn't work." Donnelly makes it clear that she believes Cirque has done and continues to do a lot of impressive work. "They've had tremendous success, but when you put that many ships out to sea, some of them are likely to hit a few wrecks." She recalls that giddy period during 2007-8 when Cirque opened eight shows around the world and says "I couldn't keep up with them. Nobody could. I was exhausted. Their publicists were exhausted. Everyone was exhausted! They just kept throwing money at shows and it didn't always fix them." And even though Cirque's CEO, the prudent Daniel Lamarre, told the Star in 2008 that "we are out to do only one thing; to build the best show that anyone can build," it was obvious by 2012 that things had gone out of control and a change was made. That year, for the first time since 2005, only one show opened, the relatively simple touring production, Amaluna. And although Michael Jackson: One was very much Cirque in its expansionist, go-big-or-go-home-celebrity-worshipping mode, the plans for that show had been generated over five years before and savvy Cirque minds knew that its success didn't mean they could return to that path. Besides closing several money-bleeding properties around the world, the best signal Cirque could send out to everyone about their future intentions would be what they produced on the stage, which is why Kurios is so important. "Like many other artists, Cirque thrives on adversity," says Donnelly "and what they did with Kurios was very revealing and very important." To direct this crucial show in the organization's development, the founders of Cirque didn't turn to an international superstar like Robert Lepage, a noted filmmaker like Francois Girard or a supernova American director like Diane Paulus, all of which had been recent choices. Instead, they trusted the show to Michel Laprise, a hard-working theatre artist who has been with Cirque for 14 years, but as a talent scout and a special events designer, not a director. "Sure it was a gamble to trust an in-house guy," says Donnelly, "but it was a smart gamble. He understood theatre, he understood talent, he knew what Cirque was really all about." That was entertainment and originality. On the bright May afternoon when Kurios was scheduled to open in Montreal, Laprise sat down in the theatre to talk about the show. He's a compact man, vibrant, energetic and throughout the conversation various performers, technicians and craftsmen came up to hug him affectionately. "You see how I work?" he laughed. "The artists are at the core of everything I do. When I was a young man and came to Cirque, I was hooked after one month. I knew this was where I wanted to be." Laprise admits that he was surprised when Laliberté asked him if he would direct the next Cirque production at this crucial time in their history, but he had his answer ready. "I told him I would love to do it if I could recreate the emotion I had when I first came to Cirque. It gave a lot of meaning to my life and I wanted to recapture that." There's a real closeness to the audience in Kurios, a lack of that often-pretentious artistic distance that Cirque had thrived on in recent years and Laprise admits it's 100% intentional. "I wanted to go back to the feeling we had when we were street performers. You had to grab people's attention right away. Not with something spectacular, but with something original. With talent. I wanted to have something joyful like we have in the street, because we come from the street." And so the sets and props of Stéphane Roy are full of wooden gears and wheels, the costumes of Phillippe Guillotel have a deliciously handmade steampunk kind of feel, while the music of Raphael Beau and Bob & Bill brings back every haunting circus tune you've ever heard. But it's the artists who make the real difference: a truly eclectic collection of tumblers, jugglers, acrobats and zanies whose energy pours off the stage and into your heart. As Peter Allen once wrote, "Everything old is new again," and that's the secret behind Kurios. By rediscovering its simple origins, Cirque du Soleil may just have discovered the way to make their second 30 years even more triumphant than their first. "I think they're back on track," says Donnelly, and the public seems to be agreeing, with record-breaking attendance greeting the show's first two runs in Montreal and Quebec City. And now it's Toronto's turn. "The audience," says Laprise with a grin. "That's always the secret ingredient." { SOURCE: Toronto Star | http://goo.gl/hcOuFr } Cirque & SWA Celebrate 50th Anniversary of The Beatles' Landing in Las Vegas! {Aug.22.2014} ----------------------------------------------------- Cast members from The Beatles "Love" by Cirque du Soleil commemorate the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles' historic Las Vegas arrival in 1964. In celebration of the band's first and only visit, cast members from "Love" took the same route the Fab Four did 50 years ago by taking a Southwest flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas while travelers arriving from all over the globe were treated to surprise performances from the critically acclaimed show inside McCarran Airport Terminal 1 baggage claim. "It's hard to believe Beatlemania swept the United States 50 years ago," said Tim Smith, Artistic Director for "Love." "We at ‘Love' are delighted to keep that spirit alive every night at The Mirage in Las Vegas. It was natural for us to want to honor The Beatles and their fans by celebrating the only way we at Cirque du Soleil know how – with exhilarating live performances that bring the music of The Beatles to life." Earlier in the day cast members surprised guests at San Francisco International Airport with a special performance prior to boarding a Southwest flight to Las Vegas. During the flight, passengers were treated to in-flight giveaways as they posed for photos with the cast. "We love to create special moments onboard our flights," said Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines Vice President Communication and Outreach. "Celebrating this historic flight with The Beatles ‘Love' by Cirque du Soleil is a fun and unique way to leave a lasting memory with our customers." The celebration continued at McCarran International Airport's baggage claim as travelers were greeted with pop-up performances by the "Love"cast. The performances featured a special arrangement of three of The Beatles' biggest hits including "Get Back," "Drive My Car" and "Sgt. Pepper," with "Love" performers dancing on top of the carousels and acrobats flipping on trampolines as a vintage 1960s Volkswagen Beetle was driven through baggage claim. "Love," a Cirque du Soleil creation and co-production with Apple Corps Ltd., celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles and is presented exclusively at The Mirage in Las Vegas. "Love" marks the first time that The Beatles and Apple Corps Ltd. agreed to a major theatrical partnership. The project was born out of a personal friendship and mutual admiration between the late George Harrison and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté. The Beatles "Love" by Cirque du Soleil opened to rave reviews on June 30, 2006 and has played to more than six million audience members. "Love" is the recipient of three GRAMMY Awards. { SOURCE: The Empty Lighthouse Magazine | http://goo.gl/9vVZqH } Backstage at KURIOS, which both defies logic and is utterly real {Aug.25.2014} ----------------------------------------------------- Everyone backstage calls Cirque du Soleil a family, but it's never more obvious than when director Michel Laprise is around. It's half an hour before a Friday matinee and so many performers in makeup come to hug and greet Laprise that his cheeks are marked with lipstick and green glitter. Back in Montreal after a month travelling to Japan, China, Las Vegas and Toronto (where he spent three days dancing at WorldPride), Laprise is excited to watch his show, Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities, again. Throughout its first month this past spring, the director had been sitting in the audience almost every day. Today, along with a dark denim jacket emblazoned with the company's insignia, he wears an indefatigable smile – he is inviting every single person backstage to a party at his house on the weekend. Laprise's directorial debut reinvents Cirque du Soleil, the Canadian entertainment company that is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. "I know the house, so I know how to challenge the rules," says Laprise, who started working with Cirque in 2000, first in casting and then in special events. "I don't want us to be sleepy; we have to be awake all the time." Kurios certainly keeps the audience wide awake. Beneath the yellow- and blue-striped grand chapiteau, the show takes place in an alternate steampunk reality where a mad scientist transports an ensemble cast of mechanical, aquatic and humanoid creatures into his laboratory from a parallel dimension. Invention plays a starring role, from what was then new technology, like the airplane, to innovations on circus classics: a puppet show where a human hand is a creature that breakdances and rides a hot-air balloon, a big top where the performers are invisible, and a balancing routine with an anti- gravity, upside-down twist. Kurios is beguiling because it's more clever than merely death-defying (although, beware, a few acts will induce popcorn stress-eating). It captivates with novelty, evoking that same feeling of wonder Laprise says he experienced when he spied on a Cirque du Soleil dress rehearsal as a little boy. Backstage – an ecosystem that supports 107 people on tour, 150 local hires in every new city, and comes complete with generators, cafeteria, laundry rooms and a medical centre – is equally remarkable. Every effortlessly polished performance belies the endless practice and personal sacrifice that is a prerequisite of life with the circus. For many in the family, joining the company has been a life-long dream. Australian Nathan Dennis started trampoline when he was nine, after watching Cirque's Saltimbanco, which ran for more than 20 years before closing in 2002. "It was never my goal to go to the Olympics or the World Championships," he says. "It was always, when I was old enough, audition for Cirque." For Dennis, the dream came full circle when he was cast in the same show. "I don't think I celebrated. I think I went straight to the gym to train," he says, laughing. The acrobat toured with Saltimbanco for six years before joining Kurios when rehearsals began in January. In this new production, he is part of the Acro Net act, which features a net that stretches across the stage and allows acrobats dressed as extraterrestrial fish to jump to breathtaking heights, launched by the weight of other performers, their bioluminescent fins flapping slightly in the breeze. Polish performer Lidia Kaminska plays the accordion in Kurios, a skill she has been perfecting since first picking up the instrument when she was nine. She toured with Alegria for over four years before signing on with Kurios. "The show is always different," Kaminska says. "Seeing the acts is very inspiring every day – it's like real people doing unreal things." Her own performance is anything but ordinary – even on the days she has two shows, she will practise for an hour or two before curtain. "It's never enough actually. There's always more practice to do," she says. Kaminska describes the music played by the seven-piece band as "gypsy jazz." Along with electrical and mechanical sound effects – gears turning, clocks chiming, light bulbs buzzing – the musicians drive the show, even literally, conducting a locomotive around the audience. Sixty per cent of the Kurios performers have been in a Cirque show before; many