“A New Circus for a New Era”
By: Wayne Leung – Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
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When Cirque du Soleil burst on the scene twenty years ago, boldly claiming to re-invent the circus by bringing the intimate single-ring setting of European circuses, removing the animals, and incorporating theatre, dance and high art elements to their shows, it paved the way for a revolution in the circus world. The company’s meteoric rise in popularity in the years since its inception has meant that many of Cirque du Soleil’s more traditional competitors have had to shift the focus of their shows to make them more artistic and more theatrical; in a sense, more Cirque-like. Cirque du Soleil has been so revolutionary that it has become a genre that can more generally be described as “New Circus”.
Meanwhile, new companies have sprung onto the scene to partake in the circus’ newfound popularity. While some are merely cheap imitation Cirque du Soleil, some companies bring forth their own creative visions and forge unique paths in the world of new circus. I’ve recently had the opportunity to attend performances by two such companies; Les 7 doigts de la main and Cirque Éloize.
Les 7 doigts de la main
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To inaugurate the brand new Chapiteau des Arts, Canada’s first circular performance hall dedicated to showcasing circus arts, and the heart of Montreal’s TOHU Circus Arts Complex, the troupe formed by Cirque du Soleil alumni known as Les 7 doigts de la main (The 7 Fingers of the Hand) staged what could be described as a super-sized version of their unique show. I first had the opportunity to be dazzled by this incredible group of artists just over a year ago during their previous Montreal engagement (reviewed in Issue #28, December 2003).
Since then the 7 doigts; Shana Carroll, Isabelle Chassé, Patrick Léonard, Faon Shane, Gypsy Snider, Sébastien Soldevila, Samuel Tétreault and their musical companion D.J. Pocket, have moved into some posh new digs at TOHU. In comparison to the small audience that attended last year’s show, this year the 7 doigts sold out the 850-seat Chapiteau des Arts. Last year’s edition of their show was spectacular and this year the show is bigger and better than ever, thanks to the additional talent of several guest artists.
The group has made the acquaintance of a next-door neighbor; Québec recording artist Yann Perreau has taken up residence in an adjacent flat (a balcony space in the theatre) and can be spotted throughout the show, lying on a hammock, doing yoga or just hanging out. He serenades the audience on the piano during intermission and accentuates the music during the show, occasionally lending his vocals (including a smashing rendition of Tom Waits’ “Temptation” to accompany Isabelle’s sexy Aerial Contortion in Silk act).
The 7 doigts performed all the creative acrobatic, dance and musical numbers featured in the previous years’ shows including trapeze, juggling, diabolos, contortion, aerial chains, hand-to-hand, dance, and handbalancing on canes incorporated with smart, modern choreography, comedy, multimedia and music. Appropriately, for the inauguration of the Chapiteau at TOHU, the troupe also chose to create a bridge from the past, through the present and into the future of new circus.
Re-visiting Cirque du Soleil’s glorious past, the troupe invited famed clown Denis Lacombe to perform his signature mad conductor act (Featured in Cirque du Soleil’s La Magie Continue and Cirque Reinvente) Denis, now sporting a beard, is a little older but every bit as energetic and hilarious as he straps himself into the conductor’s stand by ski-boots and wildly conducts his orchestra. His routine was definitely an audience favourite.
A highlight of the show came during the “Blackout” number when Cirque du Soleil’s famous contortion quartet; Isabelle Chassé, Jinny Jacinto, Laurence Racine and Nadine Louis re-united for the first time in almost 10 years, emerging with flashlights strapped to their bodies to perform a brand new version of their group contortion act. The girls we watched in Nouvelle Expérience, Fascination and Saltimbanco have all blossomed into gorgeous women and performed a sensual and edgy routine with modern choreography, set to a pulsating electronic score by D.J. Pocket.
At one point in the show when Shana Carroll took to the air to perform her static trapeze number, she was promptly joined by Aimée Hancock and (Saltimbanco alumna) Anna Ward. Sometimes in synchronicity and sometimes alone, the women performed a slow and beautiful routine on three trapezes and then broke into fast and furious choreography as D.J. Pocket scratched up a storm.
Upon returning from intermission we were treated to a glimpse at the future of new circus. Stéphane Beauregard and Jérémie Robert, two recent graduates of l’École nationale de cirque (ENC, the National Circus School) opened the second half of the show with a breathtaking Korean Plank number. The young men presented heart-stopping flips and landings while concurrently delivering a dramatic dialogue creating a unique and creative performance by integrating circus arts with speech and drama.
