======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ '/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ '/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 24, NUMBER 1 January/February ISSUE #224 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. * * * 40 YEARS AROUND THE SUN * * * Cirque du Soleil has captivated audiences around the globe for four decades. What started out as a pipedream for Guy Laliberté back in the 1980’s soon became an international phenomenon, bringing circus arts to the masses in a way no one had experienced before. The road so far has been a medley of acrobatic feats and performances imbued with emotion. A journey that has shaped the company’s vision of entertainment in a unique way. As the curtain rises on Cirque du Soleil’s 40th year, it's not merely a milestone; it's a testament to the extraordinary journey of imagination and a celebration of the wonders they’ve brought to the stage. So, get ready… “In 2024, Cirque du Soleil promises an encore that takes you Beyond Dreams! We're thrilled to unveil groundbreaking new shows, each brimming with the imagination and artistry that define Cirque du Soleil, starting with an all-new country music-inspired show set to premiere in Nashville. And since music has always been the heartbeat of our performances, you can also expect new albums and singles throughout this year of celebration. Plus, more than any year ever, we’re reaching Beyond Dreams with captivating fan events, new immersive experiences, celebratory anniversary content, new merchandise and collectibles, and revolutionary new attractions that will send you to worlds unseen.” What all this will entail is something we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, let's get into it! /----------------------------------------------------\ | | | 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 * La Presse -- General News & Highlights o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre o) CirqueConnect -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Life is a Circus (Posts from the Official Blog) * Other Outreach (Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds) o) Fascination! Features * "How Cirque du Soleil helped build modern Las Vegas" By: Jessica Gelt, The LA Times o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= *************************************************************** LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights *************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- New Finale Act for Drawn to Life at Disney Springs {Dec.21.2023} ---------------------------------------------------------- Drawn to Life, presented by Cirque du Soleil and Disney, celebrates two years of captivating audiences in Disney Springs at Walt Disney World with acrobatics, animation, and more by introducing an emotional and breathtaking new finale honoring the relationship at the heart of its story between a father and his daughter. The new ending features a swing-to-swing act with artists who soar across the stage between two swings, performing new awe-inspiring stunts, acrobatics, and choreography. The act is the culmination of the show’s story of its heroine, Julie, and her father, who was a Disney animator. The artists, representative of Julie and her father, perform in costumes inspired by the art of drawing and animation created by noted costume designer Philippe Guillotel. The new finale Swing to Swing act celebrates the completion of the triumphant journey of Julie as she finishes the lines started in an animation left to her by her father to forever link them to one another. The daring acrobats in the number are kaleidoscopic animated renditions of Julie and her father soaring, flying, and swinging through the air in a touching and thrilling display of amplitude, connection and skill. — Justin Sullivan, artistic director for Drawn to Life Cirque du Soleil has a tradition of shows serving as dynamic works of art through creative enhancements and evolutions, a legacy that continues with Drawn to Life. Earlier in 2023, the show introduced new acts, including Icarian Games acrobatics, aerial hoops, and a flying guitarist. The family-friendly show tells the story of the love between a father and a daughter, drawing inspiration from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 100-year heritage of storytelling. The show shares joy as it celebrates iconic Disney stories and characters through innovative design, acrobatic performances, brilliant choreography, musical scores and brand-new animation lovingly created by Disney Animation artists. Guests can experience Drawn to Life Wednesdays through Sundays at Disney Springs, with shows at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets are available through December 2024. { SOURCE: WDW Info } ---------------------------------------------------------- Laliberté Donates a $5 Million Piece of Land to His City {Dec.22.2023} ---------------------------------------------------------- As is so often the case, the surpassing of a billion in personal net worth acts as the catalyst for charitable donations of land and capital, and Guy Laliberté is the most recent to follow the path of Rockefeller. The founder of Cirque du Soleil, Laliberté is donating all the money required for his hometown to protect a large piece of natural riparian woodland and wetlands that sits adjacent to it. A suburb of Montreal on the south bank of the Saint Lawrence River, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville received $5 million from Mr. Laliberté, their most famous resident, for the purchase. “It is with great pleasure that I offer this land to the City of Saint-Bruno, the city where I grew up and where I still live. I have been going to the park since my childhood and that is why I was quick to accept the City’s proposal when they offered to make this space a protected place that all residents could enjoy,” said Guy, according to Le Journal de Montreal in a translated report. The Journal saw the transaction papers, and report that they stipulate the land must only and ever be used for park purposes. “I would like to warmly thank Mr. Guy Laliberté who agreed to cede this magnificent wooded area to the City at no cost to our citizens,” said the mayor of Saint-Bruno, Ludovic Grisé Farand, in a press release. Saint-Bruno is the administrative center of the Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park, which while small contains much of the same pristine habitat of coastal forest and wetlands, and is listed as category II by the IUCN. { SOURCE: The Good News Network } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil’s JOYÀ Celebrates its Ninth Anniversary {Dec.28.2023} ---------------------------------------------------------- Almost everyone in North America has heard of Cirque du Soleil. The Canadian entertainment company that produces an odd hybrid of circus, acrobatics, and dance performance has several touring shows and resident productions in Las Vegas. It has a holiday show and an ice spectacular. But there is only one Cirque du Soleil dinner theater experience and it is in Mexico. A little over nine years ago, Cirque du Soleil’s JOYÀ (pronounced “Hoi-ya”) premiered at Vidanta Riviera Maya as the first resident Cirque du Soleil show in Latin America. A collaboration between Grupo Vidanta and Cirque du Soleil, JOYÀ sits in a 650-seat theater built exclusively for it. The companies began working together in the fall of 2009, conceiving, planning, and building; it took five years to go from discussion to production. The theater, perched above a large lagoon, was designed to look like it sprung up from the jungle. It’s a beautiful setting worthy of the breathtaking resort surroundings. But what’s more important is what is inside—the only Cirque dinner experience. “The theater is built for the show, therefore it allows us to expand technically on what we can do with the space, and it also becomes our home,” said JOYÀ Artistic Director Caroline Sicard, who joined the show a couple of years ago and serves as the production’s on-site director. “We’re really welcoming the audience into our house every night to provide a feast for the senses.” You can buy tickets that are “show only,” but to get the full experience you should do at least the dinner, and possibly the additional VIP cocktail experience that occurs in a separate room. (The cocktail experience is complete with a separate story and dry- ice-aided visual effects.) As you walk into the main theater, you will notice the borders of the stage are filled with what look like books and they also hang from the ceiling, giving off a real library vibe. There are seats around large semi-circle tables and those next to smaller tables. Intricate chandeliers hang throughout the theater—some reminiscent of jellyfish, some reminiscent of other things from the natural world. There is a pre-show musical act with a three-piece band and singer that you can enjoy while you’re eating or just chilling while waiting for the show to begin. While Cirque fans might be used to the original, often bizarre songs that are in Cirque shows, the pre-show music is comprised of traditional hits with lyrics familiar to most. And, as an added bonus, there is tap dancing. I love a good tap, so that set it ahead of most Cirque experiences in my book. During that pre-show is when the three-course dinner is served. The dinner is inspired by the fantastical elements in the show. The menu is an edible cracker. A drink produces cloud-like smoke when its ingredients are combined. Your main course might be served in a glowing rock, much like the one that rises to the JOYÀ stage from the theater’s basement during the show. Or it might come out in a treasure chest, reminiscent of the show’s pirate scene. Desserts are served in a giant library book that cracks open to reveal four small treats. And then there is the show. Like most Cirque shows, I wouldn’t have known the plot if I didn’t read it ahead of time. I always want to and try to understand each scene, but typically fail. (The brilliance of IRIS was that I got it all.) According to press materials, the show was inspired by the migratory journey of the monarch butterfly, connecting Mexico and Cirque’s home base of Canada. Basically—and this you could sort of discern if you didn’t read ahead of time—the plot centers on a grandfather setting his young rebellious granddaughter on a quest for knowledge. Of course, she encounters various obstacles and strange creatures. She battles pirates (who emerge from a large book) and must find her way through a vast jungle comprised of a larger flower and vines. The music is infused with Mexican melodies, Caribbean drums and has a little bit of a samba feel, less esoteric than the music in many Cirque shows. There is also dialogue (in English and Spanish) which makes JOYÀ lightly more easily understood than some Cirque shows. The song lyrics however are oddly in an invented language. The acts themselves, other than the knife-fighting pirates, are fairly standard Cirque. For example, there is the hoop diving, aerial hoops, and the trampoline wall. They were well-executed, I had just seen them before. But one special feature of JOYÀ is the intimacy. I was sitting in a very good seat, of course, but the hand balancer came down from the ceiling in what looked like a large lighted jellyfish and performed her act on my table. To see an act that close was amazing. And even the worst seats are not that far from the action. This is especially so because, due to the theater being built for the show, things happen all around. A panel opens up next to the seats that are further back and part of the action unfolds near there. That cannot easily occur in the touring tents because the structure to execute it is not there. There is also a special flare to this show because it doesn’t have to tour. There are masks in the show and they are the nicest masks I’ve ever seen in a Cirque show. According to press materials, it takes five months to create the masks and they have over 10,000 beads and jewels, each glued by hand. It would be hard to keep them in such great shape if they toured, but they don’t need to. Additionally, there is a shooting star effect that I’ve never seen and I have to imagine is easier to pull off in a real theater, rather than a Cirque touring tent. “We have more space,” Sicard explained. “We have a basement and we can provide more in terms of automation. We have a lift company from the basement. There are more technical aspects that can be implemented as compared to when you’re just in a tent.” Many of the technicians are from Mexico, but only a few of the performers are. Others are from all over the world, as Cirque performs typically are. Of course, the performers sometimes change. There are some original cast members currently in the show, but performers do leave. Sicard is in charge of knowing what the show needs when. She gives notes, might modify a lighting cue or something of the sort. She talks to everyone onsite and also at the Montreal Cirque headquarters. Every once and a while Cirque decides to shake up the production with a new act. According to Sicard, this used to happen once a year, but since the pandemic has only happened once. (JOYÀ was not directly impacted by Cirque declaring and emerging from bankruptcy, but the process may have altered behind-the-scenes corporate plans.) The acts only have to loosely fit into the narrative, which means there is a wide variety of options. Sicard spoke of the amazing effort it is to keep the show up and running. There are two physiotherapists on site to help with injuries. Sicard makes sure the performers are getting the rehab they need when they need it because anyone who has seen a Cirque show knows that the acts are hard to execute. There are 100 costumes in the show and they need to be kept in shape. There are over 30 performers and over 30 technicians. The performers use over 110 colors for their makeup. And this all has to be maintained just like it would on any show. “Because I watch the show so often, I’ll see where I can make a transition better, or where a costume should be fixed,” Sicard said. “Then we have an annual review where we reflect on what was great and what could be better. I will propose things like, ‘Oh, what if we bring a little bit of this in.’ Then we’ll sit down with Vidanta and with headquarters in Montreal and see which of those ideas are gonna move forward.” Because the acts are so close to audience members, I had immediate fears. What happened if someone got up when performers were in the audience? If anyone used a flashlight or a flash on their phone, it would spell disaster, way more than at a normal Cirque show. But Sicard said audience members are generally respectful and she didn’t have any horror stories. JOYÀ is unique for Cirque because it is the only dinner theater, but it’s also pretty unique for a resort to have an original theatrical show in residency. You can buy tickets whether you stay at Vidanta Riviera Maya or not, but many visitors to the resort consider the show an added benefit of staying there, because it’s onsite. Bordered by beaches and the Caribbean Sea, Vidanta Riviera Maya is over 1000 acres, with 15 bars and restaurants, pools, a golf course, a spa, an upscale water park with the longest lazy river in Latin America, and a flamingo sanctuary. (I’m not a warm-weather person, but a pina colada and a lazy river is a pretty stereotypical dream.) There are go-carts to take resort guests everywhere, so it’s easy to get to JOYÀ if you’re onsite. You just take a cart. That makes the show an added incentive to stay at Vidanta Riviera Maya as opposed to other resorts in the area (of which there are several). When I got off the plane in Cancun, tourism people stopped me, and I asked about entertainment; a couple of resorts were hosting touring bands, many had in-house bands or dance acts or a small magic show, someone had something billed as “a Jersey Boys tribute” (I checked, it was not the theatrical stage show), but JOYÀ stood out. JOYÀ also stands out among other Cirque shows because of its surroundings. It is a much more complete experience than simply arriving at the Big Tent for a touring show. It is more immersive than a Vegas resident show because the experience begins before you enter the theater; the surroundings and the walkway introduce the world of the show. I can’t objectively tell you whether the show is a hit or not. There are no grosses. It wasn’t sold out when I was there, but I did not attend at a busy time of year. Because it is in a resort, the financial equation is extremely different than it would be for a standalone show. However, I do know that the people I attended with seemed to like it. I also know that Grupo Vidanta is currently building a theater at one of its other resorts for another new Cirque show, so the company is clearly happy with its Cirque partnership. { SOURCE: Cara Joy David, Broadway World } ---------------------------------------------------------- Brooks jumped at chance to swap CDS for Olympic dream {Jan.02.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- The 27-year-old toured around the US in 2017 as a two-wheeled trickster with the world’s most famous circus company. He only returned to competitive action the following year, going on to win freestyle bronze on debut in Tokyo. Brooks’ daring performances on stage and in subsequent advertising campaigns were a far cry from life in the high performance system and Brooks would not change it for the world. “It’s completely different, ads are so much easier,” he said. “You don’t get the competition stress that you would at a contest but that’s why we compete, that’s why we want to turn up and be the best every time. I’ve done shows for Cirque du Soleil and it’s not the same feeling as competing, you’re doing the same thing every night – for us it gets a little bit boring. That’s why I eventually came back to competitions and when the Olympics came around, I knew that was something that I wanted to do straight away. Before the Olympics there were so many different avenues to BMX and back then we did do a lot of appearances in films and adverts. Cadbury was an online promotion and then we did Mary Poppins for a few months, which was pretty cool, and a couple of Bollywood films, so you could say we’ve been about a bit.” “Now I just want to ride for as long as possible.” Brooks, who started skating at Southsea skate park near Portsmouth, is now firmly focused on qualifying for a second Games at Paris 2024. He is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery- funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – this is vital for their pathway to the Paris 2024 Games. Brooks was a pioneer of British Cycling’s BMX programme but now has Kieran Reilly for company. Reilly will be one of the favourites for Olympic gold next summer after being crowned world champion in Glasgow in July, qualifying Team GB a Games place in the process. With Reilly’s selection all but assured, Brooks will have to win a second quota place through the Olympic Qualifying Series in May and June to stand a chance of joining him. “Being part of Team GB is such a different beast altogether and it’s so cool to be in with lots of different athletes at a multi-games event,” he said. “To get us both to Paris next year is the ultimate goal. “Kieran and I train together every day, so we always see each other riding and see what we’re doing tricks wise. We ride very differently, Kieran does a lot of the bigger tricks, a lot more tail whips, bar spins and the bigger combination tricks whereas I tend to do bigger double flips and spins and try and get a bit more creative on the course. It’s always hard to judge that and put a score to a line on a course but that’s the way I like to ride and that’s what I enjoy. For the next year it’s more about supporting each other to get to where we want to go to and then we’ll both end up at the Olympics if all goes well.” Brooks and Tokyo Olympic champion Charlotte Worthington were the trailblazers but there is now a huge groundswell of freestyle talent on these shores – including 21-year-old Jude Jones and teenager Sasha Pardoe. “The Olympics made BMX a lot more credible and it’s now a real sport,” said Brooks. “It’s nice to see something you’ve put so much work into get that credibility having not been respect. I try to inspire kids to be better and take up BMX. We always get a great response when we let them hold our Olympic medals and hopefully we can inspire people out there to follow their passion.” { SOURCE: Hillingdon & Uxbridge Times } ---------------------------------------------------------- Take a Nap with 2,000 Friends at Cirque du Soleil {Jan.02.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- “KÀ” by Cirque du Soleil is one of the most ambitious shows in Las Vegas. It’s a thrilling spectacle of sight and sound, driven by the stage itself, divided into levitating segments that use hydraulics to rise, fall, rotate, and turn at angles that are dangerously steep. “‘KÀ’ is a grand adventure uniquely told by Cirque du Soleil in a way it had not done so before,” according to Richard “Richasi” Russo, a megafan who runs Richasi’s Le Grand Chapiteau and the Fascination! Newsletter. “The show pushed the envelope in theater design, technology, and presentation for its time, creating an epic story for the stage that would have been right at home on a motion picture screen.” There have been more than 8,000 performances of “KÀ” over nearly 20 years in Las Vegas, featuring a cast of more than 80 performers in a colorful, multicultural world that borrows elements from Asian, African, and South American iconography. Throughout the course of 90 minutes inside the MGM Grand, the audience marvels at set pieces like the Wheel of Death (hamster-wheel cages connected to a centralized arm) and a da Vinci–esque flying machine that soars over the audience. It’s not an exaggeration to describe “KÀ” as one of the most impressive and innovative stage productions on the Las Vegas Strip. Yet I can’t help it: I’ve fallen asleep during the show at least twice. And I’m not alone. Google the phrase “ka cirque fall asleep,” and you’ll come across reviews mentioning the phenomenon on travel sites and social media. “I saw four people that fell asleep in my immediate vicinity,” reads one 11-year-old review on TripAdvisor. “I am an insomniac and have been for many years. I legit fell asleep during ‘KÀ,’” writes one Reddit comment posted just five months ago. On X, you’ll find tweets by people who took a nap during “KÀ” in 2013, 2015, 2019, and 2022. It continues to come up in conversations I’ve had with folks who regularly attend Cirque shows in Vegas. In fact, just a few weeks ago, I had dinner with a fellow journalist and without mentioning the premise of this story, simply asked, “Have you seen ‘KÀ’?” His immediate response: “I fell asleep.” It’s even discussed among those who know and love Cirque best. “I have heard of audience members falling asleep during a performance, and I don’t necessarily think it’s because the show is boring,” Russo says about “KÀ.” He has a theory as to why: “The action raises your adrenaline and heart rate whilst the slower parts—the recovery from that action and subsequent story flow—calms you down, lulling you into a sense of safety and security. One can’t help but drift away if you’re so inclined to do so.” I think Russo is on to something here. “KÀ” is a balance of peaks and valleys, and the quieter moments are driven by dreamlike environments— most notably, an underwater world that takes shape with special effects after a shipwreck scene. Nothing rocks a weary vacationer to sleep quite like the image and sound of crashing waves. I ran into a longtime “KÀ” cast member during a recent off-Strip art event. When I mentioned I’ve fallen asleep during the show, she asked if it was during the forest scene. (It might’ve been. I don’t remember. I was asleep.) “They changed the forest. They changed that music now,” she said about the onstage sequence, built around an elegant, romantic aerial performance. “They have petals [falling] over the audience now. They ‘zhuzh it up’ is what they say,” referring to the production team. They do indeed switch things up from time to time, but “it still is [about] the story. They try to keep the story important.” While other Cirque productions rely on loose imagery and themes, “KÀ” is the only one in Vegas with a concrete, linear storyline—and, to be honest, the plot isn’t always easy to follow. It involves a pair of young twins—heirs to an unnamed kingdom in an unnamed world—who are separated when a celebration gives way to an attack. Characters come and go. Some get captured. Some fall in love. People fight. Bad guys turn on one another. There is a lot happening, and the show’s only moment of spoken narration takes place at the very beginning. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of who’s who and what’s happening. If an audience member loses focus, drowsiness can creep in. The venue itself is a factor as well. “KÀ” takes place in an intimate theater that feels deceptively large, surrounded by four levels of catwalks with the warm glow of soft amber lighting and stage-area mist welcoming guests at the beginning of each show. The music, performed live by mostly unseen instrumentalists, is heard throughout the theater on more than 5,000 speakers, including two in every one of the 1,950 seats; it’s a truly immersive audio experience. But it’s almost too relaxing—unless, of course, that’s what you’re after. In the name of completing my research, I bought a ticket to see the latest edition of the show. I stayed awake the entire time, though the responsibility of said research was likely to thank for that. Just four days later, a “three-minute survey” showed up in my inbox, asking questions like “How satisfied were you with ‘KÀ’ at ‘KÀ’ Theater?” with space to offer a response in detail. I had little to complain about. I enjoyed the show more than ever, making a point to focus on the visuals over the storyline—allowing any questions about the plot to float on by. It worked better that way. The world will continue to turn in 2024, undoubtedly dredging up more chaos than the year prior. Who can argue with entertainment that is so escapist that it has the capacity to lull you into a dream state? “KÀ” is art, and sometimes art sets a tone and creates a mood. This year, my mood is “KÀ.” { SOURCE: Rob Kachelriess, Thrillist } ---------------------------------------------------------- CDS is using AI and high-tech theaters to move into its next era {Jan.18.