======================================================================= ______ _ __ _ __ / ____/___ ___________(_)___ ____ _/ /_(_)___ ____ / / / /_ / __ `/ ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ / / __/ / /_/ (__ ) /__ / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / /_/ /_/ \__,_/____/\___/_/_/ /_/\__,_/\__/_/\____/_/ /_(_) 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 17, NUMBER 11 November 2017 ISSUE #166 ======================================================================= Welcome to the latest edition of Fascination, the Unofficial Cirque du Soleil Newsletter. There's a lot going on this month, so let's get started... * * * LUNA PETUNIA TOYS NOW AVAILABLE * * * File this in the "whoops, I forgot about this" department, but last month, toys based on Cirque du Soleil and Saban Entertainment's Luna Petunia (now streaming its second season on NETFLIX in North America) are now available! A search on Target.com brings up 10 items... o) Luna Beanie Plush -- $7.99 o) 14" Talking Luna Doll -- $24.99 o) Bibi Bubbles Beanie Plush -- $7.99 o) Sammy Stretch Beanie Plush -- $7.99 o) Karoo Beanie Plush -- $7.99 o) 5 Pack of Figures -- $9.99 o) Amazia Garden Playset -- $12.99 o) Fabulosa Cafe Playset -- $12.99 o) Crystal Castle Stables Playset -- $12.99 o) Amazia Necklace -- $9.99 Check them out individually here: < https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=Luna+Petunia > Additionally, NETFLIX announced that Season 3 of the animated show will begin streaming on the service Friday, November 17th! * * * SÉRIE HOMMAGE #4 - LES COLOCS! * * * On October 18, 2017, 45 DEGREES announced their fourth opus in the Hommage Series at the Amphithéâtre Cogeco in Trois-Rivières, QC – a show that will play tribute to one of the most important groups of the 1990's in Quebec... LES COLOCS! Les Colocs (The Room-mates) were a rock music group from Montreal. Founded in 1990 and fronted by Dédé Fortin, Les Colocs gave Québécois songs coloured with humanity, simplicity and social conscience (especially regarding poverty). They marked the history of Quebec music with their sound, infused with brass sounds, first very wild and festive, later more mellow, as well as more inspired by swing, country, blues and African music. This new direction inspired a collaboration with the Senegal-born Diouf brothers for the album Dehors novembre (1998). The group promoted tolerance and had a multicultural line up. For example, Mike Sawatzky is a Cree from Saskatchewan, André Vanderbiest is from Belgium, and Patrick Esposito Di Napoli was from Northern Catalonia. Dédé Fortin (as well as members such as Serge Robert, later to be known as Mononc' Serge) was a passionate Quebec sovereigntist. The band played an important role in the 1995 Quebec referendum via partisan shows.[citation needed] They were part of the resurgence of political songwriting in Quebec, after a drought in the 1980s and part of the 1990s. They were past contenders in the music band contest L'Empire des futures stars. The festive nature of many of their songs contrasts with the deaths of two of their players. In 1994 Patrick Esposito Di Napoli died of AIDS. The band effectively came to an end in 2000 after frontman Fortin took his own life. They are considered to hold a major place in the history and evolution of the music of Quebec and have many music fans. * * * AND MUCH MORE * * * BLUE MAN GROUP CELEBRATES 20 YEARS IN CHICAGO In the early '90s few people had ever heard of the Blue Man Group, much less seen their live shows. Now, they're known all over the world and they just celebrated two decades in Chicago. Their exact Chicago anniversary was Thursday, October 12, and they celebrated with a special birthday show at 8:00pm filled with surprises. Blue Man Group was purchased this summer by Cirque Du Soleil, and Dean said their combined creativity and talent may mean we ain't seen nothing yet. TORUK-THE FIRST FLIGHT HEADED TO DUBAI In recent weeks, Dubai's performing theatre landscape changed dramatically following the opening of La Perle. The spectacular show is a 90-minute whirlwind of circus-esque acrobatics, stunning visuals and 2.5 million litres of water being used to great effect throughout. And, the show just so happens to be directed by Franco Dragone, formerly of Cirque du Soleil. Now, the new Cirque du Soleil show is coming to town for a two-week run in January as part of a global tour. The new show is inspired by James Cameron's record-shattering movie Avatar. Toruk – The First Flight, set in the fictional world of Pandora, is described as a "riveting fusion of cutting-edge visuals, puppetry and stagecraft buoyed by a soaring cinematic score". The immersive experience, which will be narrated by one of the chatracters, depicts a tale set thousands of years before the events of the Avatar film, with a natural catastrophe threatening to destroy many sacred elements of the Na'vi's world. The show will be presented at Dubai World Trade Centre from Thursday January 4 to Wednesday January 17. Tickets will be available on pre-sale for pre-registered customers and Cirque Club members on Tuesday October 17 at 11am – general sale will start on Friday October 20 at 11am. Prices start from AED295, and range up to AED2,495. Tickets are available from www.tixbox.com. AMERICAN DREAM MIAMI?? Triple Five Group, developer of the proposed $4 billion American Dream Miami "mega center" in Northwest Miami-Dade, hopes to get its entitlements squared away by the end of this year in order to complete the project in 2023, says Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, a land-use attorney representing the project. [...] In addition to a projected 450 retailers, restaurants and services, entertainment options announced so far include the world's tallest indoor ski park, a skating rink, indoor water park, aquarium, submarine ride, gardens, a permanent Cirque du Soleil installation, a multi-screen luxury theater complex, an arts center for live performances and more. Triple Five Group – a shopping mall owner and operator, hotel operator and real estate company based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – is the developer of West Edmonton Mall in Canada, Mall of America in Minnesota and the upcoming American Dream Meadowlands in the Greater New York area, scheduled to open in about 18 months. "We hope to open American Dream Miami in 2023," Mr. Gorlow says, "contingent upon freeway interchanges opening at the same time as our doors open." (You can read more about this project here: https://goo.gl/7Qef54). LAS VEGAS RECORDS? From the what-are-they-doing-now department comes the following note from KNPR, Nevada Public Radio: Jazz music might be a staple in places like New Orleans and Monterey, but it's taken root in Las Vegas as well. Uli Geissendoerfer has played a big role in that. Originally from Munich, Germany, Geissendoerfer is a pianist, composer, and educator. He moved to Las Vegas in 2009, where he was the conductor, pianist, and bandleader for the short-lived Cirque du Soleil production "Viva Elvis." His next assignment was resurrecting the Latin Jazz Ensemble at UNLV, where he still resides, as well as musical directing at the Dispensary Lounge. Clearly, jazz is in his heart. Now, Geissendoerfer is starting a record label called Vegas Records. It will focus on new music by local players and reissue older albums by veteran Vegas musicians. We wish him luck! * * * IN THE ISSUE * * * In features this month we've got a fantastic set of fan reviews for ZUMANITY, LUZIA, TORUK and CRYSTAL. (And speaking of Crystal, you'll find most of the Crystal-related posts this month under one banner - "SPECTACLE - CRYSTAL IN THE PRESSE" so don't forget to look for them if you're interested in Cirque's newest show... on ICE!) We also have four great fan-reviews of Zumanity, Luzia, Toruk, and Crystal within, continue our look back at classic show critiques with 1993's reviews of Saltimbanco, and continue our three-part series on JOYA, Cirque du Soleil's jewel in the Riviera Maya, with a look at the dinner portion of the production. And plenty more! Okay, so let's go! /----------------------------------------------------\ | | | Join us on the web at: | | < www.cirquefascination.com > | | | | At CirqueCast: | | < http://www.cirquecast.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 * Q&A –- Quick Chats & Press Interviews * Spectacle -- CRYSTAL in the Presse o) Itinéraire -- Tour/Show Information * BigTop Shows -- Under the Grand Chapiteau * Arena Shows -- In Stadium-like venues * Resident Shows -- Performed en Le Théâtre o) Outreach -- Updates from Cirque's Social Widgets * Webseries -- Official Online Featurettes * Videos -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds o) Fascination! Features * FANS REVIEW CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, AGAIN! - "New Fauna in the Human Zoo" by Sean Zaremba - "Luzia Wows Chicago!" by Katherine Bull - "TORUK Down Under" by Aidan Lam - "Fabulous like a CRYSTAL" by Josh Sobiecki * THE BOOK OF JOYÀ - BRINGING CIRQUE TO MEXICO Part 2 of 3: "Sweet, Savory, and Surreal" Edited by: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) * "We're Off and Running - A Series of Classic Critiques" Part 7 of 16: Saltimbanco, Part 2 (1993) By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) o) Copyright & Disclaimer ======================================================================= CIRQUE BUZZ -- NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS ======================================================================= *************************************************************** LA PRESSE -- General News & Highlights *************************************************************** ------------------------------------------------------- TEDTalk: "The Power of the Circle | Michel Laprise" {Oct.01.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- In this inspiring talk, show director Michel Laprise shares with passion a few aspects of the collaborative creation process of Cirque du Soleil. He exposes how this organic process is part of a social, personal, emotional and artistic experience. He shows us that the actual physical space deeply influences the collaboration and inclusion of the creative work place everyone might want to create. He also talks of an experiment where, using the internet, the circle of collaboration was opened to include the audience in the crowd-sourcing of a scene. As an actor, director and artistic director, Michel Laprise joined Cirque du Soleil in 2000 where he grew to become one of its most audacious prolific directors. He directed numerous out-of- the-box and innovative large-scale performance events. He collaborated with pop star Madonna on her Superbowl half-time show and then directed her award-winning MDNA world tour. He directed the acclaimed record-breaking Cirque du Soleil's Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities in 2014, still currently touring. In 2017, Michel wrote and directed Cirque du Soleil's 40th production, "Sép7imo Dia – No Descansaré" inspired by the music of Argentina's most cherished rock band of all time, Soda Stereo and currently touring in big arenas in Latin America. He is currently preparing two more shows for Cirque du Soleil. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. SEE THIS TALK HERE: < https://youtu.be/2VeEtXv_3NE > { SOURCE: TED } ------------------------------------------------------- Cirque donates $500,000/5,000 tickets in wake of Las Vegas tragedy {Oct.07.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- The Cirque du Soleil will donate US$1 million in cash and free tickets to show its support to the families of the victims and first- responders of the deadly shooting in Las Vegas. The Montreal company said Friday it would donate US$500,000 to the families of victims of the massacre. Another donation of US$500,000 will be made through 5,000 tickets given to police officers, firefighters and paramedics to thank them for their "heroic" work. They will be able to go to eight permanent Cirque shows on the Las Vegas Strip. The Cirque also plans to take part in a benefit show during which it will give more funds to victims. In a statement given to Las Vegas media, vice-president Jerry Nadal said he was "brokenhearted by this act of nonsensical violence that has greatly touched our community. "Las Vegas is our home and the people of this incredible city are our family," he added. None of the 1,500 local employees of the organization were hurt in the attack. The Cirque du Soleil has been in Las Vegas for 20 years. "It's our second home, after Montreal," said spokesperson Marie-Hélène Lagacé in a statement to La Presse canadienne. { SOURCE: Montreal Gazette | https://goo.gl/7SvqYN } ------------------------------------------------------- What It's Like to Be a Safety Diver in "O" {Oct.08.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- My dive students don't look like other Open Water Diver hopefuls. For starters, they show up wearing sequins. And they never assemble their own gear. That's because my newbies are trapeze artists and other acrobatic performers working in O, the water-themed Cirque du Soleil show performed five nights a week in Las Vegas. My goal isn't to prepare the talent to dive in the ocean. In fact, some may never dive outside the 25-foot-deep pool where they work. The only requirement they must meet is to become comfortable in the water breathing from the regulator that I or one of the safety divers I oversee as head of aquatics supply. Together, it's our responsibility to anticipate the performers' movements in the pool, always having an air supply at the ready. The first time you catch a trapeze artist underwater, you say to yourself that it's really impressive. They're coming in from 30 feet above the pool, which is flush with the stage. Then the artist is underwater, cocooned in a ball of bubbles. It's hard to see them. First I need to get that regulator in their hand, then I have to move them. Quickly. Because timing is everything. For this cue, called the trapeze bow, I have to swim the trapeze artist up quickly. While the trapeze artist is breathing from a regulator — one of five second-stage regulators that are part of what every safety diver wears — six synchronized swimmers are setting up for the next part. One swimmer will lie stiff, horizontally, like a log. The other five will swim that horizontal performer to the surface. My goal is to move the trapeze artist so he or she is standing on the belly of that horizontal swimmer. If I'm late, then the team of synchronized swimmers can't get the artist onto the platform, and that part of the show is scrapped. Or, if I don't hold a trapeze artist steady during this rise, the performer could fall off. It's a delicate maneuver to get them in the right position on time and not push them too far forward — and then get out of the way. Because as this is going on, five synchronized swimmers are egg-beating, and I don't want to be kicked. Once the trapeze artists are back on the platform, they bow, then sink back down into the water, and we swim them out of the pool. It sounds complicated, but after 15 years with O, this — and every other part of the show — has become easy. I first started with Cirque du Soleil right after I graduated from college, in 2002, and had begun working as an instructor with Sport Chalet, which had opened a Las Vegas location. In the beginning, I was so overwhelmed. There is so much going on at any given moment, and I never thought I would remember it all. Turns out, I did. And it has become routine. Now, I'm the head of aquatics, overseeing a team of six divers. It's my responsibility to make sure everyone else gets their tasks done. The show has four cue tracks, each with 20 cues. A cue is the trigger for when we need to act, to move, in order to carry out our responsibilities underwater for the performance. My team of six divers rotates responsibilities for almost every show, because if one of us isn't working a cue track for a week and then we come back to it, it's hard. Someone might forget where the performers will be in the water or how they want to move. When we clock in for our eight-hour shifts, we're working in a 1.5 million-gallon pool, set to 88 degrees. The pool is 25 feet deep, but we don't work in the bottom 8 feet; that space is reserved for the mechanics of the show, including seven hydraulic lifts. These can raise the bottom of the pool to be flush with the stage, which happens at certain points in the show, or each can be raised and lowered independently as needed. For example, there's a part of the show where high-dive performers leap from 60 feet in the air, plunging 17 feet into the pool. Just below the bottom of the pool, there are tables set up for the next act. The lifts are raised then so the high divers don't accidentally upset the tables. It's simply one more part of the show that audiences would be surprised to see — that is, if they could see into the tank at all. But because the tank is beneath the stage, everything we do is behind the scenes. Granted, there is a lighting tunnel that allows special guests of the show to witness some of what we do. There's one part of the show in the beginning that tends to wow anyone who can see into the tank. For the barge act, 14 divers are in the water, supporting a troupe of 15 to 20 artists who perform hand-balancing and other acrobatic tricks — the circus equivalent of cheer pyramids with bases and flyers. After most of the stunts, the artists catapult into the water, and my team supports them all, in one way or another. What helps make this possible is that we have 78 second-stage regs in the pool on a hookah system. Each week, we perform 10 shows, with two a night Wednesday through Sunday. During the day, we train. Training is a must for new safety divers and new trapeze artists. Typically, most acrobatic performers haven't spent much time in a pool. Training them is no different from certifying an open-water diver, so when we hire new safety divers, we're looking for instructors who have a lot of certifying experience. Training a new safety diver is pretty straightforward. They shadow a more experienced safety diver until they learn where in the pool to be for the simpler cues, and what they have to do. It becomes rote for them too. Occasionally, a wrench is thrown into our routine. Technical issues can happen. The hydraulic lifts can malfunction, although it's incredibly rare. When it happens, we have to change the cue track on the fly. This is accomplished in part thanks to an entire underwater communications system. Two communication divers, or comm divers, wear full-face masks, enabling them to talk with the stage manager, who calls the entire show. They'll say things such as "clear right" when stage right is clear. One person overlooks the pool and communicates with the comm divers in the pool. Together, the team is able to talk and troubleshoot through these scenarios. The shows in which we've had to overcome obstacles are the ones I'm proudest of. We always strive to give the audience the best possible performance, whatever the circumstances, and to see how everyone comes together and still creates magic despite a glitch is so inspiring. And I'm glad. Because when we're in the pool, we don't hear the applause that the performers hear each night. Nor do we take a curtain call. For me, it's gratifying enough to be part of one of the best shows in Vegas, even if most people aren't aware that we're down there. The biggest hurdle for a new trapeze artist is stamina — they tend to be winded after their act, so when they're in the pool, they don't quite have enough air in their lungs, or energy, to move toward a regulator. But once they get used to their act, they're calmer in the water. { SOURCE: Alan Williams, SportDiver | https://goo.gl/CVdurs } ------------------------------------------------------- LUZIA Among Costume Winners for Metro Fashion Awards {Oct.10.