Also featured throughout the show were 18 ENC students dispersed throughout the audience providing “interactive animation” during the show. It heightened the surrealism of the show when all of the sudden several members of the audience would get up and perform a dance, mimicking the performers on stage.
In the end, the 7 doigts delivered a spectacular tour-de-force. Their acts are sharper, better honed and beautifully performed then when I saw them last. Their style is as irreverent, quirky and cool as ever. The integration of the guest artists was done smoothly and gave the show some great new energy. We will undoubtedly be seeing great new things from this troupe in years to come.
Les 7 doigts de la main is playing a limited engagement in Hamburg, Germany in December.
To learn more about les 7 doigts de la main please visit their website: < http://www.les7doigtsdelamain.com >
Cirque Éloize
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Two weeks after attending the special engagement of 7 doights in Montreal, I had the great fortune of seeing two of the show’s guest artists, Aimée Hancock and Nadine Louis starring in their own show; Cirque Éloize’s production Rain: Comme une pluie dans tes yeux, directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca (who is also slated to direct the next Cirque du Soleil touring production set to debut in Montreal in April 2005).
Éloize is a troupe founded in 1993 by seven artists from the Magdalen Islands, all graduates of Montreal’s École Nationale de Cirque (National Circus School) two of whom former Cirque du Soleil artists (Jean Painchaud and Daniel Cyr, alumni of Fascination and Saltimbanco respectively). This small but growing company is already making waves and has a repertoire of shows including Excentricus, Orchestra and Nomade, which they have performed in over 200 cities in 20 countries around the world.
Éloize is a small troupe of intimate dimensions. Rain is a subtle show that includes many somber moments. The show is based on Director Pasca’s childhood memories of playing in the rain and as such the overwhelming emotion evoked throughout the show is nostalgia. The show reminds the viewer of his/her childhood days in a melancholy tone. Rain is a highly theatrical yet understated show that is meant to be savoured. Being so subtle the show takes a while to register, seems a bit slow to start and feels distant at times. It certainly isn’t the in-your-face tour-de-force that 7 Doigts is. It is darker and more dramatic. The lead actor/narrator opened the show with a monologue about memory and experiences. He returned to provide additional reflections on this theme throughout the show. In one clever piece of meta-humour the narrator admitted to one of the artists, “I don’t understand this show. What’s with all this weird imagery? I don’t get it.” To which the artist replied, “This is New Circus, it’s supposed to be metaphorical and have a theme!”
There are no “clown” acts per se but humour is interspersed throughout the show in the characters’ interactions, which I thought worked much better than trying to incorporate clowns into a dramatic circus show.
Rain consists of a number of resourcefully staged acts including Duo Trapeze, Juggling, Acro-sport/Russian Bar, Contortion, Hand to Hand, Teeterboard, Aerial Silks and Aerial Hoop performed by 10 immensely talented, multi-disciplinary artists who, in addition to each performing several acts in the show also sing, dance and act. The show’s music is original and is a mix of pre-recorded tracks, live piano and the artists, who also provide vocals and play musical instruments. The caliber of the acrobatic elements is equal to or exceeds that of Cirque du Soleil’s, however the staging of the acts is often sparse. The presentation, choreography and overall staging of most of the acts aren’t as fully developed and the show seems rough at times. But when the show got it right, the result was spectacular; the group Teeterboard act that ended the first half, Nadine Louis’ breathtaking contortion act, the group Aerial Silks number and the Aerial Hoop number were all beautiful works of art. The final scene of the show was also particularly effective as it actually did rain on stage and the artists spent time frolicking in the water, invoking images of children at play.
The presentation of the acts in Rain is very theatrical in the traditional sense. It’s not as modern or avant-garde looking as shows by Cirque du Soleil and 7 doigts. The costume treatment is reminiscent of early 20th century circus. The set is minimal; most of the scenes use a “black box” stage while backdrops are occasionally flown in. However, the lighting design is superb, effectively sculpting images and conveying the mood of the show very well.
Overall Rain is an intimate, nostalgic and highly enjoyable show by a theatrical circus troupe with a style that is vastly different from Cirque du Soleil. Daniele Finizi Pasca seems to rely a lot on mood and sentimentality in this show. I am anxious to see what this director has in store for us given the larger budget and ample resources of Cirque du Soleil.
Luckily, since Éloize is a smaller company they have a smaller ticket price, I would highly recommend this show to fans of Cirque du Soleil who are interested in seeing another approach in new circus. It’s certainly worth the price of the ticket.
Rain is currently on tour in the UK and will tour the US in early 2005. For a detailed tour schedule visit the company’s website: < http://www.cirque-eloize.com >