left ongoing productions, taking a reduced training salary for months because they wanted to contribute to something new. But, at least for Kaminska and Dennis, the hardest part of the job is maintaining relationships outside of the Cirque family. Kaminska has a husband who lives in Philadelphia. Dennis wants to settle down one day. "I think this will be my last show," he says. "I want to stay here a few years, but then I want to go somewhere and do personal training and coaching." It's also a job that is extremely taxing on the body. Ryan Murray, an American acrobat in the Acro Net act with Dennis, hurt a toe during morning rehearsal, and is sitting out today's show, watching from backstage for the first time in some 80 performances. Greek singer Eirini Tornesaki, whose supernatural voice drives Kurios, is also sitting out her first show, to rest her vocal cords. It's unfortunate timing; she is expecting a friend in the audience. Laprise says these last few days in Montreal will be the hardest on everyone. They've been rehearsing since January, and opened in April without a real break – but there will be some rest time between upcoming stops on their two-year North American tour. Work days might just be longest for British general stage manager Alan Parry. "Stage management, we're the first in and we're the last to leave," he says. Parry joined Cirque 12 years ago as a stagehand, operating trap doors for the show Dralion, before working his way up the ranks. "It's more than a job. It's a life choice; I mean, we live on tour. For the last 10 years, I haven't had a home anywhere," he says. In Perry's view, what makes Cirque unique is that the performers are involved with everything from applying their own makeup to executing set changes – including pedalling out the giant hand that is the performance pedestal for a group of contortionists who undulate like sparkling eels. The cast's wardrobe, by Philippe Guillotel, mixes old-fashioned design – bathing costumes, short trousers and top hats – with fantasy. Full-body robot shells look equal parts alien and insect; an accordion suit moves and sounds like its musical model. Laprise intentionally created a show around a mostly human cast of characters – that's also different from other Cirque shows, which emphasize the mystical and imaginary. Of course, there are elements of both in Kurios – but it's more about connection. "When you write a show that is going to last," says Laprise, "you have to have a language that is universal, that is profoundly human." { SOURCE: Globe and Mail | http://goo.gl/jEjDLh } Jeff Pearlman on Bill May, Synchro Swimmer in "O" {Aug.27.2014} ----------------------------------------------------- Jeff Pearlman has been a fan of Bill May since he was an up-and- comer at Sports Illustrated back in the late 1990s. Then, May was a young athlete who competed in synchronized swimming – a sport normally reserved for woman. And he was extraordinary. Bill was named the U.S. Synchronized Swimming Athlete of the Year in 1998 and 1999. However, he also battled for respect and admittance into events. Sometimes he won these fights (he was allowed to participate in the Goodwill Games). Often (like his efforts to compete in the 2004 Summer Olympics) he lost. However, throughout his career, he carried himself with remarkable dignity and grace. These days, Bill lives in Las Vegas, where he performs in Cirque du Soleil‘s spectacular water-based show, O. # # # J.P.: You've worked with Cirque du Soleil since Jan. 1, 2005. This fascinates me—how'd you hear of the gig? Land the gig? And does it fill the void left when you stopped competitive swimming? B.M.: I was actually contacted by Cirque. I work for Cirque du Soleil's O, which is a water show in Las Vegas. The show was created with two of the few male synchronized swimmers at the time, so when a spot opened I was fortunate enough to fit the requirements. That was actually an advantage of being a male in synchronized swimming. Due to the fact that there weren't many male synchronized swimmers, it was gave me an amazing opportunity to be the only male in one of the most renowned shows in the world. However, oddly enough, I only do two synchronized swimming routines in the show. The rest of the show, I spend my time moving about the stage as what could be described as a moving shoulder contortionist character called the "Waiter." Each Cirque Du Soleil show has a core of characters that appear throughout the show and oddly bind the show together. One of them is me. J.P.: You perform 476 shows per year—which seems the equivalent of Hall and Oates playing Maneater 476 times per year. How does it not ultimately bore the shit out of you? Doesn't it get dull and painfully repetitive? B.M.: At first glance, 476 shows a year seems overwhelming, but considering all the variables changes the entire outlook. Each night there is just as much of a show back stage as there is on stage. Everyone is talking about their daily life, which in the circus, is very entertaining. Also each and every show has a different audience with creates a different show or energy. We are like snowflakes … from a distance the show may look the same, but in reality, each and every show is beautiful and unique from the one before. # # # Check out Jeff Pearlman's full chat with Bill May here: LINK /// < http://goo.gl/8NPcpk > { SOURCE: Jeff Pearlman.com } A look at the harried life of Cirque performers {Aug.28.2014} ----------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil performers may not sleep in caravans, but pretty much everything else about that lifestyle is true. They work long hours, put their bodies on the line every day, and have to put their families on the back-burner. It can be a lonely life. But many Cirque performers like Karl Lecuyer – playing the role of Mr. Microcosmos in the production Kurios, Cabinet of Curiosities, premiering in Toronto Thursday – have made it work. The trampolinist and father of two met his wife, a contortionist, on his last tour, and has found a way to start a family without settling down. "I joined the circus single, then I came back home with a wife and two kids," he says. "So it's not true that when you're travelling away from home you can't build a family." His family is now travelling with him while he continues the North American tour. "Sometimes the kids are with one, sometimes the kids are with the other one," said Lecuyer, who adds that the arrangements can be challenging, but they're willing to make sacrifices to continue doing what they love. After nine years on the road, artistic assistant Sheryl-Lynne Valensky says Skype is the key to maintaining her romantic relationship. "Whenever I can, we get the jet lag song: it's morning, it's midnight, how was your day … but you get used to it because it becomes your normal," she says. "When I go to England and John and I have two weeks together, we pack into those two weeks what people would normally pack into three months." The performers get paid "more than a teacher and less than a professional baseball player," according to Valensky. But it's not as glamourous as people think. It's physically demanding, they only go home a few weeks every year, and are otherwise working six days a week training and performing from morning to night. "It's really important to keep a life balance, 'cause if all you do is eat, sleep, work, you'll go crazy," says Valensky. "I think the people that stay on tour the longest and love it the most are the ones that figure out a way to have a life on tour as well as do all the things that we have to do." Japanese world yo-yo champion, who goes by the name Black, says it's a job he wouldn't trade for any other. While others go out to explore the city on their day off, Black says he uses that time to focus on improving his act. "Now I'm a world champion, TED speaker, cirque artist, but before I grab yo-yo I have no self-esteem or any confidence," he says. "I got this position now but it comes from a lot of efforts and a lot of help. So I don't have a lot of extra energy to enjoy other entertainment for myself." With 46 artists coming from 13 different countries on the Kurios tour, Valensky says the most difficult thing for most artists isn't necessarily jumping and flipping 10 meters into the air. "Everyone has skills but they've trained a different way, they warm up a different way, so we have to find common ground 'cause we all have to work together," she says. "We're kind of like a mini United Nation. It's all about negotiation, and sometimes mediation." Tough as it is, it's the life head coach Alexander Pikhienko has come to love. "I'm travelling 40 years now, I just adjust my life, I can't stay home," he said. "I tried, I switched to the Las Vegas division, and after two years I decided to go back to tour." Cirque du Soleil is bringing a bit of reality into their latest production Kurios, Cabinet of Curiosities. Set in the late 1800s, the story about imagination and invention, focuses on a curious man and his journey as he "unlocks the door to a world of wonders." Kurios, the Quebec-based performing company's 35th production since 1984, has gotten rave reviews in Montreal and Quebec City in the last few months. Artistic assistant Sheryl-Lynne Valensky says they key is bringing the production back to its roots. "We took a real time period and we sort of gave the audience something almost kind of recognizable to start," she said. "We give them a little familiarity and then we turn it all upside down. It goes back to the old Cirque du Soleil where it's really focusing on the acrobatics and the mechanics, rather than the technology." { SOURCE: Metro News | http://goo.gl/fDxsZ6 } "O" performer injured during show; "Doing well" {Aug.28.2014} ----------------------------------------------------- A Cirque du Soleil acrobat, whose name has not been released, was injured during a performance of "O" at Bellagio on Wednesday, August 27th after hitting the stage while dismounting from the show's Russian Swing act. In the act, the performers swing back and forth like pendulums on mounted boards until they gain enough momentum to vault into the air and land in the water. The show simultaneously employs three such pieces in "O," with performers alternately being shot skyward toward the center of the stage. In Wednesday's show, the artist reportedly missed the water and instead struck the padded concrete stage. The show stopped for 10-15 minutes, with audience members watching as technicians treated the artist on stage. Shortly after the accident, performers returned to the stage and the show proceeded. "Immediate emergency response was applied. This morning, the artist has been released from the hospital and is doing well," said Cirque spokeswoman Stephanie Capellas. There was no word on what exactly happened to cause the injuries, but Cirque confirmed an investigation is underway. "As with any incident, Cirque du Soleil will investigate the cause related to it." { SOURCES: KTNV, KVVU, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Las Vegas Sun } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Amaluna, Corteo, Koozå, OVO, Totem & Kurios} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Quidam, Dralion & Varekai} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, Believe, Zarkana, MJ ONE & JOYÀ} NOTE: .) While we make every effort to provide complete and accurate touring dates and locations available, the information in this section is subject to change without notice. As such, the Fascination! Newsletter does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of these listings. For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit Cirque's website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Amaluna: Washington, DC -- Jul 31, 2014 to Sep 21, 2014 Atlanta, GA -- Oct 3, 2014 