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Metropolitan Fashion Week (MetroFW) announced winners of its METROPOLITAN FASHION AWARDS honoring outstanding achievements in fashion and costume design in motion pictures, television, and live performance during the 5th Annual Metropolitan Fashion Week's Closing Gala & Fashion Awards at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center. The event, hosted by Metropolitan Fashion Week producer EDUARDO KHAWAM, was attended by over 1200 industry VIP's, celebrities, costume and fashion designers. Award presenters included former Miss Universe and star of Telemundo's La Gran Oportunidad, ALICIA MACHADO; Shades of Blue actor ANTONIO JARAMILLO; GRAMMY-Awards Winners Earth, Wind & Fire members VERDINE WHITE and RALPH JOHNSON; Telemundo's STEPHANIE HIMONIDIS "Chiquibaby" (of Acceso Total); actor/singer ROBERT AVELLANET of the International group Menudo; Honey Cone's SHELLY CLARK, among others. A special exclusive live performance by Luzia by Cirque du Soleil entertained the audience. Winners in the film and television categories included BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Costume Designer of the Year – Motion Pictures); THE LAST TYCOON winning two awards(Costume Designer of the Year – Television and Outstanding Ensemble – Make-Up Artists and Hair Styling- Television); and GIOVANNA BUZZI (Costume Designer of the Year for Luzia by Cirque du Soleil); and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL.2 (Outstanding Ensemble For Make-Up Artists and Hair Styling). Winners also included MARIA MENOUNOS(Fashion Commentator of the Year), STEPHANE ROLLAND (Fashion Designer of the Year) and STATES OF UNDRESS (Fashion Program of the Year). The 2017 METROPOLITAN FASHION AWARD People Choice went to Costume Designer, PAUL TAZEWELL from HAMILTON. In addition to the Awards, the Gala showcased a unique, exclusive runway show featuring over 150 one-of-a-kind avant-garde costumes and couture evening gowns, created by national and international celebrity costume and fashion designers including: Fashion Designer BENITO SANTOS (Mexico); Fashion Designer MARIKA SODERLUND ROBISON(Sweden); Fashion Designer BARBARA L ASHLEY (Uganda); Fashion Designer ERICK BENDANA (Nicaragua); Fashion Designer DOUGLAS TAPIA (Venezuela); Fashion Designer EMIL GAMPE (Austria); Fashion Designer CARL ANDRADA (Philippines); Fashion Designer DAVID SANTILLANES (San Diego, CA); Fashion Designer INOE VARGAS(Mexico); Costume Designer RICARDO SOLTERO; Fashion Designer FERNANDA PINHEIRO OF GIOVANNI TESTI (Brazil); Fashion Designer DAVID TUPAZ (Las Vegas, NV); Fashion Designer JULIE DANFORTH (Seattle, WA); Fashion Designer JOEY GALON (Los Angeles, CA); Fashion Designer RITA MEZRAHI (Iran-USA); Fashion Designers SHELLI BLACKNELL & TANISHA BOSTON (USA); Fashion Designer XAVIER OTHON (Mexico); and Couture Hat Designer ARTURO RIOS (Mexico). The show is produced and directed by Eduardo Khawam, fashion expert, producer and TV personality for Telemundo, Univisión and the CW and Executive Producer Paul Jaramillo. 2017 METROPOLITAN FASHION AWARD WINNERS ARE: COSTUME DESIGNER OF THE YEAR – MOTION PICTURES Beauty and the Beast – Designer: Jacqueline Duran (Disney Motion Picture Studios / Marvel) COSTUME DESIGNER OF THE YEAR – TELEVISION The Last Tycoon – Designer: Janie Bryant (Amazon Studios) COSTUME DESIGNER OF THE YEAR – LIVE PERFORMANCE Luzia by Cirque Du Soleil – Designer: Giovanna Buzzi FASHION COMMENTATOR OF THE YEAR – TELEVISION Maria Menounos – Entertainment Tonight (CBS Paramount Domestic Television) FASHION DESIGNER OF THE YEAR Stephane Rolland FASHION PROGRAM OF THE YEAR States of Undress – Producer Hailey Gates (Viceland) OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE FOR MAKE-UP AND HAIR STYLING- MOTION PICTURES Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – John Blake (Hair) & Camille Friend (Makeup) (Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE FOR MAKE-UP ARTISTS AND HAIR STYLING- TELEVISION The Last Tycoon – Theraesa Rivers (Hair) & Lana Horochowski (Makeup) (Amazon Studios) PEOPLES CHOICE Hamilton – Designer: Paul Tazewell For complete list of nominees: visit metropolitanfashionweek.net. About METROPOLITAN FASHION WEEK Metropolitan Fashion Week is one of the fastest growing fashion weeks in the United States, with shows in Seattle, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Palm Springs and soon, New York. Metropolitan is the only fashion week in the world that features both Fashion Designers and Costume Designers, from around the world, on one runway. Metropolitan Fashion Week has made a global impact on the fashion scene by presenting events held in dramatic, non-traditional venues that showcase not only fashion designers and costume designs, but also the most beautiful venues each city has to offer. Celebrating the world of fashion and costume designers in the categories of Avant Garde and Couture Gowns, MFW spotlights over 150 works of art created by international fashion and costume designers and are original "one-of-a-kind" creations. To learn more about MFW, visit metropolitanfashionweek.netand get #MetroFW updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. ------------------------------------------------------- CDS: Masters of Performance and … Water Filtration? {Oct.12.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- If you've ever seen a Cirque du Soleil show, you know to expect a rich integration of stunning visuals, evocative music and dazzling performances. But the Canadian entertainment company also exhibits technical mastery — and its show "Luzia" has the 50-foot (15-meter) onstage waterfall to prove it. The show itself, currently on tour in North America, is a dreamlike journey through Mexico, full of high-end acrobatics, juggling, puppetry and clowns. The show highlights Mexican culture and native insect life, but the star is the water. In order to enable onstage rain and a wading pool, Cirque designed the entire set around a digital water curtain. If you're ever seen the aquatic Cirque show "O," you'll know this isn't the first time the company has built a water-centric piece. During "Luzia," audience witness a spectacle of falling rain, especially mesmerizing when it displays patterns and pictures in its cascade. Behind the scenes, the technical aspects of this effect are equally impressive. "Every time we create a production, we strive to come-up with performances and stage pictures that will surprise our audience and evoke their emotions," says Cirque publicist Francis Jalbert. "‘Luzia' is a complex show as we incorporated technology we had never worked with before. Playing with water onstage under the Big Top brought us to find ways to recycle the water, heat it, clean it and pump it all the way at the top of the tent for the acts involving rain." And "Luzia" uses a lot of water — 1,585 gallons (6,000 liters) for a single performance, in fact. And since the show recycles the water for all of a given city's shows, they have to run it all through a filtration and disinfection system. After all, an aerial strap performance is death-defying enough without the risk of cholera. The backstage team stores the water at a constant 82 degrees F (28 degrees C) before pumping it up to a rotating array of 174 spray nozzles 56 feet (17 meters) above the stage. "We also had to figure out how to dry the stage quickly for acts requiring a dry surface," says Jalbert, "and find out how to protect microphones and other technical equipment from getting wet. That's why the creation process of a show at Cirque du Soleil lasts over two years; we constantly come up with new technologies and learn how to master them as we go to bring the vision of the creators to life." But the technology is only one aspect of the show. The human performers in "Luzia" also had to adjust to this new performance element. Which tricks could be performed wet? How might they avoid the risk of slippery acrobatic props and water-heavy garments? The Cirque team dreamed up several creative solutions. For instance, they constructed a special "wet" trapeze out of sailing rope and a wooden bar for improved grip. The human-centered "Cyr wheel" used in the show is covered with a bike tire, because otherwise it would prove impossible to manipulate on a wet surface. Was all of this technical effort worth it? According to Jalbert, the answer is in the audience reaction. "You can see the amazement on their faces as they first see the rain and feel the coolness of the water in the air. There is a particular moment where shapes and designs appear in the rain; it's literally raining images of animals and plants. The audience reacts loudly as they've never seen something like this before and are moved by the combination of this simple moment with our powerful musical score." { SOURCE: How Stuff Works | https://goo.gl/Ak4Sqq } ------------------------------------------------------- Mystere's Alexis Brothers Open Absolute Balance Studio {Oct.13.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- For 40 years, Marco and Paulo Lorador have performed together as the Alexis Brothers. If you've seen Cirque du Soleil's Mystère any time in the past 20 years, chances are you've seen their gravity-defying hand- balancing act. At ages 50 and 51 respectively, Paulo and Marco are still bringing down the house five nights a week. Enjoying well-earned success, the brothers wanted to give back. So they recently opened a studio called Absolute Balance, with the goal of sharing their love of the art with the rest of the world. It offers classes in contortion, hand-balancing, pilates and yoga, both aerial and terrestrial. Sister Carmita Lorador is a picture of beauty and grace. But don't let her lithe appearance deceive. Unless your name is Paulo or Marco, she's stronger than you. The aerialist and hand-balancer toured the world with Cirque du Soleil until multiple injuries led her from the stage to the yoga mat. This is as close as you can get to being at Cirque, the brothers say. And visiting their studio feels a little like a personal backstage tour. Don't be daunted by the instructors' superhuman abilities. They've devoted their lives to being stronger and more flexible than us mere mortals. But this studio is open to all; everybody who comes in has different needs. As teachers, they will determine your fitness level and help you grow, whether you're a pro gymnast or a recovering couch potato. Larger studios rotate instructors, which leads to inconsistent instruction. But at Absolute Balance, the instructors are always top- rate. Marco and Paulo will teach hand-balancing, and Carmita will teach yoga. Absolute Balance, 6115 S. Fort Apache, #104, 702-909-4711. { SOURCE: Las Vegas Weekly | https://goo.gl/uq6V5M } ------------------------------------------------------- ONOD6 Inspired by Singer-Songwriter Jewel {Oct.20.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Tickets are now on sale for the Sixth Annual One Night for One Drop imagined by Cirque du Soleil, an extraordinary, one-night-only event created to benefit safe water access programs around the world. Performing exclusively at the Michael Jackson ONE Theatre at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas Friday, March 2, 2018, this year's production is inspired by the life of GRAMMY-nominated singer- songwriter Jewel. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit onedrop.org/onenight. Following the tremendous success of One Night for One Drop 2017, Zumanity performers Nicky and Laetitia Dewhurst will once again serve as the writers and directors of this year's never-before-seen production. Proceeds from the event will benefit One Drop's global water efforts as well as educational efforts in the Las Vegas community. "I'm so excited to be collaborating with Nicky and Laetitia and the talented cast and crew of Cirque du Soleil to tell my story," said Jewel. "I'm really looking forward to this and doing it for such an amazing cause that is very near and dear to my heart." Presented by MGM Resorts International, One Night for One Drop 2018 is inspired by pivotal moments throughout Jewel's life. The production takes the audience through significant events and makes them relatable by constructing them around popular themes such as family, love, betrayal and the courage to forgive, all while featuring breathtaking performers from Cirque du Soleil and lightening it up with a variety of comedic elements. Nicky Dewhurst, co-writer and director for One Night for One Drop 2018, said, "We couldn't be more thrilled to be doing One Night for One Drop again this year. To have the support and story of Jewel has been amazing and we can't wait to share her beautiful story with an audience." Individual, tax-deductible VIP tickets, which include the post-show extravaganza complete with live entertainment, cocktails, food selections and festivities, are available for $1,500. Show-only tickets start at $125. Sponsorship packages, VIP and individual tickets are available at onedrop.org/onenight or by calling 1-844-33- WATER. Proceeds from the event will benefit One Drop's global water efforts, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Las Vegas Community. { SOURCE: Broadway World | https://goo.gl/Q3f3hu } ------------------------------------------------------- Controversy Surrounding the Tribute to Les Colocs? {Oct.21.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- (The following article was translated from French using Google Translate) Cirque du Soleil acknowledges that it did not contact all the founding members of the band before choosing it for its 4th tribute show, but claims to have acted in good faith. Cirque also says it is "disappointed" and "saddened" that the announcement was received a bit coldly by Mike Sawatzky, one of the musicians and founding member of the band. "Our intention from the beginning has been to work with everyone, to work with each artist," says Cirque du Soleil Senior Director of Public Relations, Marie-Hélène Lagacé. Did not all these conversations take place before the announcement? It's possible. And we are sorry if that's the case. But I think what is important is that all this was done in good faith and with the desire to receive the contribution of everyone so that this show renders sincerely and authentically tribute to the work of the Colocs." Ms. Lagacé also points out that the next step in the creative process will be to meet the different artists who have gravitated around the group. "The idea of ??this meeting is to sit together and take the pulse of the history of the group, their universe, collect the memories and anecdotes to make the show as authentic as possible." Colocs member Mike Sawatzky lamented having learned through the media that Cirque du Soleil will present a tribute to his band at the Cogeco Amphitheater. The musician would have liked to be consulted on the issue. Mr. Sawatzky underlines that the name of the Colocs was bought by the family of André Fortin. It is therefore she who holds the rights. He would, however, have wanted the members of the group still alive to be consulted about the show. "It's not against Cirque du Soleil, it's an honor," said Mr. Sawatzky, who says he will still see the show. { SOURCE: Radio Canada | https://goo.gl/AmQEvS } ------------------------------------------------------- Triotech appoints Nol Van Genuchten as VP Creation {Oct.25.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Van Genuchten has fulfilled various creative roles at Cirque du Soleil. After leaving Cirque du Soleil in 2006, he founded Creative KAOS Management, where his team built up vast experience in live entertainment design, art direction, technical direction and production management. Ernest Yale, founder, President & CEO of TRIOTECH, said, "Nol will play a key role at TRIOTECH by overseeing all the creative aspects of the attractions and experiences we create. He will help define the company's creative direction." Charles Décarie, Chief Operating Officer at TRIOTECH added, "Nol is an out of the box thinker that thrives on finding unique solutions to different types of creative challenges." "TRIOTECH is recognized as a leader in the field of immersive and interactive attractions for theme parks and location-based entertainment. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to develop new experiences and I relish the challenge of joining this growing organization," said Mr. Van Genuchten. { SOURCE: Blooloop | https://goo.gl/sMxEzQ } ------------------------------------------------------- Criss Angel is 3rd Highest Paid Magician in the World {Oct.31.