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- For nearly 40 years now, the mad scientists at Cirque Du Soleil have developed more than 50 different shows, ranging from the dreamlike (such as Saltimbanco) to artist-centric (like The Beatles Love or Michael Jackson: One). They’re tour de forces for imaginative artistry. As Cirque nears its fourth decade, however, having just barely survived the pandemic, the organization is looking to expand its footprint, while using tech to rethink the ways it comes up with new shows. “We feel very energized that tech is a part of who we are and we want to be more pronounced moving forward in showcasing those things,” says Nickole Tara, chief growth officer at Cirque du Soleil. In fact, Tara argues, the company is, at its heart, as much a tech firm as it is an entertainment experience. Six months ago, Cirque entered the video game space, with a tycoon- style offering on Roblox, which has since racked up four million gameplays, with an average session of 13 minutes (an eternity for the Roblox user). And the February launch of Apple’s Vision Pro will include a licensed 3D version of Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away, the James Cameron-produced film from 2012. “That movie was before its time,” Tara says. “3D movies weren’t a thing. That was the tip of the spear. And that’s illustrative to how Cirque has always been. We’re first to things, sometimes way before consumers are ready for it.” INCORPORATING AI Perhaps the biggest change Tara is juggling, though, is the incorporation of artificial intelligence into Cirque’s operations. While show creators remain firmly in charge, the company has been looking at how it can incorporate AI into the creative process. “Our creative teams use it . . . as a tool in their creation rooms,” Tara says. “They utilize it to mood board in a way that’s more efficient. It used to take a day to render images and now it takes minutes.” Incorporating AI, argues Tara, doesn’t mean the company will lose the emotional connection that’s so crucial to Cirque’s success. It is, instead, a way to speed the creative process along, while still making the show the producers envision. “A partner asked me if we would ever consider creating a show through AI,” says Tara. “I asked our creative guide and our chief production officers and they were like ‘Of course we want to experiment with that.’ In the end, you’re holding the controls. If something doesn’t iterate the way you think it should go, you just redirect the iteration.” MOVING BEYOND THE STAGE While Cirque recently debuted a new traveling show (Echo) and is about to roll out a new fixed show at the Outrigger Waikiki in Hawaii later this year, it’s also moving to a new sort of venue. The company has partnered with Cosm, a media company that plans to build a series of dome theaters (opening initially in Los Angeles this spring, then Dallas) to create larger-than-life experiences. Cirque just wrapped up the capture of one of its Las Vegas shows in a 12K format, which will be shown on a 180-degree screen. The idea is to tap into a new audience, perhaps one that can’t (or is unwilling to) afford the price of a ticket to a Cirque show. The company hopes that after seeing the expansive cinematic version, those people might be more open to seeing a live show. “We’ve got some exciting things we put into motion in 2023 and are coming out in 2023, but it’s largely experimental,” says Tara. “We’re learning in real time. We feel like [projects like collaborations with Cosm] grow the IP in a very meaningful way.” { SOURCE: Fast Company } ---------------------------------------------------------- A Swing for One Drop Presented by Cirque du Soleil {Jan.25.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and the One Drop Foundation unite in an unprecedented collaboration supported by the Presidents Cup to address sustainable water solutions, empower communities through innovative actions, and drive positive change in the face of the climate crisis. Together, they proudly announce, A Swing for One Drop, a spectacular caritative event set to captivate audiences on May 23, 2024, as Cirque du Soleil's KURIOS-Cabinet of Curiosities premiers its performances in the historic Old Port of Montreal. This initiative seamlessly blends the artistry of Cirque du Soleil with the global reach of the Presidents Cup, all in support of the life-changing initiatives led by the One Drop Foundation. It aligns with the larger picture of the upcoming Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club, highlighting One Drop's vital role as one of the chosen charitable beneficiaries by the Presidents Cup. A Swing for One Drop is a prestigious benefit event that transcends entertainment and sport, uniting in a shared commitment to drive positive change. This event contributes to One Drop's vision of a sustainable future with safe water for all. PGA TOUR personalities will be in attendance, offering our guests a unique opportunity to rub shoulders with Presidents Cup members. Additionally, prominent leaders from Cirque du Soleil will further enhance the evening's prestige and the presence of some of their iconic artists, will complement the experience, making it an unforgettable event for golf aficionados and corporations alike. An Unforgettable Experience: Limited to 200 guests, the event offers an exclusive VIP experience beginning at 5:30 PM on May 23, 2024. Guests will have a two-hour preshow meet-and-greet with industry leaders and enjoy appetizers and beverages in an exclusive VIP lounge, followed by the magical performance of Cirque du Soleil's KURIOS. Packages and tickets for this extraordinary event are now on sale. The One Drop team is ready to assist interested corporate teams, as well as golf enthusiasts and entertainment connoisseurs, looking for networking opportunities and an unforgettable experience. For ticket purchase and further details, visit One Drop's website or contact catherine.paradis-lavoie@onedrop.org. The Presidents Cup proudly designates One Drop as one of the 2024 charities of choice leading to its global team competition hosted by the PGA TOUR this September, while Cirque du Soleil maintains its longstanding commitment as One Drop's global cause partner. “Immersing ourselves into the Montreal community was one of the first priorities we laid out for the 2024 Presidents Cup,” said Executive Director of the 2024 Presidents Cup Ryan Hart. “Part of what defines this city are the many non-profit organizations like One Drop, giving back to this community, province and causes abroad, anchored by key leaders like Cirque du Soleil. Our goal was to align with causes Montreal has demonstrated passion toward, and we hope this partnership helps those efforts while providing a glimpse into what’s to come at the 2024 Presidents Cup.” “Our mission at Cirque du Soleil has always been to have a positive impact on individuals, communities and the planet by using what sets us apart: art and creativity. In collaboration with the Presidents Cup and One Drop, this joint effort highlights our shared commitment to drive positive change”, added Stéphane Lefebvre, President, and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. "We're deeply motivated by the choice of major private sector players, the Presidents Cup and Cirque du Soleil, who share our commitment to changing the world. This recognition underscores the potential impact of our collective efforts in driving positive change through sustainable water solutions globally and in Canada." Lisa Clowery, Co- CEO at the One Drop Foundation. Attendees will be eligible for a tax receipt upon purchasing tickets under specific conditions, aligning this remarkable experience with a philanthropic impact. Don't miss the chance to be part of a night that transcends entertainment and sport, contributing to a sustainable future with safe water for all. Join us for A Swing for One Drop. For more information and ticket purchases, please visit One Drop's website. { SOURCE: Cirque du Soleil } ---------------------------------------------------------- This Israeli Cirque du Soleil drummer holds a Guinness World Record {Jan.26.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- Audiences have come to love Cirque du Soleil shows for their astounding acrobatic feats and clownish comedic interludes. But the music, which is performed live, plays a big role as well. Eden Bahar, a 31-year-old Israeli drummer, is part of the band for “Kooza,” one of the international company’s touring shows. It includes both traditional circus acts — think high wires and contortionists — and more modern ones, including the nail-biting Wheel of Death. Bahar, who grew up in Holon and Tel Aviv and holds a world record for most drumstick spins in one minute, spoke with J. this week about why he joined the circus. Q. How did you get into drumming? Bahar: My father is a pianist and producer, and my mom is a very musical person. Music was around me all the time. My father had a studio with a little set of drums, and I picked up the drums naturally. Even before I was able to talk or walk, I was already playing drums. Q. You hold the Guinness World Record for most drumstick spins in one minute, which you set in 2018 with 149 spins. What inspired you to pursue that record? I always strive to set goals for myself. The first record that I wanted to break was the longest time playing drums without sleeping or eating. But I saw that there was a drummer from India that did that for two and a half days, which was too much for me to even try to break. When I was looking for easier records to break, I came across this one — drumstick spins in one minute. But it wasn’t easy because they have very strict rules. I practiced for two years and had two failed attempts, and then the third attempt was the one that got me the title. Q. When did you learn about Cirque du Soleil, and why did you want to be part of it? When I was 8 years old, my father showed me a DVD of “Quidam.” I remember sitting on the couch in the living room, watching the DVD. It was a beautiful, beautiful show. Then when I was 14, my mom took me on a bar mitzvah trip to the Netherlands, where we saw together the show “Alegria.” That was the first time I saw Cirque live. It was a life changing experience for me. Fast forward, when I was 23, “Quidam” came to Tel Aviv, and through a mutual friend I met the drummer. He invited me to see the show and gave me a backstage tour. That was the moment I said to myself, I want to be here one day. It took me a few years of auditioning and a lot of determination but, finally, I’m here. Q. How would you describe “Kooza?” I’ve seen quite a few Cirque du Soleil shows in my life, and I still don’t know what the best word to describe “Kooza” is. But maybe the word is “Kooza.” Q. What role does music play in the show? A lot of circus shows don’t use live music, and I think that’s what makes Cirque du Soleil different. We’re playing live with a computer that’s basically a metronome. Our role is to support the action that’s onstage. Every show is different. They do different tricks, so we have to accommodate that musically. It always keeps us on our toes. Q. Are there other Israelis involved with Cirque du Soleil? I think at the moment there are four of us. One works in Montreal at the international headquarters. One is a juggler in “Bazzar.” She’s an amazing juggler. And the last one, she’s a guitar player in Vegas in the “Michael Jackson One” show. Q. What is it like being part of such a large cast of performers from around the world? We’re like a big family. We have people from 31 different nationalities in the show. I know everyone, and we’re all good friends. I can eat lunch with a friend from Mongolia, and then play backgammon with a friend from Russia, and then have a small talk with a friend from Mexico. We’re all just getting along fine. Q. Has anyone asked you about the situation in Israel right now? Yes, some people have shown interest and I appreciate it a lot. It’s really hard being far from home, but if I was there right now, there’s nothing I could do. I’d rather be here. And same for my parents. They’re happy that I’m here, playing music and making people happy. { SOURCE: The Jewish News of Northern California } ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil, President of Resident Shows ‘part ways’ {Feb.01.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- One of Cirque du Soleil’s top Las Vegas executives is leaving the company. On Tuesday, the company announced they were “parting ways” with Eric Grilly, who had been the President of Resident Shows and Affiliate Shows. “We have mutually agreed to part ways and we thank Eric Grilly for his numerous contributions during his tenure at Cirque du Soleil, specifically leading us back into operations following the shutdown. We look forward to having Mike Newquist, a seasoned entertainment executive and a former leader of our touring shows division step into the role of president for a seamless transition.” Channel 13 spoke to Grilly a few months ago and he said the pandemic was a major hurdle the company had to overcome. “We made a conscious effort to stay in touch with our artists and held monthly Zooms to try to keep them aware of what was going on. When shows started coming back, they had capacity limits, which weren’t viable for us to reopen to perform in a theater of 25% or 50% occupancy,” Grilly said. “But once the path became clear to us and we started ramping up, we started thinking about what do we do? We invested heavily in health and safety protocols. It started with us building a testing center that was testing 1,100 people a day. An artist or technician would be tested early in the morning and if they were cleared, they would then go to the theater. Through the rigor we took in our protocols, when we opened the shows, we never had to close them again. I think it was an important thing for our new investors, but also for our employees who had been out of work for months.” Grilly also told Channel 13 the business has been restructured over the past couple of years and Cirque du Soleil is continuing to try to find ways to bring in audiences. As for Newquist, he previously worked as the President of the Touring Shows Division. He resigned from the company in July to join Allegiant Stadium and will now rejoin Cirque du Soleil. Company officials said the change will be effective, as of Feb. 12. { SOURCE: KTNV, Las Vegas } ---------------------------------------------------------- Flower Mound Native Skates Through Air {Feb.01.