to Nov 30, 2014 Miami, FL -- Dec 11, 2014 to Jan 25, 2015 Houston, TX -- Feb 12, 2015 to Mar 22, 2015 Madrid, ES -- May 7, 2015 to Jun 21, 2015 Corteo: Santiago, CL -- Aug 19, 2014 to Oct 5, 2014 Lima, PE -- Oct 25, 2014 to Nov 9, 2014 Koozå: Warsaw, PL -- Sep 17, 2014 to Oct 12, 2014 Düsseldorf, DE -- Nov 6, 2014 to Dec 14, 2014 London, UK -- Jan 7, 2015 to Feb 19, 2015 Kurios: Toronto, ON -- Aug 28, 2014 to Oct 26, 2014 San Francisco, CA -- Nov 14, 2014 to Jan 18, 2015 Seattle, WA -- Jan 29, 2015 to Feb 22, 2015 Denver, CO -- TBA Calgary, AB -- TBA Ovo: Osaka, JP -- Jul 17, 2014 to Nov 2, 2014 Nagoya, JP -- Nov 20, 2014 to Feb 1, 2015 Fukuoka, JP -- Feb 20, 2015 to Apr 5, 2015 Sendai, JP -- Apr 23, 2015 to Jun 7, 2015 Totem: Auckland, NZ -- Aug 22, 2014 to Sep 28, 2014 Syndey, AU -- Oct 28, 2014 to Jan 11, 2015 Melbourne, AU -- Jan 21, 2015 to Feb 15, 2015 Brisbane, AU -- Apr 10, 2015 to Apr 26, 2015 Adelaide, AU -- Jun 11, 2015 to Jul 5, 2015 Perth, AU -- Jul 31, 2015 to Aug 16, 2015 ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ Quidam: Athens, GR -- Sep 20, 2014 to Sep 28, 2014 Thessaloniki, GR -- Sep 30, 2014 to Oct 5, 2014 Zurich, CH -- Oct 15, 2014 to Oct 19, 2014 Rome, IT -- Oct 22, 2014 to Oct 26, 2014 Bologna, IT -- Oct 30, 2014 to Nov 2, 2014 Florence, IT -- Nov 6, 2014 to Nov 9, 2014 Pesaro, IT -- Nov 14, 2014 to Nov 16, 2014 Milan, IT -- Nov 19, 2014 to Nov 23, 2014 Turin, IT -- Nov 27, 2014 to Nov 30, 2014 Paris, FR -- Dec 2, 2014 to Dec 7, 2014 Lille, FR -- Dec 10, 2014 to Dec 14, 2014 Lisbon, PT -- Dec 18, 2014 to Dec 28, 2014 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, ES -- Jan 3, 2015 to Jan 11, 2015 Bratislava, SK -- Feb 5, 2015 to Feb 8, 2015 Budapest, HU -- Feb 13, 2015 to Feb 15, 2015 Vilnius, LT -- Mar 18, 2015 to Mar 22, 2015 Minsk, BY -- Mar 26, 2015 to Mar 29, 2015 Dralion: Palma de Mallorca, ES -- Aug 28, 2014 to Sep 6, 2014 Albany, NY -- Oct 2, 2014 to Oct 5, 2014 State Collge, PA -- Oct 8, 2014 to Oct 12, 2014 Wilkes-Barre, PA -- Oct 15, 2014 to Oct 19, 2014 Charlottesville, VA -- Oct 22, 2014 to Oct 26, 2014 Sault Ste. Marie, ON -- Oct 29, 2014 to Nov 2, 2014 Fort Wayne, IN -- Nov 5, 2014 to Nov 9, 2014 Bloomington, IL -- Nov 12, 2014 to Nov 16, 2014 Cedar Rapids, IA -- Nov 19, 2014 to Nov 23, 2014 Duluth, MN -- Nov 26, 2014 to Nov 30, 2014 Kearney, NE -- Dec 3, 2014 to Dec 7, 2014 Regina, SK -- Dec 10, 2014 to Dec 14, 2014 Lethbridge, AB -- Dec 17, 2014 to Dec 21, 2014 Kamloops, BC -- Dec 24, 2014 to Dec 28, 2014 Prince George, BC -- Dec 31, 2014 to Jan 4, 2015 Fairbanks, AK -- Jan 8, 2015 to Jan 11, 2015 Anchorage, AK -- Jan 14, 2015 to Jan 18, 2015 ** Closing, Anchorage, AK - Jan 18, 2015 ** Varekai: Portland, ME -- Sep 3, 2014 to Sep 7, 2014 Philadelphia, PA -- Sep 10, 2014 to Sep 14, 2014 Orlando, FL -- Sep 17, 2014 to Sep 21, 2014 Estero, FL -- Sep 24, 2014 to Sep 28, 2014 Highland Heights, KY -- Oct 16, 2014 to Oct 19, 2014 Roanoke, VA -- Oct 22, 2014 to Oct 26, 2014 Hershey, PA -- Oct 29, 2014 to Nov 2, 2014 Columbia, SC -- Nov 5, 2014 to Nov 9, 2014 Hampton, VA -- Nov 12, 2014 to Nov 16, 2014 New Orleans, LA -- Nov 19, 2014 to Nov 23, 2014 Sioux Falls, SD -- Dec 11, 2014 to Dec 14, 2014 Milwaukee, WI -- Dec 18, 2014 to Dec 21, 2014 Minneapolis, MN -- Dec 23, 2014 to Dec 28, 2014 Colorado Springs, CO -- Dec 31, 2014 to Jan 4, 2015 St. Louis, MO -- Jan 7, 2015 to Jan 11, 2015 Wichita, KS -- Jan 14, 2015 to Jan 18, 2015 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- Mystère: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2014 Dark Dates: o September 4 - 12 o November 5 - 7 Added performances in 2014: o December 26 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2014 Dark Dates: o October 5 o December 1 - 16 Added performances in 2014: o June 3 o December 29 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm 2014 Dark Dates: o September 14 - 22 o November 2 - 5 o December 7 - 9 Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 10:00pm 2014 Dark Dates: o August 20-September 4 o October 21 o December 10-18 KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2014 Dark Dates: o September 21-29 o December 2 Added performances in 2014: o December 28 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2014 Dark Dates: o October 2 o December 2 - 17 Added performances in 2014: o December 31 BELIEVE: Location: Luxor, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 10:00pm NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Children under the age of five are not permitted into the theater. 2014 Dark Dates: o September 1 - 8 o November 9 - 17 ZARKANA: Location: Aria, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2014 Dark Dates: o September 3 - 11 o November 4 MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly: 7:00pm and 10:00pm 2014 Dark Dates: o September 24 - 26 o November 13 - 28 Added performances in 2014: o December 26 JOYÀ: Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday One/Two Shows Nightly: 9:00pm (Weekdays) 7:00pm & 10:15pm (Fri, Sat & Holidays) Premiere will be held on Saturday, November 8th at 9:00pm Prices: o) VIP Show Dinner & Champagne [RED] — $MXN 2,970.00 o) Show Dinner and Champagne [BLUE] — $MXN 2,178.00 o) Show and Champagne [GREEN] — $MXN 1,452.00 o) Show Only [ORANGE] — $MXN $1,056 o) High Stools (Show Only) [PURPLE] — $MXN 858.000 ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) Didyaknow? –- Facts About Cirque o) Networking -- Posts on Facebook, G+, & YouTube --------------------------------------- DIDYAKNOW?: Facts About Cirque --------------------------------------- o) Did you know Dralion has more than 50 different styles of masks, hats and wigs? o) Did you know that KA maintaines over 300 pairs of shoes? o) Did you know the La Noubae wardrobe department handles over 3000 costumes and headpieces every day? Most of the 65 artists performing for the show wear three different costumes! o) Did you know there are 26 projectors that display video content on the stage and around the proscenium in Michael Jackson ONE? o) Did you know Mystère's Alice the Snail weights over 2,000 pounds, and is pushed by four carpenters? o) Did you know that each performer in "O" has an average of 5 different looks they wear on stage? o) Did you know? Here are some interesting facts about the set design of OVO: The Wall measures 60ft wide by 20ft tall. It is supported only on the sides to allow a floor with built-in trampolines to slide in and out like an enormous drawer. The larger of the two skins covering the world of OVO measures 75ft wide by 50ft tall. Three long poles weighing 80lb evoke dandelion stalks. Their spines allow artists to climb them like ladders. The waterfall uses dry ice to recreate water and the morning dew. The egg, which is inflatable, measures 28ft wide by 22ft tall. o) Did you know technicians use 204 moving lights, 1000 dimmers and one finger to control all the lighting in LOVE. o) Did you know that each of the Slippery Surface costumes has 80 leaves? Varekai's wardrobe team has to steam approximately 1,200 leaves before every show! They are steamed one by one and all by hand! --------------------------------------------------- NETWORKING: Cirque on Facebook, YouTube & Twitter --------------------------------------------------- {Compiled by Keith Johnson} ---[ AMALUNA ]--- {Aug.01} THANK YOU DC/MD/VA for making our Premiere a HUGE success last night! The DC area is a-buzz with Amaluna talk. If you are in the National Harbor, MD area this weekend, check out our #WeekOfAmalunaDC contest, whereby fans need to find the four Amaluna characters hidden throughout the complex and post your photos to win tickets! Contest details can be found here: LINK /// < http://goo.gl/qgVnMJ > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/S2Sff0 > {Aug.14} We are working on an exciting project with Washington Life Magazine today... Having a lot of fun with the Amazons! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/EFZvEv > {Aug.14} Thanks for an amazing day Washington Life Magazine, we cannot wait to see the finished product! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/s88MkW > {Aug.23} Thanks Joe McAdam for this selfie collage! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/XJklCV > ---[ CORTEO ]--- {Aug.04} Último dia en buenos aires ! Muchas gracias por todo ! Los vamos a extrañar! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/ExjbCA > {Aug.13} Fantástica Conferencia de prensa em Lima! Vengan a disfrutar de la magia de Corteo....Les esperamos a partir del 25 de Octubre. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/4Vp3gA > {Aug.16} Los artistas ya llegaron a Santiago y esperamos verlos en la Gran Carpa de Corteo en Ciudad Empresarial!! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/a0rVhQ > {Aug.18} Un vistazo al entrenamiento de Bouncing Beds!! Mañana Gran Estreno en Chile de Corteo!!! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/KFFWPQ > {Aug.19} Grandes figuras asistieron a la Avant Premiere de Corteo hoy en Santiago! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/L9GyJ3 > {Aug.22} Fotografia del backstage antes del primer dia de doble función en Santiago! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/FUtpe4 > {Aug.23} El Nuevo equipo de merchandising en Santiago los invitan a descubrir los productos exclusivos que tenemos para ustedes! Visitanos! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/WuPVPs > {Aug.27} ¡Ensayando un número aéreo para la función de esta noche! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/zr7FhL > ---[ DRALION ]--- {Aug.02} Our King Bamboo took a quick selfie in between shows in Las Palmas. Can you guess what instruments he plays in the show? (Answer: Percussion) LINK /// < http://goo.gl/1Dq9Ti > {Aug.06} Who said slinky's are only a game? Did you know some of our costumes are made with some unusual items? In this photo, Jordyn from our Wardrobe team is replacing the slinky from the Dralion's blanket! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/4ZgCcl > {Aug.07} Dralion costumes have changed from Big Top (left) to Arena (right). Can you highlight the differences of each costumes? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/BohoIj > {Aug.16} Dralion cast and crew arrived in Bilbao and took a little time to be tourists before the start of our shows. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/8Js3n0 > {Aug.18} Es el primero dia en Bilbao Arena ! Estamos en Bilbao, Spain hasta el Domingo, 24 de Agosto, 2014. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/lzgV4t > {Aug.20} Getting ready for tonight's show in Bilbao. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/1PqcTR > {Aug.21} Dralion en Mallorca desde el Jueve 28 de Agosto. Nos vemos pronto. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Z6rmKZ > {Aug.24} This is the view our singer has during Naya (hand balancing act) every night. How cool is that? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/yImTB3 > {Aug.28} Throwback from Dralion's Bamboo Poles act rehearsing at Cirque du Soleil Headquarters in Montreal in 2010. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/68sX17 > {Aug.30} Ready to go on stage, our Little Buddha is wondering if her make-up is alright. What do you think? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/HSGkKP > ---[ JOYÀ ]--- {Aug.14} From sketch to reality: get to know the Director of JOYÀ. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/BDlqdl > ---[ KOOZA ]--- {Aug.12} We wish a fond farewell and continued success in his future endeavors to Drummer Ben Todd who performed his final show with KOOZA last week! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/DDc1gf > {Aug.14} The High Wire team taking a moment for a group selfie! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/dk6VoM > {Aug.16} Caught backstage! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/HCkzYp > {Aug.19} Check out this behind the scenes photo from a recent photoshoot with DHL. Do you know which act she’s from? (Answer: Contortion) LINK /// < http://goo.gl/E0qXIV > {Aug.21} Our guests in Port Aventura are loving the KOOZA photo wall! Don’t miss your chance to take a photo against it! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/2Rehof > {Aug.25} Sunset on site - what a beautiful view! Come out and join us! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/pmMR5L > {Aug.27} Caught backstage! Do you know what act they are practicing? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/3Fmfxf > ---[ KURIOS ]--- {Aug.07} Were you one of the happy passers-by who have had the chance to see the characters of KURIOS by Cirque du Soleil in action on the Dufferin Terrace of Château Frontenac during the photo shoot for the Sun, the newspaper of the capital? Share your photos with us! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/h4Ngx4 > {Aug.16} A video of our passage in the beautiful city of Quebec. LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js4l_C9WFbY > ---[ LA NOUBA ]--- {Aug.13} Benoit Glazer, a musician from our show, has transformed his home in a concert hall. Come see the documentary called The White House Overture, which will be presented at the Montreal World Film Festival / Festival des Films du Monde de Montreal - FFM on 23 and 24 August. LINK /// < http://vimeo.com/88445491 > {Aug.14} Six heads are better than one! Here is a look at a 6 stage technique for casting an artist’s head. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/gAoUwy > ---[ MJ IMMORTAL ]--- {Aug.03} The IMMORTAL ladies taking a break for a selfie. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/OZgiIt > {Aug.05} How do IMMORTAL artists keep busy on a 6 hour bus transfer from Lafayette to Cedar Park? Check it out! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/UbdwM4 > {Aug.08} Houston marks our very last city in the USA and the last city for Fanatic character Tomohiko Tsujimoto! Before he takes the IMMORTAL stage for the final time, Tomo shares why he loves Michael Jackson. "I love MJ's fashion, his dancing, singing, and most importantly his high energy. His performances are so passionate and I remember watching them and always feeling excited!" LINK /// < http://goo.gl/3aWR9Q > {Aug.12} As we embark on the final cities of IMMORTAL, our hearts are so full of appreciation to everyone who came out to see our second tour of the US and to all the fans across the world! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/f9KWkS > {Aug.14} 2.5 weeks until the final IMMORTAL performance, so we're taking a look back at some of the fun times had. Back in 2011, there was a group of artists in #Montreal where it all began. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/21mT56 > {Aug.15} The original Tree Tribe. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tz8hWi > {Aug.17} Dancers are Singers, Singers are Dancers. A few of the multi-talented IMMORTAL artists show off how they spend their free time. Don't miss your chance to see these artists and more perform live in Mexico City and Guadalajara! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/qim1lj > {Aug.18} Dancer Shondra Leigh talks about Michae lJackson and her experience on IMMORTAL: "As this journey ends, most of all I am thankful for MJ. Without his artistry & genius, this lifetime experience wouldn't have existed! 3 years of hard work, dedication, sweat, tears, & most of all laughter with countless memories." LINK /// < http://goo.gl/kJCMFj > {Aug.20} The cast and crew arrived in Mexico City and even got a few days off to experience the city – like visiting the Teotihuacan Pyramids! Now it’s back to work as they prepare for the Mexico City premiere TONIGHT! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/cmJTVY > {Aug.21} Drummer Jonathan 'Sugarfoot' Moffett back in Montreal during rehearsals. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/vDO6aT > {Aug.23} A quick Cirque Selfie from Dancers Tammy To and Davi Lorenzo before they get ready for a 2-show day here in Mexico City! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/1UekO9 > {Aug.24} As we near the end of the tour it was great to welcome a visit from Cirque Founder Guy Laliberté! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/DctyAH > {Aug.26} In honor of our very last travel day yesterday, here's a look back at our last Bus Transfer and another Bus Battle created by the talented cast of IMMORTAL. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/pgJgwp > ---[ MJ ONE ]--- {Aug.06} In celebration of Michael Jackson’s birthday on August 29th, we’re knocking you off your feet with a daylong celebration filled with special fan events, added performances, and more. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/tK4S3a > {Aug.28} The cast of is so excited about the special performances of the show this Friday for Michael’s birthday that they decided to create a special video for “A Place With No Name”, the new single from Michael’s album. Check it out: LINK /// < http://smarturl.it/APWNNone > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/3rdf7p > {Aug.31} Never Can Say Goodbye! The cast of Michael Jackson ONE is sending love and best wishes to THE IMMORTAL World Tour very last performance! LINK /// < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA4RHStS7fQ > ---[ OVO ]--- {Aug.03} OVO needs your help! Hello OVO fans. The OVO fan page will soon reach 60,000 fans but we are not quite there yet. We need your help to reach that magic number. We would like you to share our page with your friends and invite then to LIKE IT. Master Flipo, the Ladybug and the Foreigner count on you guys! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/mcqxio > {Aug.06} OVO Throwback Thursday - This week: Our original Fleas! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/pxXD9H > {Aug.13} Do you think their makeups are ok? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/5zBL2T > {Aug.14} The Fleas are getting ready for Act 2... And a nice photobomb from our White Spider... LINK /// < http://goo.gl/X6QXMA > {Aug.17} Here's a beautiful photo report from Sankei Newspaper about OVO in Osaka. Stunning pictures! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/DxEwPV > {Aug.19} Today, our wonderful Kiki is leaving us after 5 beautiful years on OVO. Thank you for all those great moments on and off stage. Good luck with your new adventure! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/GLg6r8 > {Aug.20} OVO Throwback Thursday - This week: Lee learning how to manipulate the Creatura during the creation of OVO in Montreal. Did you know that he is still our Creatura? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/QSGcwl > {Aug.22} Even bugs need to stay in good shape! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/qkGllx > {Aug.25} The OVO artists were pretty busy this morning with a photo shoot for the new version of the Japanese Souvenir Program. Make sure you get your copy! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/JwWJXC > {Aug.28} Do you remember the OVO Hot Air Balloon? Did you have a chance to see it fly over your city? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/WQ2JUX > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/5ZZVGW > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/XEZtQ8 > {Aug.30} Getting ready for the show. Nice view of the artistic tent from the top of the training wall. LINK /// < http://instagram.com/p/sUCwqWqfg9/ > ---[ QUIDAM ]--- {Aug.02} Our Stage Manager and Sports Medecine Therapists LINK /// < http://goo.gl/IrRYvd > {Aug.04} What is this colorful item used for? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/oyaqU2 > Answer: These colorful adjustable dumbbells are used to keep Viktor (and the rest of the cast & crew) in GREAT shape! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/gKe5o7 > {Aug.22} Since you've seen Quidam, we're guessing you have - like us - Incantation in mind. Check out the video clip to make sure we never forget that hair-raising song! LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA56uMPGCrg > ---[ TOTEM ]--- {Aug.12} The cast just started rehearsals at Alexandra Park in New Zealand! After 5 weeks off, it is time to put the routines back into the bodies to get ready for our Auckland Opening Night! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/slCYZU > {Aug.15} Hey Auckland, here is a preview of one of our beautiful scenes - the Love Birds! 6 days until Opening Night at Alexandra Park! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/fOnAVB > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/BaAWS0 > {Aug.15} While TOTEM was transferring from Vancouver to Auckland, juggler Thom Wall took the time to participate to the International Jugglers' Association Individual Stage Championships. This event is considered to be the "world championships" of the juggling community. The number presented by Thom was a mouthstick number, where he balanced objects on the sharp of a knife he held between his teeth. Thom was awarded a bronze medal, making it the first medal a mouthstick act has won in the IJA's 67-year history. Congratulations! {Aug.17} Here is another preview of one of the TOTEM scenes - step into the harvest season with the Unicycles with Bowls act! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/epFT1F > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/P0WuHb > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/UIrr60 > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/KBCgL3 > {Aug.18} The cast and crew participated in a traditional Maori Powhiri Welcome celebration today under the Big Top in Auckland, New Zealand! A soul-touching moment for everyone! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/5K14sd > {Aug.21} Only a few hours left before our Auckland, NZ Premiere at ALEXANDRA PARK! Our props technician Keiko Lemon is applying the magic fluorescent paint on the Russian Bars to make them lit up under black lights! We cannot wait to embark New Zealand audiences on our fantastic journey! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/yk1mpR > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/gyLxdB > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/m9NSUI > {Aug.24} We are in full rehearsal at New Zealand Fashion Week for the Opening Gala tonight! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Uo4gj4 > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/YiD8zx > {Aug.27} TVNZ Breakfast is live from our Big Top this morning with Sam learning all the secrets!! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/yKb0tU > {Aug.27 Unicyclist Hao Yuting catching 5 bowls at New Zealand Fashion Week this past Monday! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/JywGIW > {Aug.28} Through the magic of video projections and clever lighting design, TOTEM takes the audience on a fascinating journey through time and various parts of the World. Step into the Big Top and let yourself be transported by the intimate experience! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/xWCDMN > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/MhGqFN > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/jztibw > ---[ VAREKAI ]--- {Aug.06} Varekai is taking a break in between segments at New Day Cleveland! Tune in to watch our characters in studio and one of the anchors' transformation into a character! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/izqaBA > {Aug.06} Cleveland Pre-Show Parade (Wednesday) LINK /// < http://goo.gl/jOml4C > {Aug.07} Cleveland Pre-Show Parade (Thursday) (22 photos) LINK /// < http://goo.gl/svsYWV > {Aug.13} Hey Philly! Does this look familiar? Some Varekai characters landed in Philly and are discovering it - Cirque style! LINK /// < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7LdynZv0CY > {Aug.19} Varekai is in Atlantic City and some of our characters went exploring! We even tried out their famous saltwater taffy. LINK /// < http://goo.gl/T4FEao > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/2TQCfe > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/cGM7mU > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/QgD5Uf > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/bjTSmG > {Aug.20} Pre-Show Parade Atlantic City - Wednesday (20 photos) LINK /// < http://goo.gl/kw1Sya > {Aug.21} A tribute to our one and only drummer Paul Bannerman who has been performing on the Varekai stage for over 12 years and for 4,246 shows and never missing one! Congrats Paul! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/wuREZc > {Aug.23} Varekai is still actively exploring Atlantic City. Yesterday, we visited the Absecon Lighthouse and met Bill at the very top of the 228 stairs. Thanks to the staff for the t-shirts! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/vv1ccP > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/I6IAm7 > LINK /// < http://goo.gl/dqUuF9 > {Aug.23} Caught lingering… LINK /// < http://goo.gl/Zt7d7G > {Aug.27} WPIX's Lisa Mateo is on site outside the Prudential Center learning some tricks and getting ready to watch a mini Varekai performance. Stay tuned ! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/5W6x6x > {Aug.27} If you missed our performance this morning on WPIX or weren't able to tune in, you can check out both of our segments online here! LINK /// < http://goo.gl/sR0pfO > {Aug.28} From our Big Top days! We hardly see the Algae characters in today's version of Varekai, although every so often, they make an appearance. Do you remember which act they could be found in? (Answer: Slippery Surface) LINK /// < http://goo.gl/hkFhQ2 > {Aug.30} Sonrisa Roberto!! How do you say "smile" in your language? LINK /// < http://goo.gl/usMYsG > ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) "Crossing Borders: The Multimodal Language of Cirque" By: James Skidmore - Special Essay Reprint o) "Solar Flare: On-Call with Natasha Hallett" By: Ian Rents - Special Interview Reprint ---------------------------------------------------------- "Crossing Borders: The Multimodal Language of Cirque" By: James Skidmore - Special Essay Reprint ---------------------------------------------------------- Every once in a while we find unique and interesting things about Cirque du Soleil in various pockets of the internet. Sometimes the find is nothing more than a classic piece of merchandise the company released in its early days (usually on eBay), other times it's a video or other piece of media that's intriguing for its rarity (usually found on YouTube), and still other times it's an article, or some other kind of text, that comes across our desks which piques our interest. That's the case with the text below. "Crossing Borders: The Multimodal Language of Cirque du Soleil" is an essay written sometime in 2001-2002 by a student at the University of Toronto. In it the writer examines the nature of Cirque du Soleil and how it is able to find success in lands with different cultures and languages. It's an interesting read! Therefore, we re-print it below. The Abstract: Hamburg, Copenhagen, Zurich, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Toronto, Montreal. Seven cities, seven cultures, a plethora of languages. One common bond, which exists between them, is that they have all welcomed the Cirque du Soleil big top to perform within their boundaries. As Cirque du Soleil has crossed the borders from country to country, continent to continent, the construction of their circus has changed imperceptibly, if at all. Yet, culturally competent spectators attending a Cirque du Soleil performance anywhere in the world are assumed to be capable of deciphering the morphological symbols found within the circus ring. This is because the "language" of this New Circus has not been based on a spoken word model, but rather on a multimodal construct, which relates to the audience through visual and aural signs. The root of the language being created is often in the very origins of the circus acts being performed, many of which find their ancestry in Asian acrobatic or European circus traditions. This act based sub-structure has been enhanced through a conscious fashioning of the mise en scène, which has allowed Cirque du Soleil to relate themes and stories which have consisted of several modes of communication. Specifically, these acts are decodable through the reading of the lighting, costumes, make-up, props, and set design in conjunction with the soundscape of sound effects, garbled language, music and song. This paper will examine the multimodular construction of a Cirque du Soleil act, and how it communicates to the international spectator. The Essay: Cirque du Soleil was created by a small group of street performers in Baie St. Paul, Quebec in 1982. Modelling themselves after a form of European circus known as New Circus, Cirque du Soleil fashioned a circus without animals or death-defying acts. In lieu of elephants, camels, and perilous routines they built productions dependant on themes and motifs, which tell a story or convey an idea. The concepts portrayed within a Cirque du Soleil performance are not complex, typically the topics have been about releasing emotions or freeing the imagination. What is complicated, however, is the multimodal performance language created by Cirque du Soleil. Spectators exiting their circuses have been overheard saying “it was a wonderful show, but I don’t understand what it meant.” This statement infers that the circus performance they witnessed held meaning, but as audience members they were unable to interpret the message or theme presented within the circus ring. Therefore, these spectators did not possess the necessary tools needed to comprehend the signs and conventions they had witnessed in the show. The language of a Cirque du Soleil performance has rarely been based on a spoken word model, but rather as a multimodal construct, which relates to the audience through visual and aural signs and conventions. Through a conscious fashioning of their mise en scène, Cirque du Soleil has been able to relate themes to their spectators by employing various morphological elements found within a modern circus ring. This includes the lighting, costuming, make-up, props, set design, soundscape, sound track, fanciful language, choreography, and style of performance. As with any verbal mode of communication, the multimodal language of Cirque du Soleil is only comprehensible to an audience that has been provided with a model to apply in the interpretation of their performance text. The version being presented in this paper examines the use of signs or conventions within specific performances, acts, and shows, and explains how signs and use of conventions inform the spectator as to what theme or motif is presented within the circus ring. It utilizes a basic semiotic model, which begins with the assumption that the circus performance has a message to convey. Logically it follows that it is the responsibility of the circus artist to communicate meaning to the spectator, whose task it is to decode or interpret the performance. The model of semiotic analysis utilized is one defined by Fernando de Toro in his book Theatre Semiotics. This paper will focus on two aspects of his paradigm: the use of conventions and the types of signs, which operate within a performance space. Toro defines three types of conventions: general, particular, and unique (Toro 55-56). General conventions assume the spectator realizes that he or she is situated within a performance arena, watching an artifice, which is distinct from the outside or real world. It asks the spectator accept certain parameters delineated by the circus artist and ring as relevant to this fictional construct. A circus takes place within a tent, under stage lighting – these are general conventions that an audience must believe in order to accept what takes place in the performance. General conventions ask an audience to suspend their disbelief, they are put in place to distinguish a circus or theatrical event from an occurrence in the exterior world. Particular codes, in the case of the circus, include the circus ring, the ringmaster, and the clown. These are signs of the circus style and there is either an expectation for them to exist in this genre, or a prior knowledge of their association in this specific artistic forum. The circus spectator is not surprised to see characters wearing red noses, for example, and identifies them as clowns. Unique conventions arise out of specific performances and are only understood through their context. Therefore, they rely on other signs surrounding them to build meaning and may even be in the form of other unique conventions. In one Cirque du Soleil production, Alegría, the lighting and costuming were combined in order to allow for an interpretation of a series of unique conventions displayed in the trapeze routine. Gobos (metal patterns that create lighting patterns) were placed in lighting instruments, which projected the image of bars over the trapeze display. This was both appropriate and informative, as it suggested to the spectator that the acrobats were caged. This metaphoric lighting motif was additionally supported by the other morphological component mentioned, the costumes, which further marked the acrobats as birds. This was accomplished through the use of feathers, costume pieces shaped as wings, and aviator caps worn on the head. The aviator cap served as an index (see below), which was easily identifiable to the spectator. It was literally the key object, which identified this collection of otherwise unique conventions. The spectator related to the caps as headwear worn by pilots from the age of Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, or World War I aces. The trapeze artists, therefore, were identified as flying things or acrobats that flew. Upon making this connection, the other less familiar signs became identifiable as other icons and symbols of flight. The crocheted costume piece flung over the shoulders, for instance, was recognizable as a symbolic representation of wings. The combination of the performers dressed as birds and the juxtaposition of lighting in the form of a coop, coupled with an aerial act, allowed the spectator to read the trapeze artists as birds in a cage. Thus, a unique convention cannot be understood in and of itself, but only through its relationship with other signs, which surround it in the circus ring. Signs on stage (or in the circus ring) are broken down into three categories by Toro: the icon, the index and the symbol (Toro 73-77). The easiest way to understand these three terms is through a simple example employing the clown nose (Toro 70). The red nose is an icon that substitutes for a real nose, though in a representative fashion. The clown's nose, therefore, is recognizable as the facial feature that it stands in for on the face of the clown. Concurrently, it acts as an index revealing that the character wearing the red nose is a clown. Spectators are familiar with the convention that a clown wears a red nose and so when they see a red nose on a performer they are able to identify this character as a clown. Red noses can also be read as symbols of humour since a clown is considered to be a comedian who provokes and illicit laughter from the circus audience. The red nose, which identifies a performer as being a clown, also indicates that the entertainer is to be laughed at by the audience. Icons can be either indexes or symbols, though a symbol or an