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Nearly 50 years ago, a 12-year-old David Seth Kotkin became the youngest person ever admitted to the Society of American Magicians. Now, the performer better known by his stage name David Copperfield is the world's highest-paid magician for the second year in a row, earning $61.5 million pretax in the 12 months to June. Penn & Teller take second place with earnings of $30.5 million, thanks to their Las Vegas residency at the Rio. During our 12-month scoring period, the odd couple performed 254 shows in Sin City, grossing over $100,000 a night. Penn Jillette and the mononymous Teller also recently wrapped up the fourth season of their magic competition series Penn & Teller: Fool Us. A&E star Criss Angel ranks third with $14.5 million, down from last year's $19 million. Since the illusionist is headlining "Mindfreak Live" in Las Vegas, his second show with Cirque du Soleil, Angel booked fewer outside tour dates. His traveling revue, The Supernaturalists, also did not tour during our scoring period. Between performing 10 shows a week at the Luxor Hotel, Angel fit in private gigs and a new TV special, Criss Angel: Trick'd Up. Angel's 10-year contract with the Luxor ends in October 2018; his next step is a mystery. "I have a lot of opportunities and options, and I'm not sure what I'll do yet," Angel told Variety in July. Combined, the world's eight highest-paid magic acts earned $147 million between June 1, 2016, and June 1, 2017, before taxes and management fees. Figures are based on data from Pollstar Pro as well as interviews with agents, managers and other industry insiders. BUT MICHAEL JACKSON IS THE TOP EARNING DEAD CELEBRITY The promotional campaign around the premiere of the CBS special "Michael Jackson's Halloween" got an inadvertent connection Monday when the late singer topped Forbes annual list of top-earning dead celebrities for the fifth straight year. The singer's estate raked in some $75 million, driven by a new greatest hits album, the Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil show and its stake in the EMI music publishing catalog. Still, that tally is dwarfed by last year's $825 million total — the highest annual tally for any entertainer dead or alive — which was primarily due to the $750 million sale of Jackson's half of the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalog, the biggest in the world. Elvis Presley (fourth with $35 million) and Bob Marley ranks (fifth with $23 million) are the other two musicians in the Top Five. Presley's total was up from last year's $27 million, due partially to the new Elvis Presley's Memphis entertainment complex and the recently opened hotel, The Guesthouse at Graceland. Marley's estate was boosted by House of Marley audio products and the Marley Beverage Co. Tom Petty, who passed away just days before the eligibility period ended, came in at No. 6 with $20 million, while Prince — who died last year apparently without a will and whose assets remain seriously under-exploited — came in at No. 7 with $18 million. David Bowie, who died in January of 2016, was No. 11 with $9.5 million. Golf legend Arnold Palmer is second with $40 million (largely through sales of Arizona lemonade and the iced tea bearing his name) and third is Charles Schulz, creator of the Peanuts cartoon franchise, with $38 million. (The list measures pretax income from October 15, 2016 through October 15, 2017 before deducting cuts for agents, managers and lawyers. Sources include Nielsen SoundScan, IMDB, Pollstar Pro and interviews with celebrity estate experts.) { SOURCE: Forbes } *************************************************************** Q&A –- Quick Chats & Press Interviews *************************************************************** ------------------------------------------------------- Meet Alanna Baker (OVO Black Spider), Part Deux {Oct.03.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Alanna Baker was just eight-years-old when she decided she wanted to join the circus. She was watching the Cirque du Soleil perform at the Royal Albert Hall with her parents in London when she thought to herself: "I want to do that." Almost 20 years later, she is now living out her childhood dream. A European and World bronze medal-winning gymnast, who was born in Redhill, Alanna is currently travelling the world playing the Black Spider in Cirque Du Solei's insect-themed show Ovo. Alanna started out as a gymnast, having trained since she was five- years-old. She was crowned gymnastics European Champion in 2011 and won Bronze in the World Championships in 2012. It was around that time that Cirque Du Soleil approached her. "I had a closed audition at my gym in 2012 with Cirque du Soleil and then they brought me on board to join Ovo," said Alanna. Described as a celebration of nature and co-existence, Ovo features 50 performing artists from 17 different countries specialising in various acrobatics. Many of the cast perform as bright and colourful bugs in the show. As Alanna made the jump from gymnast to circus performer, she said it was initially tricky making the transition. "You're not training for one competition anymore – we have got to perform day-in day-out," she said. "That takes a lot of adapting to improve." INTENSE TRAINING Alanna, the only UK performer in Ovo, began on the show playing a flea before being given the role of the Black Spider. She says it takes a lot of research to take on these insect roles and mimic their movements: "If I saw a spider on the street, I used to flick it away. Now I watch and study it," she said. "Most of the research though is done by watching videos and speaking to the other performers though." Due to the acrobatics involved, her role as the Black Spider involves intense levels of training. "I do a workout in the morning every day for an hour and a half before work," she said. "We then do between seven and 10 shows per week." Despite performing in front of thousands of people on a weekly basis, Alanna says she rarely gets nervous – except when there's someone she knows in the audience. "I can perform in front of 6,000 people easy but as soon as there's someone I know in the audience I get nervous – it's such an adrenalin rush," she said. "It's fun watching people's reactions in the audience though. Some are scared by my character, some are intrigued. Each audience is different though so it keeps it fun and interesting." Since she's joined the show, she has travelled to countries such as Australia, Taiwan and Japan with her fellow performers, who she describes as her second family. "It's crazy," she said. "I'm living the dream, seeing the world and visiting places I never thought I'd visit. "We're just like a big family. We do everything together which helps when you're away from home so much." { SOURCE: Get Surry | https://goo.gl/qS5iuS } ------------------------------------------------------- TheaterArtLife: Opening VOLTA with Johnny Kim {Oct.04.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Cirque du Soleil's latest touring show, VOLTA premiered on the 28th April, 2017 in Montreal. Johnny Kim, the Assistant Artistic Director of Operations shares with TheatreArtLife details on the transition process from VOLTA's creation into the daily operations and what parts of the show he loves the most. [NOTE: This interview was done just after VOLTA premiered in Montreal – I'm not sure how we missed it here at Fascination!, but we're happy to bring it to you now…] Q. Johnny, what is your role on VOLTA and when did you join the team? In this production, the role that I have is the Assistant Artistic Director of Operations. I joined in early March of this year. Q. What part of the creation process was VOLTA in when you joined? I joined two days before the artists moved from the Cirque du Soleil Studios into the Big Top. The Cirque du Soleil International headquarters in Montreal are where all of the Creation training happens and the artists live onsite in what is called "The Residences". The stage is all built up as it would be represented in the Big Top. When we move to the site everyone moves to the downtown area of Montreal closer to the Old Port where the show will be situated. When the tent is raised, everything that they have been training on (sets, apparatus etc.) is inserted into the Big Top and I arrived 2 days prior to the artists arriving onsite. This was exciting because I got to see the site and get used to the set-up prior to the artist's integration. I had a tour with Michael Smith (The Artistic Director of VOLTA) and we discussed a lot of things so I could get my bearings with the area. When the artists arrived onsite, that's when we started staging in the big top as the show was still at the tail-end of creation mode. The show was technically staged by the end of February with a full run-thru but the staging was still a continuation of that process with lighting, technical elements and artistic development. For the final 5 weeks prior to the opening, we were still creating and developing the show. Q. Was there a Production Artistic Director and a Production Assistant Artistic Director that were creating the show to be handed over to you for Operations? How does that work? When I first arrived, it was a bit overwhelming as the production team involved a lot of people. There's a Show Director and a Creation Director to help manage the vision and the people involved. There was a Character coach, Choreographer and numerous Acrobatic designers, Acrobatic choreographers and Concepteurs. We also had a Production Manager, Assistant Production Manager, Production Stage Manager, Technical Managers, Apparatus designers, Sound designers, Lighting designers, you name it, and we had it. Immersing the operations into the creation team was interesting because at first, you had to find out who was who, which was already a task in itself. You also have to know what everyone does and what their role is and then find out who is coming along on tour for the long haul as the show continues. Separating that, but knowing that we are all working together for the common goal, was an interesting process. Everyone was doing everything to make sure we had a great show to present to the world. Q. Are you in the operation phase now or is it still a cross-over? What has changed since the premiere last week? We are actually still in the staging mode of the production as there are still changes to be made to make the show the best it can be. The production and creation team are still with us until May 5th, so it's kind of a hybrid I would say. We are officially in operations because we have opened the show to the public, so we are now on a different daily schedule. At the same token, we are still at the service of the creation team to implement the amendments and elements of the show that need to be finished before they leave. The major difference since the Premiere is that we are now in "Show Mode". We can't just have everyone work from 10 am to 10 pm as it is not feasible, for any department. The artists and technicians need rest. Everyone needs a break from constant change and we need to get back to basics. Acrobatic training needs to become more consistent so that we are making sure that we put out a great production on all levels. I would say that the biggest change in operations would be the schedule. We have to manage the workload across all departments as well as sustaining the health and safety of the artists who are getting into this mode of performing 8 shows a week. -----> The transition. The difference between creation and operation is that we, as operations now have to focus on making the show sustainable before we transcend the show artistically. For myself and the Artistic Director, and the entire Artistic Department including Coaching and Stage Management, we have to take the vision with us and move forward by making it manageable by looking at the workload of the artists, the tracks, the back-ups for acts, and the understudies for the characters. You can imagine that in creation, directors will just pull who they see, and artists that would fit the role etc. but we need to also create a balance between it all. Formulating the structure of tracks and show loads is very important. It must be reasonable to maintain the workload when we encounter 10 show weeks for weeks and months at a time. We have already started thinking about the integration of understudies and who will be able to back-up certain acts. We also have to cross train cues as with a cast of just under 50, there are a lot of cues to cover as our show is more like an ensemble. I myself am backing up a stage management track which is also new for me. Being able to do a backstage track is really convenient because I can actually see what the artists do backstage, the ins and outs of their entire track, and not just what I see onstage. This is great because anything that they may come to me with, (issues etc.) I will have a full understanding of what it entails and I'm already starting to get my head wrapped around that. I think it is very beneficial for my job as a whole to have comprehensive knowledge of all that goes on both on and off stage. Q. How long will you be with the show in Montreal and where will the tour go after that? We are here till July 23rd in Montreal. Then the tour will take us across North America for the next year at least. Q. What's your favorite part of the show thus far? So this might be a long answer. First and foremost, my favorite part would be the message. Waz, the main character, has blue hair and grew up being made fun of and laughed at because of it. Fighting adversity, he has pulled himself up to have this super elite celebrity status where is a host of an amazing TV show that everyone wants to take part in. He is not authentically himself and you can see that inner struggle in a scene with him backstage in his dressing room. I even think that there are celebrities in this day and age that also feel this way, where they have such high status but deep inside they potentially feel empty and alone. Then Waz finds himself surrounded by uplifting people (we call them free spirits in the show) and you can tell that they are a positive impact on his life. They are free to be who they are and free to do what they are passionate about. Waz starts to see that he can learn to accept himself for who he is and do away with any insecurities, self- doubt or self-hatred. The reason why this message is so important is because it is so relatable. I think every one of us can empathise with what he is going through. We still live in an age where the world is still dealing with hate, racism and people being unaccepting of sexual orientation, social class, religion, etc. The list goes on and these are still issues we have today. People who feel like they are an outsider, an outcast, or different, will always feel some kind of insecurity as far as how they are going to be accepted in society. Anyone who comes to watch the show will be able to relate to this, to see the Waz in them, and hopefully, leave feeling liberated. Liberated to be themselves, be who they are, and go out in the world to be free to do whatever it is that makes them happy. There are two specific moments in the show that complement this message that I love. We have a moment in the show called Daydreaming. Waz takes out an old movie projector and watches a clip from when he was younger. You see a memory of him and his mother playing out in the fields where he is riding his bike. This transforms onto the stage where a ballet dancer represents the mother and a flatland artist is a younger version of Waz performing tricks on his bike. The young Waz feels insecure about being filmed because of his hair and she assures him that it is okay, to just have fun and to just be. As we watch them emulate the mother and son relationship we see the duality of her pirouettes and his bike spinning. With the swelling of the music and the pinnacle on the act, the end of it is a beautiful and powerful moment. You get so emotionally involved in the moment and that to me is what live theater is all about. That is why it is one of my favorites. The second favorite thing I love about the show is the end when Waz finally finds his true freedom and takes a nice breath of air, deciding to be himself. He has this incredible dance solo at the end which is unorthodox because I believe that Cirque fans will expect the resolution to the story to be strictly acrobatic. When you follow his journey throughout the show and find the resolution with him, and then he starts this beautiful solo, it takes you inside. It's a deep and impactful moment that leaves you with that emotional lump in your throat. It makes you feel. ------> Those two moments as far as story telling are important. And as the show is naturally a spectacle, we are also here to give a message and create a connection and a dialogue with the audience. If you are able to sit there, watch the show and feel something, THAT is what I love about show business and those are the moments that shine for me the most. And of course, it doesn't hurt to have incredible acrobatic acts that help complement the journey. The celebratory finale act with BMX is definitely something not to miss. Q. The tweaks that you are still doing now, if the flow and evolution of the story are still there, what's still being worked on? This week I don't have an idea of what we are working on because we won't find out until tomorrow. It's probably decided as we speak and we will roll with the punches once that happens. Q. Is the team spending a couple of hours a day doing training and a couple of hours tweaking? Yes, we have three days this week where we have allotted 2 hours per day for whatever the stagings will be and whatever the objectives the team wants to focus on. The creation team know that there are time constraints as we still need to provide adequate training time on stage for normal operations. Q. What are you doing in your downtime while you are in Montreal? Well because everything has been so busy I haven't had a lot of downtime but to be honest, since I am such a foodie, I am now trying to find amazing restaurants. As there are so many great places, I find myself reading yelp and google reviews and when I can, I go out into the city and get lost to find the little gems that this city has to offer. This also helps so I know where to take my mom when she comes this month. Q. When the group goes on tour, how big is the team that will go on the road? There will be about 120 people who go on tour representing 23 different nationalities. { SOURCE: Anna Robb, TheaterArtLife | https://goo.gl/W5dDcs } ------------------------------------------------------- Meet Joey Arrigo – Volta's WAZ {Oct.06.