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- North Texan Hunter Grimm soars through the air, flipping forward, backward and doing full layouts, in Cirque du Soleil’s “Crystal” — and he does it all in hockey skates. The show tells the story of a troubled teenage girl named Crystal who feels disconnected from her family and friends. To clear her mind, she goes skating on a frozen lake but falls through the ice. “It sends her into an alternate reality where … her imagination (is) being brought to life,” Grimm said. “This show actually tells a story all the way through, and then at the end, she has found herself again and reconnects with her family. … It’s really incredible.” Though the story is set on the ice, the trapeze acts, aerial artists, lifts and flips that people have come to expect from a Cirque show are all still present. Grimm’s path to becoming a professional performer started at Grapevine Mills mall. He remembers walking around the mall with his mom at age 5, seeing the rink and begging to try it out. “I didn’t have a pair of socks on because it was 100 degrees or something in Texas, so we went and bought a pair of socks at the mall,” he said. “Then I went and rented a pair of skates and just started skating around, and that just became my hobby and thing to do with my mom.” After that, he spent as much time as possible wearing skates, whether he was traveling with his hockey team or rollerblading outside. “Rollerblading is kind of an underground kind of industry, and it’s really hard to make a full-time career and a living within it,” he said. “That was always my goal to try to do that, but I never thought that I would end up with Cirque.” He had seen a few shows as a child, but it wasn’t until he had graduated from high school and gone to see a friend perform that he started to consider it as a career. As luck would have it, another performer was about to leave the show, and Grimm was asked to submit an audition reel and invited to Montreal for eight weeks of training. “They liked me and sent me straight to the show after that. That was in 2018, and I haven’t looked back since,” he said. “In all of my rollerblading days, I never thought I would end up here. And I’m really happy that I have.” Getting to perform in front of a hometown crowd is a bonus. “For me, it’s really nostalgic, and I’m really proud to bring this production back to my hometown to show everyone what we’ve been working on,” Grimm said. “You really have to see it to believe it.” { SOURCE: Fort Worth Report } ---------------------------------------------------------- Performer finds his own queer story in 'Crystal' {Feb.02.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- In Cirque du Soleil’s Crystal, the show’s story has a certain resonance with queer audiences. At least, the show-on-ice does for Cirque performer Guillaume Blais. As the show tours, and Blais and company head to North Texas, he’s found much more in this production beyond the wondrous high-flying and figure skating action. In Crystal, traditional circus acts — including swinging trapeze, aerial straps, hand-balancing, banquine and pendular poles — were adapted to be performed on ice. More than 40 artists, both acrobats and skaters, perform in the air and on the ice. At the heart of the story is Crystal, a young woman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery. The further the narrative pulls the audience into this world, the more their adrenaline soars, as Crystal becomes who she was always destined to be: herself. “To me, the main character, this young girl, has these ups and downs in this confined space,” Blais said. “She’s trying to break through the ice to get out of it. She wants to come out of that space. “Through that journey and hearing from the creators, I saw the intelligence behind Crystal and that with the personal side spoke to me.” The out performer closes the show with his unique duo trapeze piece over the ice. His performance is the show’s marquee act today when it was just 10 years ago that he had his first show with Cirque. In the beginning though, the 40-something started out his career away from the stage. “After I finished school I moved to Montreal and created wigs for shows and ultimately Cirque,” he said. “I fell in love with all the backstage action of the performers. So I auditioned for circus school and decided to change my path.” As a performer, Blais felt more comfortable with acrobatics and movement. But also, the big city and the flourish of circus life appealed to the young gay kid from the Canadian countryside. He felt hairstyling wasn’t all he could do. So he proved it. He finished his circus education and officially joined Cirque du Soleil as a performer. A decade later, he’s a headliner. “I wanted to try everything and tell stories,” he said. “My story not only highlights the diversity and inclusivity within the entertainment industry but also underscores the importance of embracing individuality.” When he was in his teens, Blais initially thought what many parents might have said about his sexual orientation — that he was going through a phase. He said he was looking for himself both artistically and personally. At the same time, during his high school years, he was being bullied. Growing up in a remote area, Blais was challenged with finding resources that he could cling onto for information or perspectives. That helps fuel his work now as an out and proud performer. He’s looking to offer representation to that young person living in a cultural desert. “I try to have that voice for the community that I wish I could have found as a young kid,” he said. “It’s important for us to stick out where we can and show all the colors of the rainbow.” For Blais, that’s finding a balance in his performance. There is the pattern of hetero-pairing his performances which he knows is part of the bigger picture. But he will bring his queerness into his performances where he can. “There are those more hetero approaches, but I know I’m still putting my voice into that. When I’m solo, I can and do play more with my queerness in the role. But also, I’m never trying to be myself onstage. “I try to use my own vocabulary which gives me the freedom to approach my roles any way I want,” he said. { SOURCE: Dallas Voice } ---------------------------------------------------------- Maximizing Your Network: Insights from Cirque du Soleil Talent Scout Xavier Brossard-Ménard {Feb.08.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- Online talent profiles and digital platforms aside, the casting process is at its core a process of forging human connections… and no one knows this better than Cirque du Soleil Talent Scout Xavier Brossard-Ménard. Let’s hear Xavier’s thoughts on how both casting directors and performers can use their networks to find and build the artistic relationships that they desire. Known for his fiery spirit, lively interpretations, and innovative programming, Xavier Brossard-Ménard is an accomplished chamber clarinetist and chorus master, as well as the artistic director and conductor of the professional vocal ensemble Les Rugissants. Over the course of his career, Xavier has directed several renowned ensembles, such as Les Muses Chorale, the Toronto Children’s Chorus, the McGill Conservatory Singers, the Youth Choir of the Faculty of Music of the Université de Montréal, and the choirs of the École de musique Vincent-d’Indy, as well as conducting orchestral and chorus concerts in Canada and around the world. He became president-elect of Choral Canada, the association that federates and promotes choral singing in Canada, in 2022. Last but not least, Xavier has since 2017 been a Singing Casting Partner of Cirque du Soleil, leading international auditions for the company. CircusTalk asked Xavier about his own approach to casting and how he uses digital tools to find new talent and faciliate building out one’s creative network. In return, he offered them some wise words for people on both sides of the casting process. Q. What was your pathway to becoming a casting director? I became a casting director somehow by accident: I’m a professional orchestra and choir conductor and a clarinetist. At a moment in my musical career, I wanted to try new avenues, work with a team of people and become a scout for singers and instrumentalists for Cirque du Soleil. It was a great fit, and it felt invigorating to work for a worldwide company with ambitious goals. I say “by accident,” but that is actually not totally true. As a conductor, I audition singers and musicians for the companies I work for or for my own projects all the time; a big part of my time on the podium is dedicated to analyzing what I hear and comparing it to what I have in mind. It is actually the same process when you do casting. Also, my partner would tell you that I’m quite critical (ahahaha) and in a casting context, that becomes more an asset than a fault! Q. What is your most trusted source for finding talent? I strongly believe that your network (and your digital one is part of it)—its quality, variety, and density, and how people relate to you— makes a huge difference in how you can find rich talent quickly. If you can convey the quality of the profile and the vision of the show paired with the understanding of a given territory and a pool of talent, then your network will provide the right person. The digital tool will always be included in the research for the perfect fit, but ultimately, you need humans to understand humans. Then I would say that [you need] more angles and diversified actions interacting together to source talent (e.g. browsing a territory, contacting agents, hiring a local partner, writing a generic post on Facebook, having a chain of recommendations on WhatsApp, relying on very targeted digital initiative).The web of initiatives: this ecosystem is the key to a successful casting. But in the end, the human aspect, the story you can tell is what matters. Q. What is the most time-consuming part of sourcing talent and why? Emails and people not knowing what they want. And if you combine them: trying to gain clarity by writing more emails. Usually when a profile has clarity, it’s not difficult to harvest it. It is somewhat normal for a creative team that develops a show to start with blurry contours, but the more effort in formulating a profile, the faster and more fruitful the search is, as well as the process. On the other hand, too much clarity and too many details can hinder the contribution of the context, the serendipity of the process. The platform we use or the processes at hand can be very counterintuitive and draining. Using technology that makes the user experience fun and rich and lowers the number of clicks boosts productivity and fun. Who wants a jarring experience? Q. Do you see any potential ways to make this aspect less of a pain point? I think people should use the phone more often and get together to talk! There is so much that gets done in short and recurring conversations. Creating platforms that are more playful and engaging would be nice. And updating old ones to make them more efficient, too. Q. What is something that you wish artists knew about the casting process, and what can artists do to facilitate a casting director’s work? A few random thoughts on the casting process: Casting is HR for artists. If you want to get a job in a company, the first thing you should do is know what they are about. What are they looking for? When this is clear for you, contacting an artist who was successful in getting a job with them is a valuable thing to do, as this person will have soft information and contacts that could positively influence your application process. If you start with the idea that the volume of applicants for a position is very high, then you need to bear in mind that you are competing for time and attention. Making sure that you have totally digested what is needed, in terms of the format of submissions and deadlines, by carefully reading what’s written on the website is a key to your success (and also to the casting director that is reviewing your file). Presenting material that is dead center with the profile, neither too short or too long, is important to your success. You need to be able to convince [them] very quickly. Comparing the candidate with its own production is important to assess the consistency of the skills, both artistic and technical, but also the flexibility in one’s approach. I also believe that the material should never be more than 2-3 years old, and adding something you did in the last few months tells us that you are active and that your skills are equal to or better than before. Just show your absolute best: the advantage of digital casting is that you control everything you show. If something is not totally amazing (bad tuning, diction, phrasing), then don’t put it: you don’t have a second chance, you killed your opportunity for a first good impression and it can point to bad judgment—something, down the road, that isn’t positive on a production. And a few thoughts on victory and defeat: In victory and defeat, remember that a lot is about timing, availability, and being at the right place at the right moment. …You might have been the third choice of the company and gotten the role…. …You might be rejected because of a costume issue, the height of your partner, or maybe because the creative team thinks that you are TOO good for a given role…. Questioning one’s worth is a human trait, but I propose viewing it as akin to a brief weekend trip rather than an all-inclusive month-long stay. It’s vital to remember that the majority of criteria affecting our worth are beyond our control. However, the 15% that is within our control pertains to our skill set and how we nurture and showcase it, alongside our determination to advance it. { SOURCE: Circus Talk } ---------------------------------------------------------- British Gymnast Sets New World Record {Feb.13.