index cannot be an icon. Symbols can also be indexes, though the reverse is not true. The interpretation of icons, indexes, or symbols in the circus, as in other performing arts, demands an active engagement between the observed sign, the object to which it relates, and the interpreter of the sign. A relationship must exist, or be created, between the spectator and the sign on stage in order for it to be understood. Thus, ongoing and active decodification of symbols within the Cirque du Soleil circus ring, as well as of the theme or message presented is necessary for comprehension of the sign. A context or framework within which to place the various morphological objects viewed on stage is necessary in the deciphering of symbols illustrated within this paper. A structure can be provided for the spectator by studying the relationship of one sign to another within a performance. Alternatively, it may be obtained through prior experience of specific information, which allows interpreters or spectators to read and decode the performance they are viewing on stage. Cultural baggage or amassed knowledge that is acquired through education and social upbringing is one tool that the spectator can utilize in the interpretation of signs. To fully understand the icons, indexes, and symbols found within a New Circus such as Cirque du Soleil, the spectator needs to be familiar with the archetypes of the traditional circus, such as the ringmaster and the clown. Many of the characters found within the Cirque du Soleil sphere have evolved out of archetypes or stereotypes found in the traditional circus. One first needs to understand the significance of the original ringmaster found in a circus such as Ringling Brother's and Barnum and Bailey’s Greatest Show On Earth in order to understand the construction of the evolved ringmaster, such as Monsieur Fleur (Rénald Laurin), from Alegría. Original, in this context, means the Ringling ringmaster is modelled after an archetype that the average spectator would be familiar with from excursions to the circus. The lighting, costuming, props, setting, and other morphological elements that surrounded Monsieur Fleur on stage provided a context to assist in the interpretation of his character. These morphological characteristics were woven together into a harmonious mise en scène, which aided the spectator in their reading of Monsieur Fleur. His staff, which had a light on its tip, informed the audience that he possessed an elevated status within the hierarchy of the ring. In fact, the illuminated end was used to focus attention on his character. When the lights dimmed, for example, the eyes of the viewer were drawn to the one remaining light on stage, on the top of his staff. The traditional ringmaster uses either a whistle or a whip in order to draw the attention of the audience. By blowing on the whistle or snapping the whip all eyes are drawn to this character. They are examples of indexes that represent tools operated by a person of authority. They also represent the power held by the ringmaster over acrobats and clowns. The staff held by Monsieur Fleur was a symbol of authority, not unlike a sceptre held by a king. The ringmasters of Cirque du Soleil, however, combine aspects of both a traditional ringmaster and a clown. The rod held by Fleur can be read as both a sceptre and a bauble, the instrument of the jester or fool. When it would light up, or when Fleur stamped it on the ground, he would draw the attention to himself. As well, by stamping the staff Fleur indicated to the performers on stage to follow his directions. Monsieur Fleurs’ scarlet red tailcoat was also similar to the costume worn by the archetypal ringmaster, as it was of a similar cut as that of his predecessor’s outfit. His clothing concurrently identified him as a rooster as he had feathery fringes around his cuffs, his chest was puffed-out, and characters who dressed and moved like chickens were subservient to Monsieur Fleur throughout the performance. Clearly, the construction of the various signs upon the stage also worked at a metaphoric level, with the circus ring representing Monsieur Fleur's roost. In both the circus and theatre, the interpretation of signs takes on an added significance. Toro states that, "in theatre the theatre object refers to itself simply because it is on-stage, but it also refers to a real object ... (de Toro 87)". In other words, the theatre or circus sign has a double meaning because it is found in an artificial world. This is why context becomes so important in the interpretation of symbols, indexes, and icons found within the circus. The sign may have one meaning outside of the circus tent, but takes on a new signification as a general, particular, or unique convention within the circus ring. Again using Monsieur Fleur as an example, out of the context of a circus performance, he was still a rooster, identified by his costume, but he was not a ringmaster. Within the confines of the mise en scène constructed for Alegría, the audience was forced to accept Monsieur Fleur in the role of ringmaster. By placing him within this environment and displaying him as the figure of authority within the circus ring, the spectator was compelled to further interpret his objectified character, that of rooster, as ringmaster. Thus, a solidly constructed sign on the stage leads the viewer to an even deeper and more exact meaning of an adjoining index. The clown act created by Slava Polunin known as the Snowshow, also performed as a number in Alegría, provides another example of how the spectator can interpret a Cirque du Soleil performance through a reading of the signs and conventions on the stage. At the beginning of this routine, the Russian clown Serguei Chachelev pulled a rope ladder, used for ascending to the trapeze, across the surface of the stage in a semi-circular pattern. The rope ladder can be read as a climbing device used by acrobats, but when another Russian clown, Yuri Medvedev (playing the role originated by Slava) later walked along it with his suitcase in hand it was then identifiable as an icon, which represented a train track. This idea was further supported by the sound of a train's whistle blowing and by Medvedev who was wearing a top hat, which blew smoke out of its top as he ran along the tracks thus constructing himself as the train. The rope ladder was a unique convention, only identifiable by a series of other unique and particular conventions that surrounded it in the circus ring. The train whistle sound effect, for example, was a particular convention, which aided in the interpretation of the ladder as track. Medvedev, stopping to rest along the rails, lay down his suitcase. When he opened it, out flew two white balloons with red ribbons tied around them. The balloons signified moths and signified that this was a memory play and that time had passed and eaten away at the fabric of this story. The red ribbons attached to the white balloons presented a mystery to anyone who had not seen Slava perform this act himself. As the creator of the interlude, Slava had instilled the scene with meaning, which pertained to his personal clown character. While the red ribbons retained no significance in the Alegría production, in his Snowshow (which Slava also tours around the world) it was obvious the ribbons were actually threads from the red scarf that Slava wears around his neck. Medvedev’s valise, therefore, was not simply a suitcase, but the baggage or memories that he carried through life. Medvedev pulled out a black jacket from the case and a vibrating, red tuft of material fell from it and moved around in a frenzied pattern. Once again, the meaning was lost without reference to Slava himself, for this was one of his fuzzy red slippers (Medvedev wore black leather shoes), which having fermented, took on a life of its own. Medvedev hung the jacket on a rung of the vertical section of the rope ladder, held in place by a hanger and returned to his case. He pulled out a hat, which was covered in dust, and brushed it off. Similar to the way one recalls memories, these actions were all part of the thought process, and a further clarification that this story originally took place long ago. Medvedev placed the hat above the jacket, on another hanger shaped like a human head. He then dusted the hat and slipped his arm through one of the jacket’s sleeves. Magically, the jacket came to life and Medvedev was as surprised as the audience to see this transformation take place. Next, the coat dusted him and stroked his face, displaying to the audience that this was the spectre of his lost love come back to life. To clarify, the coat became animated only as an extension of Medvedev’s body. Again, it was his own arm that stroked his face in this scene, however, he made it appear that the arm belonged to the owner of the jacket, and thus, to his lover. Through simple gestures and a few rudimentary props, the clown was able to stir this jacket to life, such that the spectator saw a clown embrace a woman. While the clown's lover held him, she secretly slipped a note, on a piece of simple white paper into his pocket. The sound effect of the train’s whistle was heard again off in the distance and Medvedev re-packed his bag and exited the stage. When he returned, he had become the physical manifestation of the train. He wore a top hat that spouted smoke out of its top, as did the rear of his suitcase. Medvedev also had an air horn on his case, which when blown simulated the sound of the train. He raced along the track until he reached his destination, where he sat down -- exhausted. Sitting upon his case, Medvedev extracted his handkerchief, at which point the letter fell out of his pocket. As he read the note, the audience determined from his expressions that it was obviously a Dear John letter and could see he was devastated by the words that he read. He ripped the letter up into tiny little squares of paper and threw them into the air. As they flitted to the ground, thousands of similar scraps of white paper fell from the ceiling above, interweaving with those he had thrown into the air -- together, they fell like (iconographic) snow around him. Time seemed frozen, an effect accentuated with a strobe light, which slowed all of Medvedev’s motions down to a crawl. The backdrops, which revealed the night sky, were turned to display mountains covered in snow. Medvedev tried to negotiate through the snow (the flakes symbolized his lover's words and his life) but he was not capable of going any further. The audience heard the sound of ice cracking, representative of the breaking of his heart. Medvedev turned (upstage) to face his misery and was hit by a barrage of snow (white scraps of paper blown by huge fans) in a dramatic, theatrical effect. The audience was also bombarded with incredibly bright, blinding lights and snow whipping in their faces. The spectators became literally immersed in his misery, as the snow and wind enveloped them. Medvedev ran towards (or into) the light, an obvious metaphor for the end of his life, but he was able to weather the storm -- black out. Medvedev sat frozen on the edge of the stage, the season was now summer. When the lights came up again he saw a butterfly flying near the brim of his hat, an effect that was achieved by attaching the insect to a wire on his bowler so that it fluttered as he moved. Like the butterfly, having survived his tragedy Medvedev was reborn a fuller, more beautiful being. A simple allegory, the story warned against despair and the power of words on an individual. Nevertheless, it counselled that suicide was not the answer. If one found the strength to survive the most horrible circumstances, they would be able to find beauty in their lives. This was understood through a reading of the various signs and conventions