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Newmarket native Joey Arrigo is making a lasting impression with Cirque du Soleil. The 25-year-old is not only the leading character Waz in their newest show Volta, but he helped develop it as well. "It was really interesting to be a part of the creation of this show, rather than just stepping into a role," he said. "It was a really great opportunity to work with the brilliant minds that create the Cirque du Soleil shows." Volta tells a story about the freedom to choose one's own path. Waz is a celebrity who hosts a game show where middle class people, or Greys, compete to become part of the Elites. But he has a secret. "He grew up with blue feathers as hair," explained Arrigo, adding the character was ridiculed about it, so he covered it with a crown. "What Waz realizes is he is classifying everybody on their differences when all he really wants is to be accepted." Waz later meets the Free Spirits. "They know all about self-acceptance and self-love," said Arrigo. He said the character does have parallels with his own life, but the show also has a message that can resonate with anybody. "When I started exploring the role of Waz, I had to dig deep into myself and consider certain things about myself," said Arrigo, adding that it all tied into the Volta's message. "We all have things about ourselves that we were maybe once insecure about," he said. "But those are the things that make us different, those are the things that make us original, and those are the things that make us unique." This is the second Cirque du Soleil show Arrigo has been part of. He played a trickster in Kooza. He said he wanted to be part of the company since he was young. He used to watch one of their first shows, Nouvelle Experience. "There was something about it, something so magical," he said. One of the characters was a clown played by David Shiner. Years later, when Arrigo was in Kooza, he met Shiner, who was the creator of the show. "It was a full circle," he said. "The guy who I watched in my living room, inspired me to be in the company, now I'm leading in his show." A few weeks ago, Arrigo's career came full circle. He taught a class at York Dance Academy where he used to dance. "All I want to do is go in there and share my love for dance, and return the love that York Dance Academy instilled in me," he said. "It was so nice to have a former student come back after all these years and to have him share his passion and talent with our dancers," said Angela Tucker, artistic director and owner of the academy. "I still remember the young four-year-old who had so much energy and passion for dance. He's now turned into an adult with the same energy and passion." { SOURCE: York Region | https://goo.gl/RsT1VS } ------------------------------------------------------- TheaterArtLife: "Being Bold Matters – Julie McInnes" {Oct.09.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- The extremely talented Julie McInnes has spent her life immersed in performance. An accomplished musician, actress, and singer, she has had a long career from expressing herself creatively for Circus Oz to playing a lead character on tour to delivering the daily grind of resident shows in Las Vegas. Julies shares with TheatreArtLife insight into her life, career, and thoughts on the theatre industry and her path within it. Q. Julie, How did you begin your career? What were the steps that led you to leave Australia? I started young and the learning kept building. I was singing at 7 and making up plays and asking my friends to play in them. I started on guitar at 9, cello at 11, saxophone at 22, bass guitar at 28; I took a lot of classes and workshops; played in all sorts of bands; made music for theatre, film, and TV. I made huge sculptures; worked in front and behind the camera in film; a lot of different jobs. The work in music started to funnel to the fore and grew around me because people asked me to be in their "thing" and I said "yes". I joined Circus Oz at age 28 and sometime around 1996 the sound designer for Cirque du Soleil, Jonathon Deans, saw me performing with Circus Oz. He made the first contact, which led to Benoit Jutras' (composer) and Cirque's invitation, and eventually to my acceptance (at age 38). They put out a strong welcoming arm and I guess I felt it was time to let other people have a go in my shoes at Circus Oz and, for me, to go and see what Julie McInnes could invent somewhere else. "O" was an extraordinary and fabulous introduction to Cirque du Soleil. Q. You left Australia many years ago. Is there any part of Australia that you miss or is it no longer home for you? Where does feel home for you? If this is not a place, what feels like home for you? I miss Australia a lot, although I moved from there a third of my life ago. The beauty of Australia is so vast and varied – physically, culturally, artistically and more…. I have a wish to spend some more of my life there. Melbourne was my base from age 19, and it's a city that "has it all". Currently, my heart is in my home with my partner in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montréal is also a culturally diverse and artistic city and I have made wonderful friends here. It's also the home of Cirque du Soleil (CDS), the company that supported me and gave me amazing roles and work for over 15 years. I have taken part in 5 big productions created here and, as a result, it's become my North American home, with the added spice of feeling very European. Something in my nature has often sought to leave my home country and take a look elsewhere and as a resident of my third country, I know that big moves across continents can take a toll. I think I can say my once idealised notion of being a "gypsy" and the wanderlust has now been grounded. I still love to travel but I always love to come home. Q. It is a common belief that working in the arts is a lifestyle and not a job. Would you agree and if so, how has working in the arts defined other aspects of your life? It's a job. Being a musician is implicitly poetic but step inside a job as one and there are real stresses – physical and mental. We have to put ourselves "on the line", we are exposed and the measures of "success" are often intangible. It's true that artists will often make art, whether they're paid for it or not, and it is a lifestyle as well. I feel very fortunate that I have had great stimulating and fun work, doing what I love: to create music for theatre, to sing and play music, lots of instruments and lots of different styles… I know people envy paid artists because it looks like fun and not like a job at all. It is. I have no clue what else I might have been good at. At times, I berated myself for not doing something that actually saved anyone or really altered their life for the better but I was forgetting that good art does that all the time! Working in the arts has meant that I have a global community and many great friends who give generously of their bodies, their hands, and their minds. We do well with a sense of humour, as in any place. How dry and dull it all gets without a bit of bold foolery. "Let's just DO IT – for shits and giggles". -----> Most artists are refined observers of people and the world around them. They're mirroring it back. They expand our view on life and awaken a connection to each other. Look at any place where there is an absence of art and notice how sad and violent it is. Small-mindedness doesn't survive in the arts. Q. You have worked on the Cirque du Soleil productions of O and KA in Las Vegas for a number of years. What are the challenges working on a resident show week after week, year after year? Working for four years on O and over seven years on KA, 10 shows a week, was financially and artistically rewarding but very tough on the spirit and tough physically. My cello thumb conked out about 10 years ago. I'm trying to repair it now. The repetition is super demanding. The security can also be very attractive and many people from all over the world have made Vegas their home, working in either of these shows or in the other 5 that now exist there. I started with the creation of O in 1998, and I know many people who are still on the show 18 years later. They have made families there. -----> It is possible to have a life outside of the resident shows; we musicians usually go to work at 5:00pm and are off at 11:15pm. When I joined the Cirque du Soleil's 2012 touring show Amaluna, I discovered how much less personal and home time I suddenly had. The touring shows require a lot more hours, we no longer had the luxury of what is fixed and organised in our homes, because obviously, we had given them up. Instead, we were in hotels and moving all the time. I loved touring but I eventually missed having my own home. Any of these CDS shows are built to be repeated many times. Luckily, the shows have been fabulous and my musical and performing roles pretty varied: using voice, cello, some saxophone, guitar and tiplé. Once the curtain opens, I become completely involved. Some people can play and read a magazine at the same time. -----> When I am performing, something essential to me is let loose. It's a place I feel safe in. Without performing, I can get a bit strange, … actually, I start to feel out of place. Q. Did you like living in Las Vegas? What did you like and dislike about the city? I struggled a lot with living in Las Vegas, although it is in many ways an easy city to live in. Sometimes I couldn't find the beauty outside of our show and that made me feel unwell. After 4 years of O, I moved back to Australia and then turned around within a year as I was invited to be in Celine Dion's Vegas production A New Day. This was too many big moves and changes in 1 year: to leave the security of job, country and relationship, in my early 40's! Don't try this at home, in your backyard … or anywhere. It's not Vegas' fault, but I put my blinkers on when inside a casino, and just head for the theatre or home. However, to go driving in any direction out of Vegas brings you to astounding country: Red Rock State Park, Mt. Charleston, Valley of Fire, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree … that's what I did, and it saved me. I still own a beautiful home there, visit often, and the city has become a lot more cosmopolitan. Q. You have had a long successful performance/musical career. What has been your most favourite role/job? Why? My favourite roles? Firstly, my time in Australia's Circus Oz (from 1987-1998) because it used all of me creatively. As the musical director, I was writing so much music for things that move, directing other members of the troupe whose musicianship was secondary to their being acrobats or performers and I was playing on many instruments. This company maintains strong values, including a policy of 50% men and 50% women. I was also performing in physical and theatrical acts. Everybody did a lot of everything and I was lucky they found me. It was all about collaborating within an innovative contemporary theatrical circus company. We had to devise our own material, create and build every part of the show, and then we got to travel the wide world, from big tops to quaint old theatres. One month we were flying in an old DC-3 war plane and performing in the outback to aboriginal communities and the next we were in Edinburgh, Dublin, Jerusalem, Munich, Sao Paolo, New York, New Delhi, Osaka. You name it. I was surrounded by all kinds of intelligent fools and we had to trust and depend on each other or the centre would not hold. Most of my really cool stuff came from there: the cello-on-the- wheel, the 4-armed duet on 1 cello, playing in the up-side down band on the roof, the inventing of strange and intriguing sounds, a lot of good music tied to the rhythm of the actions and the nature of the characters. I was inside the action and I blossomed as an artist in Circus Oz. In 2011, along came another favourite role which was "Prospera" in Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna. Inspired in part by Shakespeare's The Tempest, set on an island of women, with a central wish to highlight our many strengths. -----> This role was a gift because it not only used my strengths as a singer and cellist, it also put me under the spotlight as a lead character. This was an artistic muscle that I had missed. After 2 great roles in O and KA, just when I thought I should be finding a new profession or find a way to step off the treadmill and out of the pit, I received this wonderful gift of a role. It literally lifted me up. I got to rock out on cello while flying high in the big top inside a moon shaped disc. Thrilling. I am not saying I am a highly-trained actress but I do know how to get inside a role and enjoy interpreting and playing with it. A "Prospera" in the theatre would use text, whereas my text was more in my singing and cello playing. She was on stage almost all the time, so something had to be "going on" inside. I was trusted and respected by the director, Diane Paulus, and the creators, and I cannot overstate what a difference that makes. Musically, I was given room to bring my own style, including some vocal percussive things I like to do, and even playing tenor sax again. This role had "gravitas", the ferocity, wisdom and love of a sorceress, queen, and mother. I had hit my 50's and decided to enjoy the fun, unapologetic bold version. "Prospera" offered some gutsy terrain. Q. Having been in the circus arena for a long time, do you think there has been an evolution in circus arts? Do you think that circus performances are getting better, more innovative and more creative? Yes or No. Please explain. The arts and entertainment world has increasingly focused on circus arts, and there are so many versions of this growth. Humans love to explore their limits, take risks, fly and flip like their superior friends, the birds and monkeys, and we invent endless ways to explore beyond our limits. The range is wide, from traditional to the hundreds of contemporary: big productions like Cirque du Soleil and small groups that roll into your town in one bus, to make you gasp and laugh. There are circuses that have societal and survival focus as their primary agenda: street kids, women from violent homes, people in poverty …a Circus Oz troupe member returned to her home in Ethiopia and started her own fabulous ever-growing circus. They are many and varied all over the world. I don't think there is a better art form for quickly building confidence and always with something you can take home, or do on your own. Where there is no acro-mat, there might be an old mattress. Circus arts rely on trust – of yourself, with your fellow cast members, with your rigger and it's made up of a lot of slow but accessible steps under the guidance of good teachers. -----> It is no wonder that circus attracts unique and imaginative people interested in all things peculiar and uplifting. Q. You transitioned from resident shows to touring with Cirque du Soleil. What was that transition like, to go back on the move after staying in one place for so long? I had missed traveling, so I loved getting to move around and see places I hadn't seen before. A touring show has a premiere in each new city and is less repetitive in nature simply because it's broken by set ups and tear downs, and can rarely afford to blow its performers out with 10 shows a week (like a resident show). However, I did miss my home in Vegas and just going to my home with familiar surroundings and the time to be in my own personal life. Q. I understand you have left Cirque du Soleil. Where are you located now? What are your plans for 2017? I am living in Montréal, learning French, upgrading some artistic pleasures I left neglected in all that roller-coaster ride. That includes trying to learn the 21st century way of composing, with computer programming. I have been exercising my musical performing self in new ways. Nathalie Claude and I made a physical and musical duo called Reditum Lux. We are currently working on staging it again, here and abroad. I have had a very good time with Momentum, a fabulous Montreal theater company made up of extremely talented, versatile and passionate performers. A show we created was a Dada event for the opening of the Phénomena Festival. Apart from making some pretty unique music in a 2- piece band with artistic director Jean-Frederic Messier, I created a solo performance piece. I played with my journey from Australia to Montreal, from bizarre birds and childhood songs to "I was there, now I'm here" … arrived to the testing loopiness of the French language and much more. My lunatic side needed to be let out. I found creating the solo came easily, it got a great response and I want to do more in this vein. Q. Do you have a favourite song to sing/play? What makes that song significant? I love Nature Boy by Eden Ahbez. It's a poetic portrait, very beautiful and very simple in its theme: -----> "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love, and be loved, in return." Q. Where is your favourite place to be? Tell us why? I love to be in a place that has space and light, preferably by or in the water. I adore the Pacific Ocean: Big Sur and Sea Ranch (California) and the whole east coast of Australia. I grew up on the River Murray, SA, and I can conjure up the smell of eucalyptus and dried mud with great pleasure. I am enjoying exploring the bountiful lakes in Quebec. I am attracted to beauty and colour and a good view. I don't like noisy or crowded places. I like cultures that are open, generous and gestural. I love Italy, Melbourne and my friend's places. Q. What does Julie do when she is not performing/playing an instrument/singing? She paints and wants to do it more often. She loves to make and share a good meal, read a book she can't put down. Julie loves a good project, collaborating with passionate and able others. She loves galleries, museums and seeing many different shows: theatre, dance, music, cabaret, circus. Q. Who are the most inspiring people you have met in your life and why? I have been inspired by many great generous teachers. I believe I have always had great people around me and they are the inspiration and reason for anything that's good about me. Often a kind intelligent friend has told me a truth, or given me their window to look through, and it has stopped me in my tracks and caused me to start over with more clarity. I am inspired by their independent minds, their courage and will to stand up for themselves and others with whatever language they've crafted as their own. I admire my witches and magicians who keep carving out a changing life with great imagination. I had a nice talk with Yoyo Ma once, met lots of famous people, but they were passing figures. To name a few names in my closer sphere: Victoria Marles, Liz Sadler, Tim Coldwell, Georgine Clarsen, Nicci Wilks, Teresa Blake, Anni Davey, Deb Batton, Kathryn Bird, Gail Gilbert, all members of BETTY, Gloria Steinem, Carole Pope, Meredith Caron, Diane Paulus, Gabriel Pinkstone, Krista Monson, Guy Dubuc and Marc Lessard, Rachael Wood, Céline Bonnier, Jean-Fred Messier and my love and partner Nathalie Claude. Q. What was the last show/event/concert that you saw that was not associated with your own work? How was it? I recently saw Christine and the Queens. It was a show that was great in every aspect – the dance, the music, the lights…it was sexy and she is a mighty force. Q. If you would give advice to aspiring singers/musicians trying to break into the industry, what would it be? Find what attracts you, give it a go, keep looking and learning… and know when to move on. Good taste matters, being bold matters, and listening is essential. { SOURCE: Anna Robb, TheaterArtLife | https://goo.gl/pwqiYw } ------------------------------------------------------- Joey Arrigo – About the Demands of Performance {Oct.19.