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- Lucie Colebeck, a former British gymnast turned Cirque du Soleil performer, etched her name in the annals of history by setting a new world record for the most handsprings in 30 seconds. The feat took place on the Cirque du Soleil stage at the Royal Albert Hall, where she executed an astonishing 36 handsprings, surpassing the previous record of 25. A TEST OF AGILITY AND ENDURANCE Colebeck’s journey to this landmark achievement began at the tender age of nine, when she first took up gymnastics. She honed her skills at Pinewood Gymnastics Club in Wokingham, consistently pushing the boundaries of her abilities. The record-breaking attempt was a true test of agility, endurance, and precision, as each handsprings added to the momentum, making it increasingly difficult to maintain control and balance. FLYING THROUGH THE AIR Despite the inherent dangers and challenges, Colebeck demonstrated remarkable composure and determination during her performance. She recounted the experience as feeling like she was flying, with the world around her becoming a blur. The intensity of the moment made it difficult for her to hear anything, forcing her to rely solely on her instincts and training to complete the sequence. DEFYING GRAVITY The record-breaking feat took place during the Cirque du Soleil: Alegría show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where Colebeck currently performs as a powertrack artist. The production, known for its breathtaking acrobatics and captivating storytelling, provided the perfect backdrop for her historic accomplishment. Cirque du Soleil: Alegría will continue to dazzle audiences at the Royal Albert Hall until 3 March. As Colebeck’s feet touched the ground after the final handsprings, the crowd erupted in applause, recognizing the skill, dedication, and sheer willpower required to achieve such an incredible feat. In the realm of gymnastics and Cirque du Soleil, Lucie Colebeck has undoubtedly left an indelible mark, inspiring future generations to reach for new heights and redefine the limits of human potential. { SOURCE: BNN } ---------------------------------------------------------- Two World Records?! {Feb.13.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- Two stars of Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Alegria – In A New Light’ have set new Guinness World Records at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Contortionist Oyun-Erdene Senge successfully broke the title of most contortion roll push ups in 30 seconds, achieving 24, beating the former record of 21. And, powertrack artist Lucie Colebeck set a brand-new record for the most back handsprings on a trampoline in 30 seconds, performing the impressive acrobatic skill 36 times, smashing the minimum threshold of 25. Oyun-Erdene Senge said: “It’s a long time coming as I’ve been doing contortion roll push ups since I was six years old. This is my fourth engagement with Cirque du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall; the first time was with the original production of ‘Alegría’ when I was 12 years old. To become a Guinness World Records title holder on the set of ‘Alegría’ inside this historic venue feels like coming full circle for me.” Lucie Colebeck commented: “I’ve been doing tumbling for a long time, and to receive this title is so awesome. Since I joined Cirque du Soleil in 2018, I have been dreaming of performing with ‘Alegría – In A New Light’ at home in London. To now become a Guinness World Records title holder inside the Royal Albert Hall is making this whole experience even more surreal and magical.” Guinness World Records Adjudicator, Megan Bruce said: “I knew the cast of Cirque du Soleil were good, but seeing these record attempts in person and up close was something else. I was amazed by the level of flexibility and upper body strength shown by Oyun-Erdene and Lucie’s attempt was lightning fast as she managed to set the record with at least five seconds to spare. Congratulations to both performers for breaking such physically demanding record titles.” ---------------------------------------------------------- The Macallan X Cirque du Soleil {Feb.13.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- THE MACALLAN COLLABORATES WITH CIRQUE DU SOLEIL TO LAUNCH AN EXCLUSIVE SENSORY EXPERIENCE TO MARK 200 YEARS YOUNG The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland – the 485 acres stretch of land in the Scottish Highlands that is home to the brand’s Distillery – will play host to this breathtaking experience. This scenic landscape offers a unique setting to enhance the engaging nature of the event, whilst providing a picturesque backdrop that complements the overarching narrative. With a highly limited run, the experience will run at 8:30pm daily – excluding Sundays – from 9-31 May 2024. Cirque du Soleil SPIRIT is an exclusive sensory experience which transports guests into the theatrical universe of the Scottish Highlands for an engaging journey. Taking individuals on a journey through taste, smell, sounds and feelings, this is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to witness an awe-inspiring performances, whilst feeling immersed in nature. Jaume Ferràs, Creative Director at The Macallan, said: “2024 marks a momentous year for The Macallan as it celebrates its bicentennial. Celebrating two centuries of unparalleled craftsmanship and tradition, this collaboration brings two iconic brands together, both dedicated to constant innovation; resulting in a one-of-a-kind experience which is uniquely inspired by the Highlands and the story of our brand so far.” “Bridging the gap between the art of whisky making and the spectacle of performing arts, creating an unforgettable experience that is deeply rooted in the nature that surrounds us at The Macallan, our rich history, and our bold vision for the future. We look forward to welcoming guests from all over the world to our Estate, offering them the opportunity to take in an exclusive experience and a bespoke whisky tasting surrounded by nature, all unique to The Macallan.” Cirque du Soleil SPIRIT moves guests through different environments of the narrative experience, immersing them in the feelings, scents, tastes and sounds of the bespoke journey. The experience tells the tale of how reconnecting with nature gives life a force to protect our natural world, offering breathtaking performances, intriguing stagecraft and signature tasting experiences at the Estate. The story focuses on Davonna, a fierce spiritual guardian of the Scottish Highlands, and a young colourist named Ayla. The daughter of a beloved Master Whisky Maker, Ayla has striven for years to recreate an elusive shade of red that reminds her of her father and the red chalk he would use in his work. Davonna leads their venture deep into the majestic natural landscapes of the realm and through a series of encounters with fantastical folkloric figures along the way, which culminates in a reconnection with nature. Marie-Hélène Delage, Creative Director at Cirque Du Soleil, said: “Cirque du Soleil SPIRIT is a spectacular collaboration based on mutual respect. Through harmony paralleled with nature and storytelling, we’ve forged a unique partnership that highlights the strengths of both of our brands. With this invitation, we’re welcoming guests to a transformative experience in the timeless beauty of The Macallan Estate. Together, we’ve written a tale that celebrates the beauty, wonder and deep connection we all share with the natural world.” Information on the experience, along with timings and pricing, can be found below: Location: The Macallan Estate in Speyside Dates: 9 – 31 May 2024 with one experience per day, excluding Sundays Ticket price: £200 per person Timings: 8:30pm – 10:30pm Link to purchase: https://www.themacallan.com/en/experience-the-macallan/book-the-macallan-cirque-du-soleil-spirit Further information: https://www.themacallan.com/en/experience-the-macallan/cirque-du-soleil ABOUT THE MACALLAN The Macallan is renowned worldwide for its extraordinary single-malt whiskies. Two centuries have passed since Alexander Reid, founder of The Macallan, distilled the first batch of whisky in his curiously small stills in Speyside, Scotland, in 1824, beginning the extraordinary legacy of the single malt Scotch whisky. An obsession with quality and craftsmanship is the hallmark of The Macallan. The outstanding quality and distinctive character of each whisky is influenced by exceptional oak casks seasoned with sherry wine – a commitment to natural colour underpinned by mastery. Designed by internationally acclaimed architects, The Macallan Distillery is located on a beautiful 485-acre Estate and takes inspiration from the surrounding ancient Scottish hills. The past 200 years have been a prologue for everything that is still to come. This is a journey through time. This is The Macallan, 200 Years Young. Crafted without compromise. Please savour The Macallan responsibly. Crafted without compromise. Please savour The Macallan responsibly. For further information visit themacallan.com and become a member of The Macallan Society to explore the stories behind the whiskies.. For press information visit https://www.themacallan.com/en/newsroom ---------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Founder To Create Concert Venue Within Office Complex {Feb.14.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- Guy Laliberté, the creative mind that made Cirque du Soleil a global entertainment attraction, is setting his sights on a property in downtown Montreal as he aims to put his stamp on the seven-building Maison Alcan complex. Laliberté co-founded Cirque du Soleil in 1984 and oversaw three decades of steady growth as his performers entertained 160 million spectators in 48 countries during his reign. He then sold the company to a China-based investment firm for a reported $1.5 billion in 2015. Shortly after, he set his focus on the downtown Montreal Maison Alcan property where his father once worked as a sales rep for Alcan, one of the world’s largest aluminum manufacturers. Today, Cirque du Soleil’s headquarters remains in Montreal, and the company has close to 4,000 employees, including 1,200 artists from more than 80 countries and an office in Las Vegas. Laliberté’s Lune Rouge real estate company purchased the downtown Montreal Maison Alcan buildings for $48 million in 2016 and has since invested almost $50 million into the properties that are spread over 2 acres of valuable downtown real estate. Laliberté’s Lune Rouge has since unveiled a series of innovative undertakings, including the nonprofit Zu program that offers office space for small startups. Last year it launched a public-friendly atrium where passersby can drop into a sprawling space to poke on their laptops while admiring the art-filled lobby or enjoying lunch at the Améa Café. Lune Rouge’s next project on the site aims to refurbish a long- abandoned adjacent church to transform it into the Citadel, a venue for concerts and other public events, just one of the seven buildings at the Maison Alcan complex. Laliberté’s minority partner Sean O’Donnell, an accomplished real estate developer known for his Quintessence Hotel in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, is now the hands-on leader overseeing the Maison Alcan project as president of Lune Rouge. His attention has been aimed at the church, where workers have removed and painstakingly boxed and labeled old stained glass windows and church pews while removing asbestos and lead from the structure. Lune Rouge is not restricted by heritage building rules in its redesign of the church interior but they nonetheless plan to return the ancient interior to its original status upon completion. O’Donnell promises that the multifunctional event space will be one of the “nicest venues downtown” and will be useful for any number of events, from concerts to conferences to weddings. Laliberté’s star power could help in attracting interesting attractions. “Guy is friends with Bono. Who knows? Maybe he’ll come and perform here,” said O’Donnell. The church cleanup has cost about $7 million thus far and the subsequent conversion will cost around $10 million to $12 million, according to O’Donnell. A completion date for the venue was not disclosed. Culver’s Vision Laliberté and O’Donnell share a vision of restoring the Maison Alcan complex to the vocation set out in the 1980s by Maison Alcan CEO David Culver, who added a seven-storey aluminum tower and established the site as the company’s headquarters, complete with gardens and restaurants and cafes. “It was a gathering place. It was an important milestone in architecture and urban development,” said O’Donnell. Rio Tinto had a different notion once it acquired Maison Alcan in 2007 and the multinational company closed most