employed in its construction by Slava. The scraps of paper, for example, took on new meaning when they fell like snow with the soundscape of wind playing in the background, and the backdrop rotated to look like snow covered mountains. The audience was able to comprehend the meaning of the “snow” paper by the signs that surrounded these objects floating through the air. Quidam, another circus created by Cirque du Soleil, contained the most cohesive mise en scène of any of their productions. This was because the show's central motif, the freeing of emotions, possessed a strong through-line the audience could follow throughout the production (the spectator literally followed a red ball or balloon through the show). The performance also played with many visual signs, such as imagery from The Wizard of Oz, children’s playgrounds, and the surreal art of René Magritte, but in the end, these themes always supported the central idea of setting emotions free. The art of René Magritte played a central role in the mise en scène, in particular his 1964 painting The Son of Man. This picture contains a suited man wearing a bowler hat, but his face is blocked by a large green apple. This obstruction forces the viewer to imagine what is behind the fruit, making the invisible visible (Paquet 77). Quidam played with this well-known image in its construction of a headless character wearing a bowler hat and carrying an umbrella. At the beginning of the show, this headless man entered the home of a young girl (played by Audrey Brisson-Jutras) and left her his bowler hat. The ringmaster (John Gilkey) placed the hat on the young child’s head, metaphorically transporting her into a world of imagination. In this context, the bowler became emblematic of the brain, specifically, a brain filled with ideas. Therefore, the headless man was a call for creativity and wildness, for imagination. Other bowler hats appeared on the heads of various characters at other points in the show as well, most poignantly during the German wheel performance of Chris Lashua. Each time the bowler surfaced, it was used to further strengthen the metaphor of the hat as a symbol of the brain. By having Lashua wear a bowler hat, it was suggested that his German wheel signified the inner workings of the mind. The act immediately followed the placement of the bowler on Brisson-Jutras’ head, thus the obvious connection was the hat represented her brain in motion. The hat of the headless man was not his only significant symbol. The umbrella, which he also carried, was ripe with meaning. The umbrella was used to protect the headless man’s head from rain, only he did not have a head. The umbrella, present in every Cirque du Soleil show, has taken on the status of trademark, a symbol the audience has come to expect when watching this circus. It has served many purposes: as a juggling device in Nouvelle Expérience, as a balancing mechanism and a place to hide a microphone in Saltimbanco, and as a parachute in Dralion. Ultimately, the umbrella is reminiscent of a miniature circus tent exemplifying the portability and itinerant nature of the circus. The headless man, so full of imagination, was emblematic of Cirque du Soleil as a whole. It is ironic that he was headless, yet his head was filled with so much imagination. Quidam also contained an homage or two to The Wizard of Oz within its production. The ringmaster, John Gilkey, put on a pair of sparkling, silver shoes right after he gave Brisson-Jutras the hat. The colour of the shoes was reminiscent of the costume worn by the good witch in The Wizard of Oz, and they designated Gilkey as the guide for “Dorothy”, or rather Audrey. The fact that it was a little girl’s journey (who also sang) also drew parallels between this show and The Wizard of Oz. The most obvious link between the two shows was the presence of "Tin Men", in the guise of the diabolo artists, solidifying the idea that these two worlds were interwoven. The Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz was in search of a heart, an obvious symbol for emotion, something that Brisson-Jutras was also searching for in Quidam. The diabolos, which the Tin Men played with, were integrated into the production’s playground theme. If the acts were not centred directly on the emotions, they were based around games found in a schoolyard. Hence, they were games typically filled or created with a child’s imagination. The diabolo is a less obvious illustration of a playground toy, since it is not familiar to most modern audiences. However, it is a toy played with by many Chinese children in the East, and was a game commonly played by European children in the last century. Modern Western audiences related to it as a child’s toy through its resemblance to the yo-yo. It was an apt game to choose for this show as an illustration of the imagination of children. This is true because diabolo tricks are filled with complex throws and catches, spins, and cat’s cradle manoeuvres. Other children's games incorporated into the show at various points included skateboarding, playing with dolls, skipping, and swinging on the cloud swing. All of these concepts (playground games, The Wizard of Oz, and the work of Magritte) were subordinate to the central theme of releasing emotions. This idea was linked to the previous Cirque du Soleil show Alegría through the use of a birdcage. Emotions were symbolized in this production primarily as a red ball or balloon, although at times feeling appeared simply as the colour red. The families' feelings were enclosed in a domestic birdcage at the top of the show. It was obvious from the image it was the parent’s emotions trapped in their own worlds, as the father disappeared into his newspaper, and the mother into her radio. Both were unable to communicate or express themselves to each other, or to their child. When the bowler hat was placed on Brisson-Jutras’ head, it served as a means to open the channels within not only the family, but within its individual members, as well. There were two major categories of acts within this show, routines displaying internal emotions, and numbers revolving around children playing. The sand lot games were the latter, while acts such as the Spanish web, German wheel, aerial hoops, and statue examined the inner feelings of the family. In each of these acts, the inner workings of a particular character were revealed to the audience. The German wheel portrayed the thought process of Brisson-Jutras’ mind; the Spanish web (performed by Isabelle Chassé) bared the mother’s soul; the statue or Vis Versa act revealed the parents finally dealing with their raw emotions; and the aerial hoops act included costumes with the hearts ripped out. Throughout the show, the audience was constantly faced with the parents' struggle to grasp and display emotions. This idea was revisited all through the evening. With the imagination and playfulness of their child, they were able to change from a dysfunctional family to one full of love and courage. One of the most powerful images in the production was that of the father, harnessed high above the stage onto one of the grid sections, which pulled him out towards the audience. He appeared to be walking on air, oblivious to the world around him. Although he appeared to be reading his newspaper, in fact, his head was literally surrounded by the paper. His head actually poked through the front page, with his face sticking out towards the audience. The paper had become such a crutch; he was actually entrapped and did not know how to escape. By the end of the production, his character had shredded his paper and was able to share his love and emotions with the rest of his family. In their various productions, Cirque du Soleil present straightforward ideas constructed with a complex series of signs and conventions. The reading and comprehension of a circus performance, in general, is an active process demanding participation by both the performer and the spectator. In the final analysis, however, it is always up to the audience members to assemble the various signs they have witnessed during a performance (whether in the form of sound, lighting, costuming, performance style, etc.) to find both coherence and completeness within the performance text (De Marinis 59-60). This is key when viewing and reading a Cirque du Soleil production in order to understand the underlying themes presented. This paper has established that the spectator begins by seeking out familiar and recognizable signs. These signs must be reassembled in an orderly fashion by the spectator in order to grasp the theme or message conveyed. By identifying and assembling the various pieces of the thematic puzzle(s), the spectators are empowered with the ability to complete the performance text, providing a coherent summary of the action within the ring. As Marco De Marinis states in his book The Semiotics of Performance, "the performance text is a performance unit which the analyst's intention (or the intention of the ordinary audience member) designates as semiotically complete (59)." Although, it is not solely the responsibility of the performer(s) to explain what is shown, the onus is on the spectator to read, analyze, or re- write the performance text in such a way that it takes on a comprehensible meaning and wholeness. Bibliography: Albrecht, Ernest. The New American Circus. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1995. Balint, Michael. Thrills and Regressions. Ed. John D. Sutherland. London: The Hogarth Press, 1959. Bouissac, Paul. "Technological Innovations and Cultural Semiosis: The Ritualistic Appropriation of the Bicycle by the Circus." Kultur Evolution: Fallstudien und Synthese. Ivan Bystrina, Heiko Karnowski and Marlene Landsch, ed. Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1992: 169-197. de Marinis, Marco. The Semiotics of Performance. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1993. de Toro, Fernando. Theatre Semiotics: Text and Staging in Modern Theatre. Trans. John Lewis. Ed. Carole Hubbard. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1995. Paquet, Marcel. René Magritte 1898-1967: Thought Rendered Visible. Hamburg: Benedikt Taschen, 1994. Paquet, Marcel. René Magritte 1898-1967: Thought Rendered Visible. Hamburg: Benedikt Taschen, 1994. Performances: Alegría. Dir. Franco Dragone. Vienna, Aus., 22-25 Oct. 1997. Alegría. Dir. Franco Dragone. Dusseldorf, Ger., 14-16 Nov. 1997. Quidam. Dir. Franco Dragone. Toronto, 25 Aug. 1996. Quidam. Dir. Franco Dragone. Chicago, IL, 7 and 8 Aug. 1998. Slava’s Snowshow. Perf. Slava Polunin. The Princess of Wales Theatre. Toronto, 6 Jan. and 29 Jan. 1998. ---------------------------------------------------------- "Solar Flare: On-Call with Natasha Hallett" By: Ian Rents - Special Interview Reprint ---------------------------------------------------------- Back in our April issue, Ian Reents introduced us to Solar Flare: a Cirque du Soleil Podcast, which he started after reading an article here on Fascination called "The Wider World of Cirque-Centric Podcasts". He realized there were no Cirque-Centric pod-casts out there today, so he grabbed a microphone, plugged it into his computer, and began to record the first Solar Flare Podcast. That first episode was released on December 10, 2013, followed by a second on November 30th, and a third on April 1, 2014 to much success. Shortly thereafter, the Podcast went on hiatus (real life snuck into the Big Top), however, we've been assured he'll be back in the near future! (With some great interviews!) In the meantime, check out the first interview Solar Flare held with Natasha Hallett - former performer with Mystère and La Nouba. It's a great one! # # # Solar Flare: Where did you get your start in gymnastics? You were in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Natasha: I started In a little town called St John New Brunswick in Canada. At the local YMCA when I was 8 years old. I quickly became quite talented or I guess I was just naturally talented because I progressed really quickly and outgrew the coaches there at the YMCA and the facilities there. So at the young age of 11 years old I decided that if I wanted to be serious and wanted to go to the Olympics I would have to move away from home and train with the big girls so that’s what I did. I moved away from home when I was 11 years old to Montreal and started training eight hours a day until Olympics in '92 and right after Olympics I auditioned for Cirque. Solar Flare: Now with Cirque most people know you from your role in La Nouba as the Green Bird, but you also started in Mystere from '93 to about 2003? Natasha: Yes I did 10 years with that show. Solar Flare: What made you want to go from gymnastics to Cirque? Natasha: Cirque was a total fluke. I... Kind of a strange story but.. I broke up with my boyfriend that morning. The morning of the audition and I really had nowhere to go, I was mad, and I didn't know what to do. I knew I had this audition with Cirque Du Soleil I didn't know what that was what entailed, what I was doing, I had no clue. I just had the address and I knew I had to be there at a certain time. I hopped on the metro and showed up. Solar Flare: Did they scout you or did you send in an audition package? Natasha: Well actually the recruiting director for Cirque at the time was Lyn Heward whom just happened to be the president of the gymnastics federation in Quebec. So after Olympics, she was the one who contacted me and said "There's an audition in Montreal here's the address we would love you to be there." So yah I guess I was recruited. Solar Flare: Now alot of people when they join cirque they get put into things they have never done before was this the case for you? Natasha: It sure was. I knew gymnastics and I mean, Cirque has gymnastics in it, but the things that I was taught, I had never done before. They taught me how to climb a Chinese pole, do trapeze, walk on a high-wire, jump on a teeter board which takes quite some skill as we all learned and then power-track, yah I didn't know how to do any of those things and we did almost a year in training called "Creation" to put the show together for Mystere. Solar Flare: Was this at the new headquarters or the old one in Montreal? Natasha: It was actually in old Montreal in a run-down train station that we trained in, with the train tracks running right through the stage. It was an old, old building - freezing cold, cement floors. Nothing like the facility they have now. What they have now is insane. It’s just beautiful I've been there and it’s just top of the line state of the art, it’s just an incredible building. Solar Flare: Would you say it’s harder to get into Cirque? Now you have to send in a whole video package you have to send in tapes there are so many steps to go through what was it like at cirque when you first auditioned for them? Natasha: You kind of have to audition yourself first and then they have to look through all those DVDs and then you get an invitation, beforehand you just got an invitation and they got to see your talent first hand and then they picked the best ones out of that group. Now they have to all these tapes and DVDs and I'm sure there is a million of them. I'd guess you'd say it’s a bit harder now. Solar Flare: When you were at Mystere, what was your day-to-day routine like? Natasha: Our show started at 7:30 PM and 10:30 PM so we pretty much had all day to do whatever we wanted to. We usually had training at about 4:30PM or 5:00pm. Show call was at 6:30pm you had to be in the building signed in at 6:30pm and put your make up on and get warmed up. Solar Flare: How long did that make up take to apply? Natasha: It usually took me about a half an hour, 45 if I did it absolutely perfect and took my time. I did it a couple times in a half hour. Solar Flare: Does it get boring doing the same thing every single day? Natasha: Absolutely not, every audience is different and that’s what you feed off of every night every performance is different, sometimes people get injured or sick so even on stage what you're doing is different because you might have to fill in for someone. You may have a different pusher you may have a different spotter. So it’s constantly, constantly changing. Solar Flare: I'm sure there were a few nights where you had to do that. Was that comfortable for you or were you a nervous wreck? Natasha: We trained for that. We usually would train to do other parts other than our own just in case something like that did happen we'd be ready to fill in for someone. So a lot of people didn't just do what they do on stage. They could do more than one act, more than one spot, more than one character. I know for me in Mystere I learned all of the dance routines so if one of the dancers was out I could fill in for one of them. I guess it depends on what trick it was if it was something that would be scary on a daily basis or one you did once every six months, that would be a lot of added pressure, but I guess that nervous energy, for me anyway it helps me. So I didn't really have a problem with it. But all I know is it can be nerve-wrecking for other people. Solar Flare: What prompted you to go to La Nouba? Did they contact you? Natasha: No it was actually a personal relationship that kind of prompted me to change shows. My boyfriend at the time was changing shows and it was either break up with him or follow him to Florida and I had been with Mystere for 10 years and I said why not? Let’s try something different. I was excited but I was sad at the same time to leave Mystere because Mystere will always be my favorite show. But it was a nice challenge for me to change shows and I got to perform in a completely different role completely opposite of what I was doing. So artistically it was really good for me. Solar Flare: How long had La Nouba been open before you joined? Natasha: I think they were open 4 years before that, so I came in and took over someone else's role. Solar Flare: Now you went from the red bird to the green bird so you're kind of like the Cirque du Soleil bird lady. You play birds a lot. Natasha: I do play birds, I was a red bird in Mystere and a Green Bird (laughs) La Nouba. I don't know maybe I have wings! Solar Flare: How did your role as green bird differ from the original green bird or the one that was there before you? Natasha: My portrayal of the green bird was a lot more acrobatic. The original girl was more of a clown. She was hired more as a clown and I was hired more as a clown-acrobat. So I added a lot of acrobatics to it, like I added the power-track so I did more flips here and there - just because that’s me. Everyone that goes into a role following someone else, you can't just carbon copy a role you have to be yourself in it. There's guidelines yes, but you have to be yourself within that character. Solar Flare: How long did they give you to learn the character? Natasha: I think I had four days to view the tapes and be in the show. I taught myself pretty much, what I needed to do. You know, the spacing, the timing from here to there and this cue and that cue. I guess the rest of the show just falls into place. You know your part but you have to figure out with everyone else on stage what your interaction is. So it takes some time to figure that part out but as far as what I had to do on stage it took me maybe a week to learn the role. Solar Flare: Each character has a different interaction with another just as we as people have different interactions, as new people come in does that affect the character? Natasha: Yah just those little interactions... One person that changes will change the whole show. Just how every other character interacts with that one character, kind of like in a movie. Solar Flare: Now I'm calling you from a hotel in Orlando and it’s kind of funny because they have those pamphlets in the lobby still with your picture on them and I'm like, "that's not the current person that's Natasha" Natasha: Yah I know there are a lot of posters still in Vegas. Solar Flare: Do people still recognize you and say hey "it’s the bird lady!" Natasha: My family does, people who know me and know that I'm in Cirque... they call them turkey sightings. Because my nickname is “Turkey Tash” and my family calls me that. I was even a bird when I was a little kid. But I was a turkey, so they called them turkey sightings. Solar Flare: How many years were you in La Nouba for? Natasha: Seven. Yah I'd probably still be with them if it hadn't been for my little unfortunate fall from grace. Solar Flare: Now Elena Day [said] in the DVD: the green bird is a flightless bird. Natasha: With broken wings that can’t fly. Solar Flare: Now that wasn’t what you were trying to portray that night? Natasha: I did try to fly, but it just didn't work. Solar Flare: What was the cause of the accident? Natasha: It was a rigging issue and a human error issue. Pretty much I made a mistake, my rigger made a mistake on the same day, on the same night and that mistake enabled my belt to not be secured properly and as I leaned forward my belt (unclipped). I had a new technicSolar Flare so he was new. I made a mistake that night. He was supposed to check my belt but he didn't check it. So it was an accident really. Like a pure simple accident. Two people making the wrong mistake at the wrong time. Solar Flare: Did they continue the show or did they stop the show? Natasha: They continued the music. I think the dancers kept going. They tried to kind of keep the atmosphere of the theater calmed down. I think the music did keep going. They did stop the show briefly until I was taken off stage and then the show just continued. Solar Flare: What was the damage done? Natasha: The damage done was quite grave. I had 19 fractures. I pretty much broke everything from my waist down. I broke my back, I broke my sacrum, my pelvis in six places, I broke both my legs, both my feet, my heels, all the bones in my feet. It was pretty nasty, compound fractures and the whole nine yards. Solar Flare: I was reading an article that said the nurses were very impressed with how quick you were recovering. Natasha: Yah I did. My doctor was like "What are you eating?" He was like "I've never seen someone heal as quickly as you do". I made kind of like a promise to myself I told myself I'm going to be back on stage in one year. I think it was 11 months and 25 days and I was back on stage. Solar Flare: Do you still currently train? Natasha: No, I mean, I can't move like I used to. Basically I was non- mobile; you know hospital bed with most of my legs broken, metal bar sticking out of my hips like a stabilizer. I pretty much didn't move for a good 2 1/2 months. I had to learn how to walk again. I was in a wheel chair for a while. I recovered well and it was really I had a botched ankle surgery. That didn't work and that's really the reason why I'm not on stage anymore... because of that stupid ankle. Not even my back, not my pelvis, not my other injuries it was just my stupid left ankle. Solar Flare: What are you doing currently? Natasha: I'm coaching gymnastics now and I'm loving it. I'm still you know, explaining moves and trying to pass on my knowledge of what I know. I do miss the stage every single day. # # # You can listen to this podcast here: http://www.sfcirque.com/#!listen/c1h6a Interview transcribed by Ian Reents. ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 14, Number 9 (Issue #128) - September 2014 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (c) 2001-2014 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { Sep.07.2014 } =======================================================================