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Joey Arrigo saw his first Cirque du Soleil show — on a VHS tape — when he was 5. It was "magic," he thought, twirling in imitation around the family's Newmarket home. Twenty years later, and countless gruelling hours of dance training, Arrigo is playing the central character Waz in the company's production of Volta. He spoke with the Star about the physical and mental demands of doing up to 10 shows a week. Q. What does it take to be at this level of performance? We need to listen to our bodies. That's No.1. I train with my physiotherapist four to five times a week, doing high intensity interval training to keep every muscle, joint, tendon as strong as possible . . . That means weight-training — low-weight and high repetitions — to build strong, lean, tighter muscles. As an acrobatic dancer, I don't want a lot of bulk because that will be harder on my joints as I'm jumping around. Q. Some performers overtrain, leading to fatigue and injury. Because of that, do you ever hold back? Sure. I've gotten to a point where I've overtrained and I'm exhausted, physically and mentally. I've learned to listen to my body . . . When my body is sore and tired, training is not beneficial, so I find an alternative, like yoga or stretching — and make sure I get enough sleep. Q. What's more challenging: physical or mental exhaustion? Mental exhaustion because of the long hours and the crazy things we do throughout the day. Yes, it's a circus and show, but behind this it's a business and there are so many things we deal with, on top of staying physically fit and giving a great show. Q. How do you give yourself a break? I go for a walk, go shopping and brunching is one of my favourite things because it's a big hearty meal. Having "me time" is super- crucial to then being in this atmosphere. It's a circus (on stage), but (also behind the scenes), everybody is constantly moving, training and learning new skills. Q. Do you worry about injury? Every day. For any of us, it could be the last day we're performing. But as long as we do our part keeping ourselves as strong and healthy as possible, there's no stopping us. Q. Are you mindful of nutrition? It's about what you need to put in your body, as opposed to what you don't. Our bodies require necessary amounts of omega fatty acids, protein, magnesium, iron, potassium, which are good for muscles and helping them repair. I have a daily regimen to keep myself as healthy possible: I eat three eggs every morning. I take muscle-enhancing supplements, like L-carnitine and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), and I drink a greens mix of spirulina, barley grass, kale, wheatgrass. Throughout the day I eat regularly because we're burning so much . . . I do utilize, but not abuse, pre-workout powders that get the blood flowing. Q. Are there things you avoid? I drank casually, but stopped for health reasons. Hangovers suck. Alcohol did things to my stomach that pushed me back as a performer. I'd get to a level with training and then have a night with a couple of drinks and the next four days I wouldn't be at that high level anymore. I would love to have a long career. I want to get the most out of these years so that maybe in my 60s I can enjoy a brandy once in a while. { SOURCE: Toronto Star | https://goo.gl/2FTHFv } ------------------------------------------------------- Meet TORUK's Peter Kismartoni {Nov.02.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Peter Kismartoni didn't want to go to the gymnastics lesson the first time his parents took him along. He was just five years old, but with two sporty parents, a sister already enrolled and a younger brother not far behind, he soon found a passion for the sport that would set him up for the extraordinary life he lives now. This week, 10 years after his YouTube videos of mock-fight scenes and daredevil antics were shown to recruiters, Peter Kismartoni, from the Melbourne suburb of Croydon, returns home for the first time as a star in Cirque Du Soleil's TORUK - The First Flight. Cirque du Soleil creatives approached the veteran Hollywood director and film producer, James Cameron (Avatar, Titanic, The Terminator trilogy) for inspiration for a new show. It was in Las Vegas where Peter got his first taste of circus life after a former gymnastics coach alerted scouts, who happened to be in Melbourne at the time, to his talents. He was offered a job in the City of Lights almost straight away and within weeks was on stage performing two shows a night for the masses in the MGM Grand Resort and Casino, on the famous Las Vegas Strip. After seven years and over 3,000 appearances in the martial arts- inspired show KÀ, Peter jumped at the opportunity to be a part of a new global touring show that was still in its infancy. TORUK began its 'creation' stage in Montreal in 2015, where artistic directors and performers worked together for months to develop the new characters and choreography— from the concepts inside the minds of the show's bosses— to a full-blown arena spectacular. Peter loves his life on the road but admits it can be tough, especially on his mum who would love to have him come home. "My mum just misses me but of course she's happy with what I'm doing," he said. "My dad's the opposite though. He says, 'No, don't come home, it's an awesome way to see the world, don't save your money, just live.'" The adoring crowds and non-stop adventure around the world can be exhilarating but for Peter, being able to perform for his parents in front of a home crowd in Melbourne will be the greatest thrill of all. "This is where everything began for me. This is where I learnt my skills and it's just like coming full circle being back here and performing," he said. "Not only for my family who took me to gymnastics for so many years, but for all the people I've trained with and sweated with. TORUK takes place in the mythical world of Pandora, thousands of years before the events depicted in the 2009 blockbuster Avatar. Cameron has previously said that Cirque du Soleil's dreamlike sequences and artistry inspired his vision for the film which went on to become the world's highest grossing movie of all time. What began in the 1980s as a group of street performers in a small village near Quebec City, in Canada's French speaking region, has sprouted and grown into a global artistic super-power, reaching over 150 million people in 300 cities around the world. Cameron has had a big influence on the creative direction of the show and everything from new choreography to the details of the elaborate costumes and makeup are run past him for approval. The Hollywood-heavyweight is often known to be backstage after shows giving glowing praise to the performers who bring his mythical world to life each night. { SOURCE: ABC Australia News } *************************************************************** SPECTACLE -- CRYSTAL in the Presse *************************************************************** ------------------------------------------------------- KATC Reviews CRYSTAL at the Cajundome {Oct.07.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- There's always something so overwhelmingly satisfying about taking in a performance of Cirque du Soleil. And this weekend, audiences can partake in Crystal, a brand new production making its North American debut at the Cajundome and Convention Center in Lafayette. This time Cirque du Soleil is taking a step into uncharted territory, mixing their well-known, gravity-defying and artistic performances with the element of ice. The mixture of disciplines creates a spellbinding world that makes their new production a show that simply cannot be missed. In the beginning, what seems like a frozen world, solid and free from movement, transforms into a captivating story of initiation and discovery. The show centers on Crystal, a young girl facing what all young children must: their desires to keep their head in the clouds versus the nagging pressures to finally grow up. Feeling misunderstood, Crystal takes to the ice and finds herself falling through, presumably under the weight of her suppressed creativity and her stressful reality. The audience is transported to an underwater world as images of Crystal's free-fall flash across an icy backdrop used throughout the show. A performer descends from the sky transitioning the audience from reality and into Crystal's imagination. Here, the show begins. Performers use the entire length of their frozen stage and the audience is guided through every moment of Crystal by fantastic skating choreography and spectacular acrobatics. The ice plays an integral part in telling the story as performers create lines and change their environment through projections and motion tracking that supplies an element of magic to Crystal's world. At times the pace becomes slow, but after some acts (like a whirlwind hockey game turned pinball machine that sends skaters flipping through the air, and a gasp-inducing balancing act ending with a performer perched atop a tower of chairs directly on the ice) the time to recover was necessary. During those times we are wowed again by brilliant skating and the antics of several performers including that of a friendly clown, Crystal's imaginary friend. Of course, Cirque du Soleil could only be so much without the amazing music and vocals embedded throughout the show. Performed live, the music never ceases and carries the show to heights unreachable by any trapeze artist or aerial silk performer. The music even makes it onto the ice with players in skates gliding around the arena enchanting the crowd with their musical spells. The audience may even be surprised to hear covers of popular music that help to move the story along. Crystal is without a doubt a masterpiece, a beautiful combination of acrobatics and skating that is accentuated perfectly by a cast of disciplined performers. Their love of the art and the performance shows with each executed element and the thunderous applause, joyful laughs, and stifled gasps that pulse throughout the arena during the show proves the audience loves it too. A word of advice for people who decide to attend: wear a jacket and prepare to go on a journey like no other. { SOURCE: KATC | https://goo.gl/4BqWSd } ------------------------------------------------------- CRYSTAL performers arrested in San Antonio {Oct.11.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Two cast members of Cirque du Soleil's first show on ice spent part of their San Antonio visit in a jail cell this week. (CHECK THEM OUT HERE: http://www.cirquefascination.com/?p=10870) Just days ahead of the weekend performances at the AT&T Center, San Antonio police arrested Cordero Zuckerman, 25, and Shawn Sawyer, 32, early Tuesday morning in the 1000 block of North Main Avenue. News archives identify both men as cast members of the show. On social media pages appearing to belong to the men, they both list Cirque du Soleil as their employer. According to a preliminary police report, a bike officer was patrolling the area after police received several complaints about people using narcotics at the location. As police arrived, Zuckerman and Sawyer allegedly popped out behind boxes placed outside the business. Sawyer allegedly tried to run away from police, but the officer caught up to him and placed him in handcuffs. Sawyer, who the officer noted smelled of alcohol, told him he had just done some cocaine with his friends, the police report states. Police then interviewed Zuckerman, who also appeared to be intoxicated, according to the report. Zuckerman told police he did not have cocaine on him and allowed the officer to search him. The officer found a baggy in Zuckerman's pocket, which Zuckerman allegedly identified as "a little bit of coke," according to the report. The two are in town for "Crystal," the Cirque du Soleil's first ice skating show. The performance is described as an "exhilarating tale of self-discovery," according to its website. Cirque du Soelil's media office declined to comment on the incident in an email to mySA.com. "As a policy and as a matter of respect for our employees, Cirque du Soleil does not comment on matters related to their personal life," the statement read. Zuckerman was booked into Bexar County Jail and charged with possessing a controlled substance and public intoxication. Sawyer is charged with evading arrest and public intoxication. Both suspects posted bail later that day, according to jail records. { SOURCE: San Antonio Express-News } ------------------------------------------------------- Trinitonian: "Cirque dazzles with CRYSTAL" {Oct.26.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Dancing, acrobatics, leaps through the air and more: "Crystal" is the latest production by renowned Canadian entertainment company Cirque du Soleil, and it's different from any circus performance you've seen before. "Crystal" is Cirque du Soleil's 42nd original show since 1984, and the first of its kind to fuse ice skating and circus acts. "The inspiration was actually ice as a component of speed, fluidity and reflexivity, and we wanted to blur skating skills with acrobatics," said Cirque du Soleil's publicist Julie Desmarais. I went into the Oct. 19 performance with high expectations. I was not disappointed. The special effects were beautiful, and the ice skating added a graceful element to the performance that made it feel like a ballet. Additionally, the story of a young woman gaining power and independence in the world resonated with me on a personal level. "Crystal" is an "exhilarating tale of self-discovery," according to Cirque du Soleil's official website. The eponymous main character skates across a frozen lake, breaks through the ice — the show was humorously advertised as a "breakthrough ice experience" — and submerges into a dreamscape where she can observe and control every aspect of life. In the underwater world, Crystal goes from schoolyards to business cubicles and follows her dream of writing. The first act shows Crystal transforming from an ordinary girl to a woman with increasing knowledge and power in the world. In the second act, Crystal adjusts to her newfound success and considers romance for the first time. "Who can I share my now with?" she asks. Jerôme Sordilton, the artist who plays Crystal's love interest, soon flies in on red straps attached to a trapeze; he and Crystal engage in aerial ballet to the tune of Beyonce's "Halo." In one of my favorite musical numbers, we see a room open on the staircase where a version of Crystal is shown writing away on a desk, while on the stage another Crystal subdues gray-robed monsters — played by a group of acrobats — with balls of paper. While swirling words are projected on the staircase and adjoining platform, the audience hears Crystal's voice over the music. The narrative felt reminiscent of "Alice in Wonderland," as well as "Harry Potter" and any other story about exploring a new world and discovering who you are. The ice elements also reminded me of Disney's "Frozen." But beyond the references to other media, Crystal was relatable to me as a first-year Trinity student trying to find my place in the world. There are many performers who play the part of Crystal in different segments of the show, and this gives her character a universal quality. I also enjoyed the swirling troupe of dancers who trailed Crystal as she embarks upon her adventure. They first appear as gray-robed wraiths who swarm and threaten her in a "Little Red Riding Hood"-like sequence when she first breaks through the ice, but later on she learns to control them through writing. Later the group reappeared as school children, and then as businessmen in the second act. The first act ended with Crystal swinging on a trapeze to the tune of Sia's "Chandelier," and this time the Greek chorus-like group wore yellow geometric hats and giant wigs that evoked Sia's offbeat aesthetic. Every element of the show felt very synchronized and planned, which is surprising because Cirque du Soleil is composed of 1,300 performing artists from 50 different countries. More than 180 million spectators flock to see their shows in more than 450 cities on 6 continents, and 19 shows are presented simultaneously worldwide. With such a large and diverse group of artists, performances like "Crystal" are impressive. Sordilton discussed the amount of teamwork and trust that went into "Crystal." "Especially in this show … everything is about friends being on stage together and working together. … I would suggest, if Cirque du Soleil is your dream, just work, work… it is difficult, circus is difficult, sport is difficult, but I think if you want to achieve a goal, you just have to really believe," Sordilton said. "What I really like in ‘Crystal' is the fact that you can find everything. You can have fun, you can have emotion, you can have, like, at some point you're scared. … There is acrobatics, there is theatre … I think you can find a bit of everything in this show." "Crystal" is a personal narrative of self-discovery, but it's also a lot of fun. { SOURCE: The Trinitonian | https://goo.gl/u3HdMW } ------------------------------------------------------- Shivers Guaranteed at CRYSTAL? {Oct.28.