of the property to the public as well as its two popular restaurants. “You couldn’t come into the gardens or the buildings. It was sad,” said O’Donnell. Rio Tinto moved their Montreal operations into Deloitte Tower in 2015 and O’Donnell got to see Laliberte’s mind at work after acquiring the Maison Alcan property. “He’s very highly solicited and recognized as one of the most creative people in the world,” said O’Donnell. “He has a curious mind and he saw this as an opportunity to bring back the vision of David Culver and also make this an ecosystem of companies. He wanted to give it back to the entrepreneurs.” The 270,000 square feet of office space inside Maison Alcan is 92% leased, according to O’Donnell, a solid total in a city where the office vacancy rate has spiked to almost 20%. Office dwellers include start-ups on the first five floors of the former Berkeley Hotel building, as part of Laliberté’s Zu initiative, a nonprofit group that offers office space to aspiring entrepreneurs. Other offices are inhabited by some of Montreal’s more notable business names, including Paul Desmarais III, Mitch Garber, Leonard Schlemm and Laliberté himself. The bright atrium section near the entrance of the property on Sherbrooke Street opened last year on land once occupied by an alleyway. It attracts a wide variety of passersby, including students from the nearby campuses of both McGill and Concordia universities, who have become accustomed to loitering with laptops on a multitiered seating section across from a glass-walled elevator. The Lune Rouge team plans to add a restaurant next to the cafe now that authorities have approved their plan to extend a glass-covered area out into the garden. O’Donnell sees the restaurant as essential to Maison Alcan’s mission of fostering an after-hours vibrancy once the offices close for the day. Artwork is found throughout the complex, including in the two-level parking below the building, where motorists can enjoy a series of paintings that cover the walls of the brightly lit parking space. The Lune Rouge team has a long-term vision of replacing the 2050 Stanley, built in 1983, with another structure, likely taller. O’Donnell says they have not yet decided whether it will be for residential or other purposes. Meanwhile, they also have an idea of putting a learning institution on the site. O’Donnell believes that cities need places like Maison Alcan, which he describes as “a kind of a playground, a place to convene, where people can get to meet people.” It’s a better experience than working at home, he argues. “When you’re sitting in your basement, you’re not meeting anybody.” The Lune Rouge company has not put all of its eggs in the Maison Alcan basket. The company also has investments in other properties throughout North America, including a long-term project to develop 8 million square feet in the Little Haiti section of Miami. { SOURCE: Costar } ---------------------------------------------------------- “I spent $700 to see a Cirque dinner show with my toddler…” {Feb.20.2024} ---------------------------------------------------------- While my 2-year-old daughter and I were vacationing in Riviera Maya, Mexico, our hotel concierge informed us that Cirque du Soleil had a residency in the area called JOYÀ. The show is recommended for children ages 3 and up, but I still wanted to take my kid along since we were on vacation. I splurged on two tickets for the VIP show and dinner experience package, which cost about $700 total. Here’s what the experience was like: I chose the VIP show and dinner experience because I wanted a fancy meal. When I originally got tickets for this Cirque show, the idea of a fancy dinner drew me in. The experience included a welcome cocktail, a three-course dinner, and preferential seating with unlimited Champagne. The staff was great with kids — When we arrived at the show for the early seating, the manager was very kind, and the service was thoughtful. Staff members helped us to our seats, secured my daughter in her high chair, played peekaboo with her when she was impatient, and frequently checked on us. When they noticed my daughter wasn’t eating her food, the manager offered to have the kitchen make pasta and french fries for her. The VIP package came with some useful perks — With the VIP show and dinner experience, we were able to access the theater 30 minutes before the regular entry time. This was a huge perk because it meant we didn’t have to stand in line. My daughter and I were able to unwind, settle in, and enjoy the preshow musicians and singers. The food was so whimsical and creative — I loved the creativity in each meal, from an edible bread menu to the elaborate vessels containing our courses. The appetizer included a seafood medley, edible flowers, and breadsticks complete with a foggy ambiance, thanks to a vial of decorative dry ice. My short-rib main dish came with a bowl that resembled a bone. Dessert was served inside a tray that opened and closed like a book. I appreciated that the whimsical touches thoughtfully tied into the theme of the Cirque show we were about to enjoy. The storyline was confusing at times, but I enjoyed most of the show — The show is about a grandfather who sends his granddaughter on a series of quests. Along the way, she encounters unique humans, animals, and hybrid life-forms played by acrobatics, singers, and dancers. According to Cirque du Soleil’s website, the show features components of Mayan culture and was inspired by the monarch butterfly’s migratory journey. I found the storyline hard to follow at some points, especially since I was watching the show for the first time. However, the confusion didn’t detract from my own, or my daughter’s, enjoyment. Though she couldn’t fully comprehend everything, she still enjoyed the ever-changing stage performances and visual sets. She even kept saying “hi” to the rabbit character to get his attention. Some scenes were a little scary for my daughter — Before the show started, I learned some scenes would be dark and feature flashing lights, so I was advised to take my daughter outside if she cried. Some moments initially scared her, and we were on the brink of leaving a couple of times. Thankfully, though, these sequences were brief. By the end, she was enamored with the show and particularly loved the trampoline performers and the aquatic sea creatures. On the car ride home, she talked about “the jumping” and “the fishies,” so I knew she had a great time. We had fun, but I wouldn’t bring my daughter to a show like this again — The VIP package was spectacular but ultimately wasn’t suited for my daughter and me. I found the dinner to be a bit of a waste since my daughter didn’t touch most of her food. I also found that I couldn’t get fully lost in the bells and whistles of the show because I was focused on caring for her. Ultimately, I think we would have been just as happy with one of the show-only experiences. Of course, being under the recommended age limit could’ve been a factor in my daughter’s enjoyment of the show. I’d only go again if I were attending the show with my husband and celebrating a milestone like an anniversary or birthday. { SOURCE: Tiffany Leigh, Business Insider } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Alegría INAL, Kooza, Kurios, Luzia, Bazzar, ECHO, and 'TWAS THE NIGHT} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Crystal, Corteo, Messi10, OVO} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", LOVE, MJ ONE, JOYA, Drawn to Life, and Mad Apple} 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 ------------------------------------ Alegría-In a New Light: London, UK -- January 11, 2024 to March 3, 2024 Barcelona, ES -- March 20, 2024 to May 5, 2024 Malaga, ES -- May 31, 2024 to June 30, 2024 Alicante, ES -- July 16, 2024 to September 1, 2024 Seville, ES -- September 28, 2024 to October 27, 2024 Madrid, ES -- December 4, 2024 to January 6, 2025 Kooza: San Francisco, CA -- January 17, 2024 to March 10, 2024 San Jose, CA -- April 18, 2024 to May 26, 2024 Laguna Hills, CA -- June 8, 2024 to July 21, 2024 Potland, OR -- August 21, 2024 to October 6, 2024 Kurios: Munich, DE -- January 26, 2024 to February 25, 2024 Dusseldorf, DE -- March 8, 2024 to April 14, 2024 Montreal, QC -- May 23, 2024 to July 14, 2024 Luzia: Melbourne, AU -- March 24, 2024 to May 19, 2024 Adelaide, AU -- June 9, 2024 to June 30, 2024 Perth, AU -- July 25, 2024 to August 18, 2024 Brisbane, AU -- September 25, 2024 to October 27, 2024 Sydney, AU -- November 24, 2024 to January 12, 2025 Bazzar: St. Petersburg, FL -- February 22, 2024 to March 24, 2024 Hartford, CT -- April 6, 2024 to May 5, 2024 Minneapolis, MN -- May 18, 2024 to June 16, 2024 ECHO: Miami, FL -- February 22, 2024 to April 7, 2024 Toronto, ON -- May 8, 2024 to July 21, 2024 Gatineau, QC - August 16, 2024 to September 22, 2024 ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE: Fort Worth, TX -- Feb 15, 2024 to Feb 18, 2024 Cedar Park, TX -- Feb 21, 2024 to Feb 25, 2024 Tucson, AZ -- Feb 29, 2024 to Mar 3, 2024 Rio Rancho, NM -- Mar 7, 2024 to Mar 10, 2024 Denver, CO -- Mar 13, 2024 to Mar 17, 2024 Hoffman Estates, IL -- Mar 22, 2024 to Mar 24, 2024 Milwaukee, WI -- Mar 28, 2024 to Mar 31, 2024 Columbus, OH -- Apr 4, 2024 to Apr 7, 2024 Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Apr 26, 2024 to May 5, 2024 CORTEO: Beaumont, TX -- Feb 16, 2024 to Feb 18, 2024 Baton Rouge, LA -- Feb 22, 2024 to Feb 25, 2024 Houston, TX -- Feb 29, 2024 to Mar 3, 2024 Jacksonville, FL -- Mar 7, 2024 to Mar 10, 2024 Greensboro, NC -- Mar 14, 2024 to Mar 17, 2024 Greenville, SC -- Mar 21, 2024 to Mar 24, 2024 Allentown, PA -- Mar 28, 2024 to Mar 31, 2024 Syracuse, NY -- Apr 4, 2024 to Apr 7, 2024 Bridgeport, CT -- Apr 11, 2024 to Apr 14, 2024 Albany, NY -- Apr 19, 2024 to Apr 21, 2024 Cincinnati, OH -- May 9, 2024 to May 12, 2024 Fairfax, VA -- May 17, 2024 to May 25, 2024 Philadelphia, PA -- May 30, 2024 to Jun 2, 2024 Halifax, NS -- Jun 6, 2024 to Jun 9, 2024 Moncton, NB -- Jun 13, 2024 to Jun 16, 2024 Portland, ME -- Jun 20, 2024 to Jun 23, 2024 Sunrise, FL -- Jul 11, 224 to Jul 21, 2024 Estero, FL -- Jul 25, 2024 to Jul 28, 2024 Charlotte, NC -- Aug 1, 2024 to Aug 4, 2024 Raleigh, NC -- Aug 8, 2024 to Aug 11, 2024 Duluth, GA -- Aug 15, 2024 to Aug 18, 2024 Bordeaux, FR -- Sep 19, 2024 to Sep 22, 2024 Prague, CZ -- Sep 25, 2024 to Sep 29, 2024 Leipzig, DE -- Oct 2, 2024 to Oct 6, 2024 Mannheim, DE -- Oct 10, 2024 to Oct 13, 2024 Zurich, CH -- Oct 17, 2024 to Oct 20, 2024 Hamburg, DE -- Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 27, 2024 Stuttgart, DE -- Oct 30, 2024 to Nov 3, 2024 Rotterdam, NL -- Nov 15, 2024 to Nov 17, 2024 Bremen, DE -- Nov 21, 2024 to Nov 24, 2024 Munich, DE -- Dec 18, 2024 to Dec 22, 2024 MESSI10: Caracas, VE -- Feb 21, 2024 to Feb 25, 2024 Quito, EC -- July 3, 2024 to July 7, 2024 Bogota, CO -- TBA OVO: Bucharest, RO -- Feb 15, 2024 to Feb 18, 2024 Lille, FR -- Mar 7, 2024 to Mar 10, 2024 Antwerp, BE -- Mar 13, 2024 to Mar 17, 2024 Glasgow, UK -- Mar 21, 2024 to Mar 24, 2024 Manchester, UK -- Mar 27, 2024 to Mar 31, 2024 Leeds, UK -- Apr 4, 2024 to Apr 7, 2024 Liverpool, UK -- Apr 11, 2024 to Apr 14, 2024 Dublin, IE -- Apr 18, 2024 to Apr 21, 2024 Birmingham, UK -- Apr 25, 2024 to Apr 28 2024 Youngstown, OH -- Jun 7, 2024 to Jun 9, 2024 Norfolk, VA -- Jun 13, 2024 to Jun 16, 2024 Newark, NJ -- Jun 20, 2024 to Jun 22, 2024 Boston, MA -- Jul 20, 2024 to Jul 28, 2024 Providence, RI -- Aug 1, 2024 to Aug 4, 2024 Manchester, NH -- Aug 8, 2024 to Aug 11, 2024 Elmont, NY -- Aug 15, 2024 to Aug 18, 2024 Indianapolis, IN -- Aug 22, 2024 to Aug 25, 2024 Lexington, KY -- Aug 29, 2024 to Sep 1, 2024 Louisville, KY -- Sep 5, 2024 to Sep 8, 2024 Washington, DC -- Sep 12, 2024 to Sep 15, 2024 Cleveland, OH -- Sep 19, 2024 to Sep 22, 2024 CIRQUE DU COUNTRY: Nashville, TN -- July 2, 2024 to July 28, 2024 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- Mystere: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Variable Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2024 Dark Days: o) February 11, 2024 o) March 22, 2024 o) May 17 thru 21, 2024 o) July 19, 2024 o) Sept. 13 thru 17, 2024 o) Nov. 8, 2024 "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark Monday/Tuesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm KA: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2024 Dark Days: o) March 20, 2024 o) May 4 - 8, 2024 o) June 19, 2024 o) August 13 - 14, 2024 o) October 19 - 23, 2024 o) November 23, 2024 LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm Age Requirements: - Children under 5 not permitted. MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday - Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm 2024 Dark Days: o) May 16 - 20, 2024 o) August 11 - 24, 2024 o) October 24, 2024 o) November 21 - 23, 2024 JOYA: Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday DRAWN TO LIFE: Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly: 5:30pm and 8:00pm (Tues-Sat); 1:30pm and 4:00pm (Sun) MAD APPLE: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Friday through Tuesday, Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm Age Requirements: - Children under 16 not permitted. - Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult 2024 Dark Days: o) February 21 - February 29, 2024 NOTE: Dark Wednesday & Thursday (February - March, 2024) Dark Tuesday & Wednesday (April - December, 2024) ======================================================================= CIRQUECONNECT - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= --------------------------------------------------- LIFE IS A CIRCUS: Posts from the Official Blog --------------------------------------------------- o) ACROBATIC DANCE FOR BEGINNERS BY: Editorial Team | February 16, 2024 Ever been a spectator at a Cirque du Soleil performance and found yourself feeling utterly moved and captivated by the dramatic, dreamy, and enchanting performances unfolding before you? If so, then you’ve likely been swayed by Acrobatic Dance. This is a style of dance that takes center stage in so many of our performances. From its intricate footwork to intimate partner moves, Acro Dance is a dynamic style of performance that has the power to take audiences’ breath away. But what is it about these acrobatic moves that set it apart from other dance styles? In this article, we’ll tell you all about Acrobatic Dance, exploring its Vaudevillian origins and unraveling why it's a favorite of many Cirque du Soleil dancers and acrobats. Keep reading to learn all the ins and outs of this spellbinding acrobatic dance performance so you can impress your plus one the next time you set foot under the Big Top. But what is Acro Dance, exactly? What do you get when classical dance techniques meet acrobatic movements? A style of dance known as Acro Dance, a highly popular style of dance that harmoniously blends ballet, jazz, and contemporary techniques with moves straight out of a gymnastics routine, like backflips or handstands. The outcome is a captivating and exhilarating mode of self-expression that requires extreme grace as well as strength, flexibility, and coordination from its performers. Fans of Cirque du Soleil shows are no strangers to Acro Dance — it’s a common fixture on many of our stages and often regarded as a fan favorite. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ACROBATIC ARTS To know more about Acrobatic Dance, and how it became such a mainstream phenomenon in the dance world, let’s first take a deeper look at how it came to be. Acrobatic dance first emerged at the turn of the 20th century, with roots tracing back to the Vaudeville style of performance. Back then, a Vaudeville performance featured a little bit of everything: like a talent show, any given performance might feature all sorts of styles of performance such as burlesque, juggling acts, singers, magicians, acrobats, and dancers. Unsurprisingly, as acrobats and dancers were performing alongside one another night after night, the two disciplines began to merge and eventually, the earliest iterations of Acro Dance took shape. While there’s no one dancer officially credited with pioneering this form of dance, two key figures emerge as important historical figures in bringing it to life. First, Sherman Coates, who was a dancer in the popular dance troupe The Watermelon Trust between 1900 and 1912. Coates’ name is often associated with bringing Acro Dance to the masses in those early days. Another trailblazer of the era is a dancer named Tommy Woods. Much like Coates, Woods was a vaudeville performer that began to push boundaries by incorporating dance movement with gravity- defying acrobatics. In fact, Woods is one of the first dancers documented to have ever incorporated flips in his dance routine. Suffice to say, audiences marveled at the ingenuity and were instantly hooked. While the Vaudeville style of performance is more or less a thing of the past, Acro Dance has remained, evolving into a more contemporary form of dance with widespread popularity. When it first appeared, Acro Dance was groundbreaking, challenging the status quo and defying all expectations. Today’s Modern Acro Dance has broad appeal and features its own unique characteristics and movements. Modern Acro Dance incorporates elements of jazz dance and ballet with jumps and tricks aplenty, leaning heavy on the artistic expression. It’s a fiercely popular choice for young dancers interested in transforming their passion into a profession. CORE COMPONENTS OF ACRO DANCE Every Acro Dance routine combines these five components: o) First, flexibility is vital as Acro Dance performances involve a wide range of movement, including feats like cartwheels, rolls, and somersaults. Not only does flexibility facilitate these movements, but it reduces any potential for injury, too. o) Strength matters in Acro Dance, too, as the movement style requires significant upper and lower body strength to achieve some of the most awe-inspiring acrobatic and aerial tricks. Without strength, dancers wouldn’t be able to hoist their partners up above their heads, either! o) Balance is an integral part of the style, as it's needed to carry out some stunts while limiting the risk of falling. o) Without limbering, Acro Dance routines won't have a leg to stand on! Limbering incorporates cardio, strength, and stretching exercises designed to enhance a dancer's strength and flexibility. A wonderful example of this skillset can be seen in the Trickster’s performance on KOOZA, as the main character, the artist cast needs to embody these elements to measure up. This component is essential, as it prevents muscle strain during particularly strenuous movements. o) Last, and certainly not least, comes tumbling. This Acro Dance technique borrows heavily from gymnastics routines by incorporating tumbling skills like handstands, rolls, cartwheels, and more. While the two disciplines both weave in various acrobatic movements, that's about where the similarities end. Many key differences distinguish these two art forms in the great Acrobatic Dance vs. Gymnastics debate. Though acrobatic dance and gymnastics require a high level of technique and athleticism, Acro Dance is considered a form of art about self- expression rather than competition. Acrobatic dance is a harmony of softer, lyrical-like moves drawing from dance whereas gymnastics tends to be graded on precision—moves are less fluid, more meticulous. While so much of a stunt-heavy gymnastics routine uses equipment like a balance beam, uneven bars, rings, and other features, acrobatic dancers typically impress through lifts, partners, and choreographed movements with minimal equipment required. To outsiders, the two practices may bear striking resemblances to one another—and, even at times, feature some of the same techniques—at the end of the day, the two are not the same. While both require extreme athleticism to successfully execute, one type of performance is about artistic expression, and the other, though it may incorporate acrobatic elements, is about skill and execution. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN ACROBATIC DANCE For anyone interested in developing their acrobatic dance skills or for experienced performers looking to train in a new domain, professional training is non-negotiable. Finding a certified professional is the first step towards progressing along your Acro Dance path. Put your trust in a reputable dance studio and teacher, because Acro Dance’s contortion moves can put safety at risk. Generally, your instructor will start by showing their students the basics and encouraging tons of practice. No expert instructor will have students performing impressive tricks right off the bat, so if you’re hoping to be a world-class acrobatic dancer performing in a Cirque du Soleil show, hang tight. It can take years to learn and master the art form. Though it might take some time for skills to develop, a few bumps and bruises later and you'll be performing alongside a Cirque du Soleil troupe in no time. From aspiring dancers to seasoned pros alike, acrobatic dance training has numerous benefits. This discipline trains dancers to conduct various movements, requiring a certain level of strength and endurance. Because of that, practicing Acro Dance regularly can only help improve both these areas. Lifts and hoisting one's partner over their head will undoubtedly help build and condition muscle. Bonus points: The stretches required to pull off an Acro Dance routine, which requires the body to stretch and contort in impressive ways, can help improve flexibility while protecting the dancer's muscles. Stress relief is also a significant part of it. Physical activity can help improve one's overall mental health and well- being, and the challenge of moving one's body in almost unthinkable ways, along with having an avenue to express oneself, will undoubtedly have myriad benefits on an individual's well-being. Sure, the physical and wellness benefits are a perk, but improving one's flexibility, balance, and coordination is helpful in all aspects of life, not just for the performers among us. APPAREL AND EQUIPMENT FOR ACROBATIC DANCE The most important piece of equipment every Acro Dance performer need? Their body. The second most important? We’ll tell you. Because Acro Dance is often performed on unforgiving hard surfaces like stages or hard surfaces like dancefloors, most dancers opt to go barefoot. Some, however, prefer the security and grip a leather-crafted ballet slipper affords. But such may not be the case for every dancer. Others tend to favor the comfort and freedom-of-movement provided with specialized gear called foot thongs. These barely-there layers of fabric loop through the toes, providing just enough grip to prevent any dancer from slipping and sliding on stage. Ultimately, the footwear that an Acro Dance performer chooses must prioritize their comfort and confidence in executing movements without having to worry about slipping and sliding in front of the audience. Much like footwear, acrobatic dance demands snug, fitted attire, such as a leotard or bodysuit to facilitate unrestricted movement. Regardless of look and feel, stretchable fabrics are essential, as the outfit shouldn’t hinder the body from performing impressive feats. Often, Cirque du Soleil performances feature elaborate and colorful costumes that suit a particular theme in the show. But we ensure that our costumes are aesthetically pleasing without ever catching onto another body or catching on another garment of clothing. ACROBATIC DANCE IN THE MODERN ERA Though Acro Dance has a storied history, its popularity has reached new heights in recent years. The trendy dance style has become pervasive, thanks to its exposure on primetime TV shows like Dance Moms, America's Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing with the Stars—all of which have contributed to the genre’s mainstream success. Furthermore, the international success of Cirque du Soleil has shone a spotlight on the art of Acro Dance. It’s truly a ubiquitous phenomenon, and it's easy to understand why this game-changing dance technique has earned its place as one of the world’s most sought-after forms of dance. Every day, audiences are finding new ways to engage with Acro Dance. Thank TikTok for bringing Acro Dance to the masses—oftentimes, dances that incorporate elements of Acro Dance go viral on the platform. Though there are far too many reasons to list why many dancers love to perform acrobatic dance, we'll narrow it down to just a few of the main ones. Not only does the performance take audiences' breath away, but the very act itself is steeped with health benefits: this form of dance celebrates the body and self-expression, but the practice also helps build upper and lower body strength, core strength, balance, and flexibility. Though learning Acro Dance techniques is no walk in the park, the myriad benefits make it all worthwhile. Health benefits, self-expression, and social skills development are all reasons dancers are drawn to this impressive art form. ACROBATIC DANCE IN POPULAR CULTURE Today's modern Acro Dance is a far cry from its vaudeville beginnings. Like many different dance genres, it draws inspiration from other popular forms. One such example is the influence of traditional Chinese dance on Acro Dance. Much like acrobatic dancing, traditional Chinese dance is highly theatrical and poetic. Audiences will find similarities in this form of dance and gymnastics, flexibility, strength, and artistic performance. Chinese acrobatics have existed for centuries. During war, soldiers were trained in acrobatic techniques to improve their mobility during combat. Over time, the movements evolved and became more fluid and sophisticated, leading to its rise in dynastic China, becoming one of the more popular performance styles. Since then, this dance form has been a welcome companion to musical theatre performances like opera. Since its inception in the 1980s, Cirque du Soleil has helped innovate what a night at the circus means. By crafting impressive performances built around themes and storytelling, Cirque du Soleil relies on the language of movement to convey a vibe, a feeling, and a story. A significant part of any Cirque du Soleil performance is the Acro Dance element. Cirque du Soleil regularly recruits some of the most talented performers in the world, making the fusing of dance styles and acrobatic techniques all the more compelling. As Cirque du Soleil rose in popularity, touring the world and becoming a household name on an international scale, so too did this mesmerizing art form. Through high production values and a commitment to storytelling today, Acro Dance is as much a part of the mainstream entertainment industry as other aspects of the circus, shining a light on a beautiful art form of dance that captivates audiences worldwide. ACROBATIC DANCE FOR BEGINNERS Much like any form of dance, Acro Dance requires a solid foundation and background in dance or gymnastics. But like anything, practice makes perfect, and incorporating just a few elements of the art form into the routine can turn any dance performance into an acrobatic spectacle. For beginners, there