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Since Cirque du Soleil started 33 years ago in Montreal, you'd think its performers and creators had already explored every possible idea in their quest to reinvent circus arts. But one element hadn't yet been incorporated into a Cirque show, forcing the artists to rethink costumes, training, sets and choreography: ice. "The ice was a challenge — it was a new component for whatever we did," says Fabice Lemire, artistic director for "Crystal: A Breakthrough Ice Experience." The new show comes Nov. 4 and 5 to the Family Arena. "How do we have acrobats run on the floor? How do they do tricks? What kind of shoes? What kind of gloves?" Lemire, who grew up in Paris and has a dance background, had to learn about the world of ice skating, from the logistics of buying shoes to sharpening the blades. All the acrobats and performers in the show had to learn to skate. On the Cirque du Soleil team, he had the help of Olympic skaters Kurt Browning and Benjamin Agosto as performance designers. "I love what is happening onstage," Lemire says. "The blending of the two together (the acrobatic and skating worlds) is something unique, and I am completely mesmerized." Forty artists work on the show, and about 18 of them are professional skaters. For the first time, two former Cirque performers, Shana Carroll and Sébastien Soldevila, are show directors. They learned from each other as they combined skills. "I have this brilliant clown — not a classic clown; he's a fantastic performer," Lemire says. "We asked him to be on the ice, and he goes like he was born on those shoes. He had some skating experience with rollerblading, but now he's doing this." The ice allows scenes and patterns to be projected onto the ice, which takes the audience into a new environment without changing the space, Lemire says. Jugglers and trapeze artists also perform on the ice. And the main thing the ice adds? "Speed," Lemire says. "It offers you speed. You can glide, you can slide. I don't want to give you the ending, but you will see a closing element of Act 1 that includes speed and heights, and it's really stunning." The show tells a story of self-discovery, following a young woman as she falls through the ice on a lake. "The metaphor is basically (that) she dives into a world of imagination as she falls into the ice," Lemire says. "While she is in there, it allows her to discover and grow." And yes, she does come back, he assures with a laugh. "There is a happy ending." { SOURCE: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | https://goo.gl/MGco67 } ------------------------------------------------------- Ice dancer from St. Charles co-stars in CRYSTAL {Nov.03.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Madeline Stammen's ice skating has taken her from St. Charles to cruise ships and now to a main role in Cirque du Soleil Crystal. The show is the Montreal-based theatrical producer's first to mix its fabled acrobatics and circus stylings with action on ice. When Stammen auditioned, she was taking six months away from skating and thinking about acting on her acceptance to the school of engineering at New York University. That was after a stint in summer 2016 in an ice show at the Pleasure Beach Arena in Blackpool, England, called Obsession. "Their summer production is a pretty big show a lot of skaters wind up doing," Stammen said. "And it was nice to be in one place for a bit." Stammen, 23, says that because she launched her professional skating career at sea. For several years, she performed on cruise ships. "I skated up to the senior women's level (in ice dancing and freestyle skating) until I was 18 and only in the United States," said Stammen, a St. Charles East High School graduate. "I always enjoyed the performance aspect of skating (more than competition) anyway, so it was a natural progression. A month after turning pro, I popped up on a ship. It was a blast." Ice shows at sea involve working on a rink an eighth of the size of arenas, Stammen said, "and the ground moves as you're skating." She wound up having four cruise ship contracts that took her to ports in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, Asia and Australia. Her parents, John and Christina Stammen, who still live in St. Charles, caught all her nautical shows, and her three brothers and one sister made the ones they could. "My parents are my number one fans, and the shows were an excuse for a vacation," Stammen said. After the land-based job is England, though, Stammen wasn't sure what she wanted to do. "But God or the world pushed me to apply (for the Cirque du Soleil show)," she said. She sent in a video to show her skating skills, then Cirque provided her a piece of music to which she was to improvise a routine and videotape her performance of it. Stammen said she was hired within the week. "This is a new thing for Cirque du Soleil. They've never employed skaters before, so it's been two worlds colliding and collaborating," Stammen said. Rehearsals began in June in Montreal. "We are all athletes, so we understand each other in that sense. But we have different processes. Acrobats and the circus performers with Cirque come from a place where they are open to trying to create something different. Skaters tend to use moves that are part of a set arsenal," Stammen said. The Cirque performers "are kicking my butt," she said. "I was like a T-Rex, with strong legs but no upper body strength. Now I can do pull- ups." Stammen plays The Reflection, the alter ego of the titular character Crystal. The story involves the misfit Crystal seeing her reflection on a lake, then meeting that reflection under the water. The Reflection is the dark side of Crystal, Stammen said, and takes Crystal through an underworld to look back on her life. The show's tour began in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Oct. 5, and is using smaller markets to develop in advance of the official premiere in Montreal Dec. 20. Publicist Julie Desmarais said the plan is for Crystal to be a roadshow for five years or so. Cirque du Soleil Crystal comes to Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates Nov. 16 - 19. Stammen said the tour is the first time she has skated professionally in the United States. "It will be kind of cool for my coaches and my friends to come see me and what I do. It should be special," Stammen said. She learned to figure skate from Jill Carson, then Candy Brown Burek, training at Fox Valley Ice Rink in Geneva and All Seasons Ice Rink in Naperville. "I remember trying at 3 years old and thinking I could do what the teacher did, then falling. I was one of those kids who sat on the bench and cried all the time," Stammen said. "From what my mom tells me, I asked to go back again when I was 6, and the rest is history." The show takes a break after the Hoffman Estates performances, so Stammen said she is looking forward to getting to spend a bit of time at home. "The first chance I get, I'm going to the All Chocolate Kitchen in Geneva," Stammen said. { SOURCE: Chicago Tribune } ------------------------------------------------------- Cirque Du Soleil's 'Crystal' Will Wow Audiences {Nov.03.2017} ------------------------------------------------------- Jerome Sordillon is an aerialist with "Crystal," Cirque du Soleil's new show on ice that opens at The Family Arena this weekend. He performs the acrobatic portion of the show, swinging dozens of feet above the ice, suspended only by a pair of wrist straps. At one point, during a beautifully choreographed ballroom dance, Sordillon lifts the main character off her skates and they soar through the air together. "I'm holding on to her," he said. "She's not holding on to anything. So it takes a lot of trust." Trust, and plenty of practice. Do they use a net? "No," Sordillon said, "I am the net." Originally from Lyon, France, Sordillon has been performing in circuses for over a decade, since he was 19 years old. He's been on tour with Crystal since June. And he's just one of 83 cast and crew representing 19 different nationalities that make the show possible, said Crystal publicist Julie Desmarais. Desmarais explained that show-goers are in for a treat. "Crystal is the story of a girl who has her head in the clouds, she's a dreamer, and she's not super comfortable in the environment she's in. One day she ventures out onto a frozen pond, and the ice breaks. She falls into a surreal underworld than opens her up to new possibilities." Desmarais said Crystal is Cirque du Soleil's first production on ice in its 33-year history. "It's something that we've wanted to do for a very long time. We really wanted to explore the speed, fluidity and reflection that ice provides." She thinks the show would appeal to the whole family. "I think we'll see a lot of audience members finding an element that reaches out to them. It's a brand new experience. And it will feature pop songs as part of the storyline that people will recognize." She said audiences could look forward to remixes and covers of songs by Beyonce, Sia, U2 and more. { SOURCE: St. Charles Patch } ======================================================================= ITINÉRAIRE -- TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION ======================================================================= o) BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau {Amaluna, Koozå, Kurios, Luzia, Totem & Volta} o) ARENA - In Stadium-like venues {Varekai, TORUK, OVO, Séptimo Día, & Crystal} o) RESIDENT - Performed en Le Théâtre {Mystère, "O", La Nouba, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, MJ ONE, & JOYÀ} NOTE: .) While we make every effort to provide complete and accurate touring dates and locations available, the information in this section is subject to change without notice. As such, the Fascination! Newsletter does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of these listings. For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit Cirque's website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ >, or for a more comprehensive tour listing, visit our Itinéraire section online at: < http://www.cirquefascination.com/?page_id=6898 >. ------------------------------------ BIGTOP - Under the Grand Chapiteau ------------------------------------ Amaluna: São Paulo, BR -- Oct 5, 2017 to Dec 17, 2017 Rio de Janeiro, BR -- Dec 28, 2017 to Jan 21, 2018 Rosario, AR -- Feb 14, 2018 to Feb 21, 2018 Buenos Aires, AR -- Mar 15, 2018 to Mar 25, 2018 Cordoba, AR -- Apr 16, 2018 to Apr 29, 2018 Koozå: Shanghai, CN -- Oct 2, 2017 to Dec 3, 2017 Beijing, CN -- Dec 15, 2017 to Feb 11, 2018 China City #3 -- TBA 2018 China City #4 -- TBA 2018 China City #5 -- TBA 2018 Kurios: Vancouver, BC -- Oct 19, 2017 to Dec 31, 2017 Tokyo, JP -- Feb 7, 2018 to Apr 8, 2018 Osaka, JP -- Jul 26, 2018 to Oct 29, 2018 Nagoya, JP -- Nov 22, 2018 to Jan 27, 2019 Fukuoka, JP -- Feb 15, 2018 to Mar 31, 2018 Sendai, JP -- April 2019 Luzia: Atlanta, GA -- Sep 14, 2017 to Nov 19, 2017 Los Angeles, CA -- Dec 7, 2017 to Feb 11, 2018 Costa Mesa, CA -- Feb 21, 2018 to Mar 25, 2018 Washington, DC -- April 2018 Boston, MA -- TBA 2018 Monterrey, MX -- TBA 2018 Guadalajara, MX -- TBA 2018 Mexico City, MX -- TBA 2018 Totem: Madrid, ES -- Nov 10, 2017 to Jan 14, 2018 Seville, ES -- Jan 25, 2018 to Mar 11, 2018 Barcelona, ES -- Mar 23, 2018 to Apr 15, 2018 Malaga, ES -- May 31, 2018 to Jul 1, 2018 VOLTA: Toronto, ON -- Sep 7, 2017 to Nov 26, 2017 Miami, FL -- Dec 15, 2017 to Feb 4, 2018 Tampa, FL -- Feb 15, 2018 to Mar 25, 2018 Uniondale, NY -- TBA ------------------------------------ ARENA - In Stadium-Like Venues ------------------------------------ Varekai: Allentown, PA -- Nov 9, 2017 to Nov 12, 2017 Syracuse, NY -- Nov 15, 2017 to Nov 19, 2017 Philadelphia, PA -- Nov 22, 2017 to Nov 26, 2017 Biloxi, MS -- Nov 29, 2017 to Dec 3, 2017 Hidalgo, TX -- Dec 6, 2017 to Dec 10, 2017 Fort Worth, TX -- Dec 13, 2017 to Dec 17, 2017 Frisco, TX - Dec 20 to Dec 23, 2017 (FINAL SHOW) TORUK - The First Flight: Melbourne, AU -- Nov 2, 2017 to Nov 12, 2017 Adelaide, AU -- Nov 16, 2017 to Nov 19, 2017 Perth, AU -- Nov 24, 2017 to Dec 3, 2017 Bangkok, TH -- TBA 2017 Dubai, UAE -- Jan 4, 2018 to Jan 17, 2018 China -- TBA 2018 OVO: Hamburg, DE -- Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 5, 2017 Berlin, DE -- Nov 8, 2017 to Nov 12, 2017 Mannheim, DE -- Nov 15, 2017 to Nov 19, 2017 Cologne, DE -- Nov 22, 2017 to Nov 26, 2017 Stuttgart, DE -- Nov 29, 2017 to Dec 3, 2017 Nuremberg, DE -- Dec 6, 2017 to Dec 10, 2017 Munich, DE -- Dec 13, 2017 to Dec 17, 2017 London, UK -- Jan 7, 2018 to Mar 4, 2018 Hanover, DE -- Mar 14, 2018 to Mar 18, 2018 Oberhausen, DE -- Apr 5, 2018 to Apr 8, 2018 Krakow, PL -- Apr 13, 2018 to Apr 15, 2018 Gdansk, PL -- Apr 19, 2018 to Apr 22, 2018 Saint Petersburg, RU -- Apr 28, 2018 to May 5, 2018 Moscow, RU -- May 8, 2018 to May 20, 2018 Kazan, RU -- May 23, 2018 to May 27, 2018 Togliatti, RU -- May 30, 2018 to Jun 3, 2018 Sochi, RU -- Jul 10, 2018 to Jul 29, 2018 SÉPTIMO DÍA – NO DESCANSARÉ: Guadalajara, MX -- Nov 8, 2017 to Nov 19, 2017 Mexico City, MX -- Nov 28, 2017 to Dec 23, 2017 Panama City, PA -- January 2018 San Jose, CR -- February 2018 Guatemala City, GT -- March 2018 Coral Gables, FL (Miami) -- April 2018 Inglewood, CA (Los Angeles) -- May 2018 Asuncion, PY -- June 2018 CRYSTAL - A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE: St. Charles, MO -- Nov 4, 2017 to Nov 5, 2017 Minneapolis, MN -- Nov 9, 2017 to Nov 12, 2017 Hoffman Estates, IL -- Nov 16, 2017 to Nov 19, 2017 Worchester, MA -- Dec 7, 2017 to Dec 10, 2017 Quebec City, QC -- Dec 13, 2017 to Dec 17, 2017 Montreal, QC -- Dec 20, 2017 to Dec 31, 2017 (GALA PREMIERE) Windsor, ON -- Jan 3, 2018 to Jan 7, 2018 Detroit, MI -- Jan 10, 2018 to Jan 14, 2018 Pittsburgh, PA -- Jan 17, 2018 to Jan 21, 2018 Topeka, KS -- Jan 24, 2018 to Jan 28, 2018 Colorado Springs, CO -- Jan 31, 2018 to Feb 4, 2018 Cedar Park, TX -- Feb 14, 2018 to Feb 18, 2018 Phoenix, AZ -- Mar 8, 2018 to Mar 11, 2018 Tucson, AZ -- Mar 14, 2018 to Mar 18, 2018 San Diego, CA -- Mar 21, 2018 to Mar 25, 2018 San Jose, CA -- Mar 28, 2018 to Apr 1, 2018 Rio Rancho, NM -- Apr 4, 2018 to Apr 8, 2018 Abbotsford, BC -- Apr 11, 2018 to Apr 15, 2018 Penticton, BC -- Apr 18, 2018 to Apr 22, 2018 Prince George, BC -- Apr 25, 2018 to Apr 29, 2018 Red Deer, AB -- May 2, 2018 to May 6, 2018 Saskatoon, SK -- May 16, 2018 to May 20, 2018 Medicine Hat, AB -- May 23, 2018 to May 27, 2018 --------------------------------- RESIDENT - en Le Théâtre --------------------------------- Mystère: Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark: Thursday/Friday Two shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm 2017 Dark Dates: o November 8 Special Performance Dates: o Fri, Nov 24, 2017 o Fri, Dec 29, 2017 o Sun, Dec 31, 2017 | 4:30pm & 7:00pm 2017 Single Performance Dates: o Fri, Dec 08 | 7:00 pm "O": Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Wednesday through Sunday, Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two shows Nightly - 7:30pm and 9:30pm (as of Aug 12, 2015) 2017 Dark Dates: o November 29 - December 12 La Nouba: Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday Two shows Nightly - 6:00pm and 9:00pm *** CLOSING DECEMBER 31, 2017 *** Zumanity: Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm KÀ: Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Saturday through Wednesday, Dark Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm LOVE: Location: Mirage, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Thursday through Monday, Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm and 9:30pm MICHAEL JACKSON ONE: Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas (USA) Performs: Two Shows Nightly - Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Schedule: 7:00pm & 9:30pm on Friday, Saturday, Monday & Tuesday 4:30pm & 7:00pm on Sunday JOYÀ: Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday, Dark: Sunday/Monday One/Two Shows Nightly: 9:00pm (Weekdays) 7:00pm & 10:15pm (Fri, Sat & Holidays) ======================================================================= OUTREACH - UPDATES FROM CIRQUE's SOCIAL WIDGETS ======================================================================= o) WEBSERIES -- Official Online Featurettes o) VIDEOS -- Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds --------------------------------------------------- WEBSERIES: Official Online Featurettes --------------------------------------------------- *) THE WORLD OF... Each week we're going to get a closer look at one of Cirque du Soleil's 19 shows that stretch from Las Vegas to Tokyo and everywhere in between! o) EPISODE 5 - THE WORLD OF... OVO {Oct.06} Rush Headlong into a New Ecosystem! OVO is teeming with life. Insects work, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy in motion. Their home is filled with biodiversity, beauty, action and moments of quiet emotion. The awestruck insects are intensely curious when a mysterious egg appears, representing the enigma and cycles of their lives. LINK /// < https://youtu.be/x-lQyDhTHDE > o) EPISODE 6 - THE WORLD OF... TOTEM {Oct.14} Head Backstage and Journey into the Evolution of Mankind - TOTEM follows the human species from original amphibian state to ultimate desire to fly. The characters evolve on a stage, evoking a giant turtle, the symbol of origin for many ancient civilizations. TOTEM explores the ties that bind Man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential. LINK /// < https://youtu.be/ZAiS9WuvkAM > o) EPISODE 7 - THE WORLD OF... SEPTIMO DIA {Oct.20} SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ blends the wonder of Cirque du Soleil with the explosive pop-rock energy of Soda Stereo – Argentina's musical icons – to immerse spectators in the band's symbolism and poetry. In a breathtaking display of Cirque du Soleil's signature artistry and physicality, SEP7IMO DIA conjures a world outside of time – a place where emotions ebb and flow like the tide, pulsing to the rhythm of the band's emblematic songs. LINK /// < https://youtu.be/K37KAkRZYmk > o) EPISODE 8 - THE WORLD OF... ZUMANITY {Oct.27} Zumanity is a seductive twist on reality, making the provocative playful and the forbidden electrifying! Leave inhibitions at the door, let loose and marvel in a sexy thrill ride full of sensational acrobatics and naughty fun. Part burlesque and part cabaret, Zumanity is one full night you'll never forget! Created for adults 18 and over. Only at New York- New York Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas. LINK /// < https://youtu.be/TGoit435dG4 > o) EPISODE 9 - THE WORLD OF... TORUK-THE FIRST FLIGHT {Nov.03} Cirque du Soleil in a stunning new light inspired by James Cameron's Avatar, Cirque du Soleil transports you to the world of Pandora in a visually stunning live setting. Experience a storytelling odyssey through a new world of imagination, discovery and possibility. LINK /// < https://youtu.be/89SKQEnvTOU > *) CIRQUE STORIES "Cirque Stories," an exclusive Cirque du Soleil YouTube series which highlights artists' journeys to the circus. Follow along with us every week as we go behind the scenes and discuss the path to become a Cirque performer. In these first episodes, discover how some of the Cirque du Soleil artists from our Las Vegas shows get there in their own unique #CirqueWay. o) EPISODE 5 - WHO IS BRIAN DEWHURST {Oct.26} Who is Brian Dewhurst? Only a legend in the Cirque Community. He is currently the oldest Cirque du Soleil Performer as the clown in Mystère. Bryan has performed in many other shows, as well has continued his family legacy with many relatives performing in Cirque as well! Listen to his wise and historical story in this week's episode of Cirque Stories. LINK /// < https://youtu.be/5JA36IhjSh0 > *) "COME TOGETHER... AGAIN" THE BEATLES LOVE GETS AN UPDATE o) EPISODE 12: THIS IS IT! {Oct.13} Hard work pays off! In this final episode, we come together to celebrate our virtues, victories, and amazing feats. A big thank you to our fans for going on this journey with us. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/415LPb > *) CARVING CRYSTAL o) EPISODE 1 {Oct.05} In honor of tonight's tour launch in Lafayette, Cirque is presenting the first episode of Carving Crystal! Watch as they take you behind-the-scenes on the journey of creating the first breakthrough ice-experience from Cirque du Soleil. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/UtySbB > o) EPISODE 2 {Oct.18} Go behind the scenes with the CRYSTAL creatives who trans- formed traditional skate park elements for this exciting, on-ice act. LINK /// < https://goo.gl/Kzb25B > o) EPISODE 3 {Oct.25} In this week's episode, see how CRYSTAL sharpened their skates to experiment on the ice and create a frozen playground full of magic. LINK ///< https://goo.gl/XRP65s > o) EPISODE 4 {Nov.02} See how CRYSTAL fuses groundbreaking circus arts with exceptional ice skating in the latest and final episode of Carving Crystal. Stay tuned for more exciting behind the scenes action coming soon! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/5wNmtM > *) MUSIC VIDEO w/LYRICS o) KURIOS - "Bella Donna Twist" {Oct.10} Melilato, melilato Melila, melila, mila, milatomi Melilato, melilato Melila, melila, mila, milatomi Melilato, melilato Melila, melila, mila milatomi Melilato, melilato Melila, melila, mila, milatomi Lara puey ra Lara puey Lara para parira pueyra Lara puey ra Lara puey Lala lara paririri [Male voice] Ladies and Gentlemen Do you want to see the dive? Ha ha ha! Say Yes! Retro ballroom Ha ha ha! Ladies and Gentlemen Do you want to see the dive? Ha ha ha! Retro ballroom Ha ha ha! Say Yes! Retro ballroom Ha ha ha! Skreich Move your body! Shake it! Shake it! Shake it! Shake it! Melilato, melso Melimelilato, melaso (scat) [Female Singer] Lara puey ra Lara puey Lara para parira pueyra Lara puey ra Lara puey Lala lara paririri Rapa para papa parea Rapa pero, tero Papa para papa para Rapa parapea Para para papa Para para papa Si ma ra ba pèropo Si ma ra ba yo Si ma ra ba pèropo Si ma ra ba pèrowo [Male voice] Ladies and Gentlemen Do you want to see the dive? Ha ha ha! Say Yes! [Female singer] Melilato, melilato Melila, melila, mila milatomi Melilato, melilato Melila, melila, mila, milatomi Melilato, melilato Ahhh Rapa para papa parea rapa parapoui apa para papa parea rapa parapoui Lara puey ra Lara puey Lara para parira pueyra Lara puey ra Lara puey Lala lara paririri LINK /// < https://youtu.be/EnhOp7v00Wc > o) TOTEM - "Omé Yo Kanoubé" {Oct.17} Omeyokanayo djeso omeyokanoube Omeyokanayo djeso omeyokanoube Omeyokanayo djeso omeyokanoube Omeyokanayo djeso omeyokanoube Omeyokanayo djeso omeyokanoube Omeyokanayo djeso omeyokanoube Omee o me yo kanoube kamekanayo djesono ka we Ome ome yo kanayo kanoube Tonge nge nge nge nge nge tonge Tonkpa a tonge kpa Tonge nge nge nge nge nge tonge Tonkpa a tonge kpa Zigi pa fe zigi pa zigi pa fe A tonge kpa Tonge nge nge nge nge nge tonge Zigi pa fe a tonge Omee o me yo kanoube kamekanayo djesono ka we Ome ome yo kanayo kanoube Omee o me yo kanoube kamekanayo djesono ka we Ome ome yo kanayo kanoube Omee o me yo kanoube kamekanayo djesono ka we Ome ome yo kanayo kanoube Ahaaaaaaaaaaaa Ahaaaaaaaaaaaa Ahhhhhhhhhh Ahaaaaaaaoh Ahaye ahaya ahaya oh Omee o me yo kanoube kamekanayo djesono ka we Ome ome yo kanayo kanoube Omee o me yo kanoube kamekanayo djesono ka we Ome ome yo kanayo kanoube Ahaaaaaaaaaaaa Ahaaaaaaaaaaaa Ahhhhhhhhhh Ahaaaaaaaoh Ahaye ahaya ahaya oh Omee o me yo kanoube kamekanayo djesono ka we Ome ome yo kanayo kanoube LINK /// < https://youtu.be/_Auj52jXBb8 > o) KÀ - "If I Could Reach Your Heart" {Oct.24} If I could talk to you, Just a few words O makunda o makunde If I could reach your heart with those simple words O makunda o makunde Maybe we could learn to trust Si koudali yet matsure unde See the best in us si koudali yet matsure If I could sing to you and make it through O makunda o makunde If I could see your soul when you smile and say O makunda o makunde Maybe we could learn to share Si koudali yet matsure unde As we dreamt one day Si koudali yet matsure Tamali yet matsura Si koudali yet matsure unde Tamali yet ma Si koudali yet masture Maybe we could learn to love Si koudali yet matsure unde As we dreamt one day Si koudali yet matsure Tamali yet matsura Si koudali yet matsure unde Tamali yet ma Si koudali yet matsure Spread the word and say Koudali o makunde LINK /// < https://youtu.be/rFVSUM2axtU > --------------------------------------------------- VIDEOS: Official Peeks & Noted Fan Finds --------------------------------------------------- *) OTHERS... o) Cirque HQ Open House Tour LINK /// < https://youtu.be/jOGexBnxp3M > o) International Artists Day! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/YTRuyh > o) Makeup Showdown - Halloween Special LINK /// < https://youtu.be/aOvALIb5RKE > o) Behind the scenes with Coach Igor Arefiev (Septimo Dia) LINK /// < https://youtu.be/qLHpFHzUsEo > o) The Automation and Machinery of Sep7imo Dia LINK /// < https://youtu.be/uGyg-s2p4LQ > o) Meet Kasper Moller - Master Gymnastics Tumbler (Septimo Dia) LINK /// < https://youtu.be/yTHk3Go3vqo > o) Can you play guitar underwater? (Septimo Dia) LINK /// < https://youtu.be/5wVX5bFSf2Q > o) Halloween Makeup Tutorials LINK /// < https://youtu.be/a8bwDKW77U4 > o) Imagine Dragions "Whatever it Takes" Music Video Imagine Dragons new music video "Whatever it Takes" took place right in our very own Cirque du Soleil "O" stage in Las Vegas! Watch Dan Reynolds and the band conquer our fully subversive stage in this brand new behind the scenes look at this music video! LINK /// < https://youtu.be/gOsM-DYAEhY > (Actual Video) LIUK /// < https://youtu.be/UADjBy9Grps > (Behind the Scenes) o) TRICKSTER Clown Makeup Step by Step LINK /// < https://youtu.be/kJrTisEMWPQ > o) Makeup Transformation: Valkryie LINK /// < https://youtu.be/ByAVdbYdkIc > o) AMALUNA: Meet the Teeterboard Boys LINK /// < https://goo.gl/SgfgDt > o) AMALUNA: Get to know the Unicycle sisters! LINK /// < https://goo.gl/Nk9rmD > o) TORUK: 5@5 w/Associate Company Manager Gabriel Montpetit LINK /// < https://goo.gl/uPghnB > o) Dive behind the scenes with the Vegas Golden Knights LINK /// < https://goo.gl/wWBdKg > o) Discover the Circus of Unity Project LINK /// < https://goo.gl/84n5uk > ======================================================================= FASCINATION! FEATURES ======================================================================= o) FANS REVIEW CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, AGAIN! - "New Fauna in the Human Zoo" by Sean Zaremba - "LUZIA Wows Chicago!" by Katherine Bull - "TORUK Down Under" by Aidan Lam - "Fabulous like a CRYSTAL" by Josh Sobiecki o) THE BOOK OF JOYÀ - BRINGING CIRQUE TO MEXICO Part 2 of 3: "Sweet, Savory, and Surreal" Edited by: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) o) "We're Off and Running - A Series of Classic Critiques" Part 7 of 16: Saltimbanco, Part 2 (1993) By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ FANS REVIEW CIRQUE DU SOLEIL! A Special Collection of Reviews by Cirque Fans ----------------------------------------------------------- "New Fauna in the Human Zoo" by Sean Zaremba ---------------------------- I recently saw Zumanity on October 13 and 15th. Reports said that the show changed about 30% in February 2015, and I think that's a fair assessment. Most of the show is still reminiscent of the original routine. Here's an outline of the show: The pre-show still consists of Li and Lu handing out strawberries and pushing their way through the audience. Jonas Woolverton from Cyr Wheel is a new character called the Casanova, who is very much like Antonio Drija's Gigolo, as he hits on the ladies. Dick and Izzy also come out. Izzy tries to find a boyfriend from the audience and her husband pulls out pink and blue dildos and starts a "sword fight" with them. The Molinier comes on stage for flare. Several of the artists come out about 10 minutes before the show starts (same time the pre- show starts) to wander through the lobby. Eventually, Eliot Douglas, Cassiopée Lapierre, Corinne Zarzour and Alan Jones Silva make their way on stage for Warnings. There is a completely new tune for the rules of the house, but the lyrics stay the same. Alan's new "bad boy" character shows as he starts to smoke a cigarette on stage and gets yelled at by the singers. Also, Cassie doesn't wear the R&B singer outfit but something quite rocker/punk. Then we have the Welcome. The gorgeous Edie comes out dressed to the nines to greet and question the audience. Marie-Anouck Margueritte and Casanova also come on stage. "As the winds blow in from the east, I summon the spirits of lust, passion and ecstasy. Allow them to arouse and awaken your deepest fantasies." The Wind act now has three spirits: Arnaud Boursain, Monteece Taylor and Ashley Galvan. The music now has a much more Arabian flare. Makeda Crayton arrives as Afrique for the second part of the act. "Do you remember your first hint of something delicious and strange, like your very first wet kiss, or like a glass of champagne? Do you remember how in one magical moment everything changed?" The classic Waterbowl act is much the same as it always was, featuring Ulziibayar Chimed, Balormaa Zorigtkhuyag and Estefania Laurino experiencing their love for the first time, surrounded by adoring Zumans. Jill Crook walks around the back of the stage in her latex dress and a bouquet of roses. This is my current favorite song for Corinne. "Innocence, so fleeting so fragile. One moment you're a sweet young thing, and the next thing you know you're smoking hot and naked in a hotel room in Vegas! Sound familiar? Now I know you've been looking at all these gorgeous, sexy women. But you know what I'm craving? I'm craving a hot, hunky, horny… Oh, I should have been more specific. What I really want is a tall, masculine man to drop in and… oh! Ask and you shall receive!" It opens like the old Hoops act, but this is Chains with Brandon Pereyda. This is a super loud and fast-paced act. I loved it. Brandon flies over the stage in every direction dangling by his feet. The song is the CD's "Into Me." "Look out, ladies, cuz here comes Magnum. He's an undercover agent and it's no secret he's on a mission. Who's gonna share that special bond, is it you? Catch him if you can! Hurry up, Magnum, before that big gadget explodes!" Rose Boy got a haircut ( :'( ). He now comes out of a porthole in the stage dressed in a scuba suit, which he strips off to reveal a formal suit, much like our beloved James Bond would do. Even the opening music sequence sounds James Bond. Changed, but he still tosses out the roses to the audience. Scotch baggies! Our first clown act features Izzy pouring Scotch (or tea rather) into sandwich baggies and having her new boyfriend from the audience tape them on. Then she sticks in a straw and drinks them down to perfect size. "So if you're interested in my tits, call 1-800- BAGGIES, I'll sell you a pair! Cuz let's face it, you are not gonna see this over at the Celine Dion show." Cyr wheel was in on the 15th. It's a great act where Jonas spins super fast around the stage, although he no longer appears as Comet. Now the Dance on TV music starts to play, but surprise, it's Elena Lev doing her hoops act! It's very reminiscent of her Alegría act though much more sensual. School Girl is at it again! Yes, we "remember you!" <3 "You know what I like? I like the illicit tingle of skin on skin, the taste of sweat, and that pungent scent of passion. How ‘bout you? Are there parts of your lover's body you've left unexplored, untasted, untouched? I guess my only question is, ‘What are you waiting for?' Sex is beautiful, isn't it? Well it is if you have a partner, or two, or three, or seven…" It opens like Hand2Hand but now's Dislocation with Araz Hamzayev. It's still just as amazing as ever before, as Araz does remarkable tricks with his body in front of the Vixens and Li and Lu. "Now it's no secret that within all of us is male and female energy. One is strong, the other even stronger. Let me and my incredible dancers entice you, to unlock and unleash your inner diva." Another new act, Perfect Jam. This one features Arnaud Boursain, Ashley Galvan, Marie-Anouck Margueritte, Brianna McKee, Kaitlyn Reese Davin, Leah Sykes-Hodgson and Monteece Taylor dancing, with Corinne, Cassie, Melle Vasquez, Geneviève Dubé and Mariko Muranaka rocking out on stage behind them (a lot like Amaluna's musician jam). This is by far the loudest act of the night. The dancing is on point. This is also my favorite song for Cassie. "If you call me, I'll be at the show tonight!" "Half way around the world, his loved one is away. It's raining and descending in his thoughts are the warmth of their love, the softness of their lips, the caress of their touch. It's late, he's restless and alone again tonight, and not knowing when they'll be together again sends his emotions flying." This act is Trapeze with Arthur Morel van Hyfte. It's been in since April and will be leaving in December (so go see it!). It's a beautiful act where Arthur takes to the skies in a dance with the heavens. In the end, he descends onto a bed where Brianna McKee waits for him. They embrace each other very roughly in what hints at an opening to very lustful sex. The music still uses the country-twang "Libera me" that Corinne sings so wonderfully. Lite is a new clown act where Izzy and Dick bring an audience member on stage to rave out with him. Edie then joins them and Izzy and Dick take off all their clothes to reveal the old Pompoms fake sex organs. :P Dima Shine's Hand-Balancing is next, with a new pole! He ascends higher and higher into the air balancing and dancing on the pole to "Mio bello, bello amore." "Are you still hiding from monsters under your bed, skeletons in your closet? Follow me to a place where rules are broken and pleasure dances with pain." First Antonio Moore, the Faun, break dances in the Expressions act. This moves into Inferno, where Wes Scarpias appears on stage with a whip, and Edie invites us to experience the Straps act. This is my absolute favorite act, so I could say quite a bit about how poetic and beautiful it is. I'll keep it short and say that it hasn't changed. Jill still is surrounded by candles and silence. Whispering in French, she asphyxiates herself with the straps in masochistic pleasure. Geneviève plays on stage behind her (and always makes me cry) until she descends with a sigh into the stage. It's gorgeous. Now we have our last Izzy and Dick clown act, Vegas Hookup. They select a man and a woman from the audience. They're taught by the Sexperts how to quickly progress to the point of sex during a date. Then a bed appears on stage where they're told to mount and ride each other. They descend into the stage and a bunch of silly string squirts up into the air simulating you-know-what. ;) The last acrobatic act of the night opens with a gorgeous piano, violin and cello medley of "Wind" and "Mio bello, bello amore." Alan appears to woo Mariko into loving him with his beautiful maneuvers on silks. Eventually the music takes a turn into the hardcore with a rave-like sequence, and Alan becomes his bad boy self again, flying roughly through the air. "You can't keep love locked up in the bedroom. Tonight, let your imagination have free reign. Let your fantasies take you to unexpected places." The classic Midnight Bath act is still in, where Monteece Taylor, Marie-Anouck Margueritte and Chaun Williams foreplay in a tub. This leads into the Lazy Susan of Sex, which is still just as hilarious as it ever was. The entire cast drifts half naked onto the stage for a gentle orgy. Edie brings a man and a woman on stage to be played with and humped. She also goes around and once again questions and jokes around the audience about their love lives. As the night comes to a close, the entire cast reunites in their best costumes for the Extravaganza. They do a few final dances and the show ends. Hand2Hand was out because of an injury Wayne Skivington sustained, but both he and Ekaterina Bazarova are back in the show now. Also, Wes Scarpias and Sebastian Castellanos will be performing 2Men starting tomorrow. Michael McNamara and Marina Tomanova will be back in Aerial Dream in January. On a few final notes, I did enjoy the show very much. I will