are some basic stunts and moves that beginners may wish to try to include into their routine, such as forward rolls, cartwheels, bridges, handstands, shoulder bends, and beyond. These movements are all inherent elements to an acrobatic dance routine, so if you're looking to get started in the medium, learning these foundational skills and then practicing and perfecting them is a great way for any dancer looking to dip their toes. It's All About Balance and Control -- In dance, balance and control provide a solid base to pull off impressive movements. Flexibility and Extension -- Those high kicks and splits you see dancers pull off? It’s all a testament to their extreme flexibility, resulting from workouts that include hip flexor workouts and stability ball training, to name a few. The result contributes to the allure of every Acro Dance routine you see. Tumbling and Floor Work -- When you see a dance performance, chances are you'll witness some mighty impressive tumbling and floor work. Tumbling encompasses somersaults, front flips, and rolls, all of which demand a certain amount of strength, flexibility, and spatial awareness. Partner Work and Lifts -- Many Acro Dance routines are a joint effort, typically featuring two or more dancers performing synchronized movements while interacting with one another to convey a story's meaning. With partner work, timing and communication are paramount, mainly when choreography typically includes actions such as mirroring, counterbalance, and lifts. Similarly, lifts require one dancer to hoist another above their head—a graceful move that demands strength. A properly executed lift leaves audiences in awe. The lifting dancer is sometimes called "the base," while their partner is called the "flier." In addition to Acro Dance, you'll see lifts in many popular styles of choreography, such as contemporary dance, ballroom dance, and ballet. Transitions and Flow -- Flexible dancers achieve visually appealing positions and transitions, adding a level of grace and fluidity to their routines as they transition from one move to the next. This creates a seamless effect, enhancing the overall visual impact of the performance. All in all, acrobatic dance is an impressive art form enriched with a narrative element, setting it apart from a gymnastics routine. Unlike gymnastics, Acro Dance is about artistic expression. Though some of the movements may resemble one another, just remember that Acro Dance isn't competitive by nature—it's a discipline that relies on gymnastics-like movement to tell a story. Most Cirque du Soleil performances feature some Acro Dance in action—so if you're looking to catch this expressive and captivating art form out in the wild, look no further than our complete list of shows to find acrobatic dancers doing their thing. It's sure to be the experience of a lifetime. o) MEET ALEKSEI GOLOBORODKO, INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED CONTORTIONIST BY: Maxin Potvin, Blog Editor | February 19, 2014 We had the chance to chat with Aleksei Goloborodko, right as he came back from the Festival International du Cirque de Monte- Carlo. Q. Can you please introduce yourself and tell us what you do at Cirque du Soleil? My name is Aleksei Goloborodko, and I'm a solo contortionist for Cirque du Soleil, on LUZIA. Q. Do you remember what sparked your passion for circus arts and your discipline specifically? I developed interest for circus arts when I was 4 years old. My passion came from attending a traditional circus show. I then asked my parents to take me to a circus studio where I started training seriously. Back when I started, I tried many other disciplines. I tried my hand at juggling, aerial gymnastics, and other stuff. Then my coach told me I should try contortion, because compared to other kids, I was more flexible. And that’s the story of how it started for me! Training went very well, and the more I was training, the more I was seeing results, and the more motivated I got. And later on in my training, my coach was integrating other disciplines. He introduced elements of ballet dance and modern dance, elements of aesthetics, gymnastic, rhythmic gymnastics, Kung Fu Wushu. All of these together contributed something to my movement qualities. Q. What does the Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo represent for you? Was it your first time participating? In my opinion, this festival is like the Oscars of the circus world. Back in 2007, I performed in Monte-Carlo for New Generation in 2024, I performed there once again as an adult. For me, it means the world to be recognized as the best in my field: It’s a huge honor for me to be cemented as the best contortionist in the world. Q. Can you explain to us how the festival works? The festival works this way: there are 2 programs, known as Program A and Program B, and each program is its own complete show that can last for 2, 3, even 4 hours. Each program is performed twice. After the performances, the best acts are selected to perform in the Gala Concert. At the end of gala, there is an award ceremony where they give out the prizes. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Clowns are awarded to the best acts of the two programs. Q. How do you feel about the outcome of the competition? We’ve heard you won two awards! I was awarded a Bronze Clown. And I also received the Prix Spécial from Journal Nice-Matin/Monaco-Matin. I'm happy and proud to have a be presented with two prizes. Besides what the jury members thought, there are also many other opinions that are important to me. What the audience thinks, the opinions of people online, of people who will watch the video [of the performance] when it's released. All of this matters. For me it was a pleasure and honor to be there for my art, and to see the standing ovation after my performance from all the artists and guests in the audience. Q. Was there something that blew your mind at the Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo? I was impressed by the festival itself because this year featured incredibly strong programs. There were so many powerful and incredibly good acts. In my opinion, most of them deserved a Gold Clown. But, of course, it couldn't be that easy, so the best of the best had to be determined. Q. You deserve a big rest after this, amazing performance. What do you do to relax on your time off? Well, directly after the festival, I’m taking a short break. I will enjoy South Korea, sightsee, and visit this country we performed in for the past few weeks. And I’ll enjoy some much- needed rest before I go back to work on LUZIA. Q. Where can our readers see you perform in the next couple of months? Right now, the cast and crew are all going on vacation, taking some time off before the next leg of our tour. LUZIA is first headed to Melbourne, Australia in March 2024. We will be setting up our Big Top across Australia until early in 2025. --------------------------------------------------- OTHER OUTREACH: Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds --------------------------------------------------- o) CIRQUE DU SOUND A great creative idea can come from anywhere, at any time. The trick is – knowing how to spot it. Cirque du Soleil is widely known as a beacon of creative thinking. For decades, they've thrilled audiences with imaginative, interdisciplinary live experiences drawing creative inspiration from art, science, nature, philosophy, and the magic of everyday life. Cirque du Sound is a brand-new podcast from the creative minds at Cirque du Soleil. It's an immersive sonic trip exploring the creative ideas at the root of some of Cirque du Soleil's most beloved shows. Do you want to bring more creativity into your work, or your life? Join host Michel Laprise, renowned director, and Creative Guide at Cirque du Soleil, for deep-dive conversations with modern visionaries from all over the globe. Conversations bent on widening the definition of creativity, all while looking through the unique ‘cirque-oscopic' lens of Cirque du Soleil. * EPISODE 1: Sympathy for the Devil, with Screenwriter John August. https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-1 * EPISODE 2: The Magic of the Every-day, author Luis Alberto Urrea. https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-2 * EPISODE 3: Creative Rites, with anthropologist Wade Davis https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-3 * EPISODE 4: Full Immersion, with director Félix Lajeunesse {Oct.26} https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-4 * EPISODE 5: Circle of Empathy, with Microsoft Futurist Jaron Lanier {Nov.09} https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-5 * EPISODE 6: Reaching Back in Time, with Archeologist Salima Ikram. {Nov.23} https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-6 * EPISODE 7: Get Kurios, with NASA Astrophysicist Dr. John Mather. {Dec.07} https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-7 * EPISODE 8: Migration Fusion, with UC Davis Educator Diane Ullman. {Dec.21} https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-8 What happens when you combine scientific and artistic modes of inquiry? According to Diane Ullman, this is how creative genius is born. As co-founder of the Art/Science Fusion program at UC Davis, Ullman interweaves art into her science curriculum to stimulate her students’ interest and creative problem-solving. Join the award-winning professor and entomologist as she sits down with Michel Laprise for a discussion inspired by the music and concepts of JOYÀ, a Cirque du Soleil show with themes of migration, learning, and coming of age. * EPISODE 9: Laughter in the Darkness, with Comedian Josh Johnson. {Jan.04} https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-9 Sometimes, the source of creativity can be a place that hurts. And one of the places where pain and creativity intersect most potently is in the art of stand-up comedy. In this episode, Michel is joined by Josh Johnson, stand-up comedian, Emmy- nominated writer (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), performer, and NAACP award-winner from Louisiana, for a conversation about how to turn pain into creative output. Featuring music and ideas from KOOZA, a classic Cirque du Soleil show featuring a trio of in-your-face, boundary-pushing clowns. * EPISODE 10: Drawn to Life, with Disney Creative Director Roger Gould. {Jan.18} https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-10 Sometimes, following a simple line on a page can lead to incredible creative breakthroughs. Michel sits down with Disney animator Roger Gould to talk about the power of immersive storytelling to evoke essential aspects of the human experience. Gould is known for his work on Disney’s Hercules (1997), Disney California Adventure’s Cars Land (2012), EPCOT’s Frozen Ever After (2016) and Tokyo Disneyland's Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast (2021). He was a key animation consultant on Drawn to Life, Cirque du Soleil’s compelling homage to the art and legacy of Walt Disney Animation Studios. * EPISODE 11: Bugs of Your Dreams, with Dr. Samuel Ramsey {Feb.01} https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-11 There is no more diverse group of organisms on this entire planet than insects, and perhaps no one draws more creative inspiration from this group than world-renowned entomologist, Dr. Samuel Ramsey (aka Dr. Sammy). Listen in as “Your Friendly Neighborhood Entomologist” sits down with host Michel Laprise to share his extensive research on insects and how each of these remarkable creatures has its own value. Join us for a buggy conversation inspired by OVO, and discover how creative inspiration can be found in the captivating life cycles of insects. * EPISODE 12: Adapting The Beatles, with Music Producer Giles Martin {Feb.15} https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/cirque-du-sound-episode-12 Often, creativity comes in the form of adaptation. Reinterpreting a classic can re-frame stories and songs in creative ways for a whole new audience. Meet award-winning music producer and Beatles audio expert Giles Martin – son of legendary music producer George Martin. Giles talks about working closely with his father to adapt the revered Beatles canon and optimizing the sound for Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles- inspired show, LOVE, featuring the music of The Beatles through time. With each episode linking back to a central theme found in popular Cirque du Soleil shows, Cirque du Sound broadens your definition of creativity through a unique 'cirque-oscopic' point of view. Listen in and open your mind for 12 utterly unique episodes of the Cirque du Sound podcast. Check out this new and exciting podcast on the platform of your choice: -) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/ 1g1xGigNbUbHg6LeIzjBKy?si=22c56a189dd244d3 -) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ cirque-du-sound/id1707221236 -) Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/ aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jb2hvc3Rwb2RjYXN0aW5nLmNvbS9hamJpYm9HeA -) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CirqueduSoleil/podcasts -) Cirque Blog: https://link.chtbl.com/cirque-du-sound-blog ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 24, Number 1 (Issue #224) - January/February 2024 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C) 2001-2024 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., All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { Feb.21.2024 } =======================================================================