always prefer the original routine, but the refresh is just a different side of the world that is Zumanity, and just as wonderful. As a Cirque music lover, I do miss Corinne's rock Libera me and Dance on TV, which I thought were her best songs besides Waterbowl. I also miss her old rock goddess outfit. My other complaint would be that they seem to have done away with a lot of the characterization, as well as many of the themed costumes. So many of the cast just mainly wear underwear now throughout most of the show. The acts also do not have as much of a story behind them like they did before. Other than that, it's a beautiful show. I can't wait to see it again. Lastly, a shout out to Edie to thank her once again for taking me backstage, and a thank you to the members of the cast who met with me and let me take photos with them. <3 "LUZIA Wows Chicago!" By: Katherine Bull ---------------------- I saw Luzia in Chicago on Sunday, September 2, 2017. This is my review... My expectations for Luzia were very high. I was totally disinterested when it was first announced and became even less so as details about its development emerged, but since then come to look forward to Luzia more than any new show to date. I've also known more going in than I have for any new show in my experience, which in retrospect may have been a tiny mistake. I knew the show front to back before I even saw it live, so while I knew exactly where to look and what to appreciate at every single moment, it took away a bit of the wow factor. I'm going to try not to engage quite so deeply in the future just to preserve a little more of the magic. Luzia is the most human Cirque du Soleil show I've ever seen. For once we aren't strangers in a strange world, we're visitors in a wondrous one, and it's such a refreshing take that I didn't know I needed. Luzia doesn't shy away from showing us the curtain from which artists enter and exit, it's not afraid to clear a stage of set pieces right in front of the audience, and at times it even celebrates both. The props are simple and often huge and visibly held by the artists. It has the occasional effect of a high school play, but in such an honest, welcoming way that makes you love it all the more: this world is real because they make it real for you. The rest is created by lluvia y luz, just like the music promises, and the rain curtain and sun disk are two of the most extraordinary and effective feats I've seen in a touring show. My face hurt by the end of the show because I spent every second smiling. Pre-show animation: The most involved I've ever seen! They go far beyond the usual characters milling around and messing with the audience. Hummingbirds stretch their wings and preen, musicians strum a calming melody right at the center of the stage, and dancers share a brief waltz, all in a huge field of marigolds with the sun disk dark and blinking with fireflies in the background. The show starts long before the opening and I encourage anyone seeing Luzia to take their seats at least twenty minutes in advance. It's so tender and immersive. Opening: My immediate reaction is that this is a show to be admired from every angle. Right from the get-go the stage rotates so everyone can enjoy the Running Woman's magnificent wings and the horse behind her. I didn't have Shelli Epstein as the Running Woman, and while I don't know who it was, she had a pretty different affect - she was more aloof and I think it affected the initial "welcome" into the show, but she turned up with a bigger role in Russian swings than I expected too. I love love love this opening. Hoop diving: They were having so much fun! The energy was incredible! Oddly though, we had at least three major misses and only one trick was attempted a second time. The act turned out to be a bit chaotic as a result and maybe the music doesn't support extra attempts, but the show was off to a bit of a rocky start because of it. The treadmill is such an exceptional set piece that I'm surprised we don't get to see it again after this act. Maybe it's tough to roll out again once they start getting serious with the water, but I feel like it could have been utilized more in a perfect world. Adagio: As emotional as I expected, and the control shared by this quartet is remarkable. Every toss, every trick was so smooth and so collected. All we got was confidence, emotion, and calmness. It was beautiful. The stage did feel a bit cluttered at times because there are so many other artists in the background, though the silver animals they're wearing are beautiful (especially the iguana). "Tiembla la tierra" is a work of art and I can't even really go into it because I will talk about Majo later and also because I don't have words to describe it. It's a beautiful song delivered beautifully to accompany a beautiful act. Cyr wheel/trapeze: We only had one cyr wheel artist that night, which I do feel like threw off the balance of the act a bit but I doubt I would have thought that unless I knew there were supposed to be two of them. (I hear they're training up a male replacement for the second artist, which I don't personally care for, but who knows, I'm sure it'll still be good.) The set in particular is beautiful in this act: the yellow-orange sun blazes behind sparse, spindly trees, and you really do feel like you're in a desert. The Running Woman kneels down, checks the ground, and finding it dry, calls down the rain to the wonder and delight of audience and artists alike. I can't imagine what it must be like to perform trapeze or cyr wheel while soaking wet, but you'd never think it made a difference watching them. The cyr wheel dress held its spin beautifully, and the fact that I noticed this detail at all is really something - they really thought of everything in this show. Handbalancing: I didn't expect to love this act but it was so much fun! Ugo is a wonderfully expressive actor, the seagulls lowering the equipment was an adorable touch, and the rest of the casts' involvement as extras was so camp and fun. The mirror costumes are a delight! They were exactly the kind of thing that made me skeptical of Luzia in development but they really are great. This act was a big crowd favorite. Freestyle football: Is anyone in the cast having as much fun as Abou? I honestly don't think so. His enthusiasm was so infectious. Laura had a drop and maybe this wasn't her best day, because their interactions didn't feel much like a competition or one-upsmanship. I wondered if this act might be stronger as a solo. The teammates in the background looked like they might jump in but they never really did. That said, nothing prepares you for the intensity of "Pambolero" live! It was incredible. Cierra los ojos: This scene delivers on every possible level. The way Majo's dress blooms is splendid, and I'll have to take another look at the DVD to see if the rain curtain reviews the acts we've seen and previews the ones to come because I suspect it does in subtle ways. The reminder of the key got a gasp of recognition from the audience, which I really loved. I wonder if the change in the Running Woman's participation here was a good one: she used to be lowered from the top of the tent while running, then lift away again, but now she wanders out on foot, then spins upwards with her hand in a Spanish web loop. It's beautiful, but I'm not sure it reinforces her transience as a migratory character as well as the original version did. Regardless, the curtain behind the sun disk opening up to reveal the entire cast emerging from the bright fog is beautiful and powerful. This is probably my favorite transition to intermission ever, or at least a strong contender for Quidam. The band isn't shown often, but how can you forget they're there when they're featured so wonderfully in moments like this? This scene was as great a highlight as I hoped. Poles: We're back! And suddenly we're in a jungle! And it's beautiful! I think this act might have been stronger as a purely pole dancing act rather than including Chinese poles - I know they're already there as part of the 360 swing setup, but with so much going on it was a little hard to see and appreciate the real star artist of this act. 360 swing: Adorable character moments, especially for Majo! I loved her little interaction with the organ grinder, and her enthusiasm for the act overall was just so cute. The crowd went nuts for this small interim act. Aerial straps: This was my favorite act of the night and the perfect example of this show creating so much from some little. Show me eight vines, two straps, one pool of water, and one jaguar puppet and I'll show you an act that feels mystical, voyeuristic, and intimate all at once. I slept on "Tlaloc" for far too long; it's one of the most beautiful songs in the entire show. Aerial straps has long been a good standby act for Cirque (much like cyr wheel) but this one screams stand-out rather than standby. Beautiful in every way. Juggling: Out for my show! I don't really care much about juggling, but I was excited to see how fast he could spin them. And the song is supposed to be great! I wanted to see those crocodile heads on the marimba players! Oh well, next time. Contortion: I have never seen a man that thin and that bendy in my life and I feel like I probably never will again. Every time I see a Cirque contortion act I think "okay, that's the best one I've ever seen." Alegria had calm beauty, Kooza has magic, Kurios has frenetic energy, O has grace, but Luzia's is the most extreme. I didn't even know what I was looking at at some points. It felt like a true treat to see him perform. Russian swings: Wonderful finale act. I loved the Running Woman's strong involvement and I loved the way the sun disk illuminated to punctuate every landing. It was a huge crowd pleaser and as high as the energy is, you do get the sense that the show is winding down. Day has turned to night, the sun has become a moon. This act is really unforgettable. Finale: The water finally does what the tourist wants!! He remembers he's just a visitor but can take his memories with him!! THEY'RE A FAMILY I'm so emotional. What a wonderful show. Clowns: None! A dream come true! The humor is built right into the acts and characters but none of the momentum has to slow down for traditional clowning. The tourist is definitely a clown character, but he's never once annoying or over the top. The cactuses are cute, unobtrusive, and I'd like to see practically every Cirque show take a leaf or two from Luzia's book in this respect going forward. Music: Ugh. I just. Jesus Christ. It was everything I had hoped. Majo's sincerity and passion resonate through the entire tent and you feel so present with her. Usually there's one song I don't care for in every show, but I feel like every single one of them was great in their own way. I didn't care much for the Indian Singer but now that he's gone, I love it all across the board. Sun disk: This is up there with the telepherique and sand cliff deck for best CdS set pieces for me. The way it looks like paint smears over it in adagio is the perfect example of the emotion and dynamism this piece brings to the show: it's so elegant and essential, you hardly need anything more to create a scene. And on top of that it moves! it turns! it moves upstage and downstage!! Are you kidding me?? I thought it just sat there! This thing is a work of art. Overall: I loved Luzia. My only regret is that I went in a little too informed. There was so much to love there, I wish I had been just a tad more surprised. I have no idea when it'll turn up in my home city so I'm very glad I went out of my way to see it now. Can't wait to see how things develop down the road! "TORUK Down Under" By: Aidan Lam ---------------------- So here comes my long delayed review. I can't stress enough that the criteria I am reviewing the show is based on a generic live show NOT by the typical criteria I look for in a cirque show. Toruk wasn't designed to be a conventional circus show but instead a live Avatar story. I understand why this would annoy/disappoint some people, but by going in without any expectation for cirque I enjoyed myself 10x more and so that is what I'm basing my review off. Before I start, heres a few things I noticed from my trip: This is the first cirque show to use mini GPS in the costumes that link to autospots (I assume this is also used in Crystal). I've seen footage of when the technology was first used in Disney on Ice and the lights were jagged and delayed in movement, thankfully, it has been fixed and is just as smooth as a human directed light. Also excitingly, Toruk is getting a new, modified Toruk puppet which is being integrated this month. Also, I heard from some friends that Cirque is changing direction towards another mass production period, and we can expect a burst of more portable, arena type shows in the next decade. Opening: Slightly less energetic than I was expecting. The projections were ok, but the fact that the stage was empty was very evident. 6/10 Omaticaya Clan/Hometree: This scene was so immersive and really captured the essence of an extra-terrestrial world. I am a sucker for percussion, and having the artists fly up was very exciting. The ball game they play was also thrilling to watch, yet short enough that it didn't get too repetitive. 9/10 Initiation/Cadre: Disappointing. Maybe its because I wasn't stage-side but the Mother Loom was fairly small in terms of the whole scale and none of the tricks were particularly impressive. The initiation dragged on and was a bit confusing. I get that Entu dropped the seed, but then he still received the bow and then snapped it in anger... Umm what? I thought he failed the test... 5.5/10 Shaman's Vision: Love the use of the blowing cloth over the flower. Very well conveyed artistically, but dragged on a bit much. 7/10 Aerial Strap: I love how they used the straps to show the way in which Entu interacts with the Tree of Voices, but acrobatically lacking and just a bit boring. 6/10 Tawakami Clan/Aerial Silk: I love the floral theme and the giant flower petal costume. The silks were again well used in terms of artistically conveying the stem of the flower, however again it wasn't terribly strong acrobatically. 7.5/10 Contortion/Skeleton Balancing: Highlight of the show, I love the concept of the aparatus and especially how they turn it to into something reminscent of the Toruk. Baskaa was amazing as always, but I feel her skills weren't highlighted to their potential. The porjections were very well used to make the skeleton seem like it was on a planet floating through space! 9/10 Chinese Poles: Ok act, but just leaves me wanting a decent Saltimbanco-esque chinese poles. No standout tricks, but I did like the dynamic element to the act. 6/10 Kekunan Tribe/Boomerang/Kites: Visually very beautiful, kites were manipulated very well and really did look like flying birds. Boomerang had such potential based on the trick shot video posted on here a while ago, but instead ends up more as a juggling act using boomerangs (instead of balls) which gets repetitive and lackluster. It is too insignificant on the grand scale of the stage and doesn't make an impact. 8/10 Floating Mountains/Toruk: The puppet is awesome in both scale and vibrancy, the bridge looks very precarious and I loved the use of fog to make it seem like they were suspended high up. But unfortunately a floating boulder blocked my view for a lot of this scene. 7/10 Flooding Hometree/Flooding: The projections really came to life and the interactive element of the dam wall is great, only problem is it drags on for too long. Just hurry up and tear down the wall!! Finale is beautiful and I LOVE the music. Talking about the music, hats off to the Sequencing sound tech, GSM and singer, they coordinated it really well (considering there's no band). 7.5/10 Overall: Beautiful show, but very lacking in wow moments acrobatically. I know that wasn't their foucs, but cutting some of the narrative elements and adding more circus elements will benefit the show. Plot went on a little long, but it isn't a terrible show. I enjoyed it, as an avatar show but not a circus show. 7/10 "Fabulous Like a CRYSTAL" By: Josh Sobiecki ------------------------- So, now that I have time. I will take this time to rate and review how I felt about Cirque du Soleil's Crystal. First, overall the stage was absolutely beautiful. The detail that was out into the stage was just phenomenal. I will post pictures later, but on top of the portal (as my love calls them) there is a lot town/ city. And it is so detailed you could even see the shingles in the roof. Then, the lighting and the effects of the stage were even better. It was such a beautiful piece. And the doors that they had were very well hidden for the most part. Just one was obviously visible. And the blues and pinks that used on the stage more was fabulous like a crystal would be. It was huge. Not like most of the other portals that I have seen. Second, the music. Oh so heavenly! Had the electric violin which, I feel produces an amazing sound. The few songs that they did use by other artists actually fit the story line of the show. I will admit I was worried about it at first. But, they blended them really well. And, I like the show it had its dramatic changes. Which made it even better. Not to mention the softness that was part of the closing. What was to me a more up beat and faster passed song it was gentle like the closing was. Third, the acts. Unlike most of Cirques' other shows were the banquine is at the end, they opened with it. It was amazing and dramatic. Then, came juggling which I did not like. The ice is too slippery of a surface for them to use. They should have performed on sliding platforms instead. I got distracted by the balls that they were dropping. After, was the solo trapeze with the first non-cirque song. Which the act was astonishing. Then, came the extreme skating or the pinball machine as i like to call it. The fast passed Irish music fit really well with the amazement of the skating. And the smooth transition from the icy stage floor to the synthetic ice ramps was flawless. Then, we had a 20 minute intermission. After, the intermission they opened with a weird dance as the stage was covered with these fold-able glass panels that they moved around. It was interesting. Later, they did the suspended poles which was cool. They did some unique tricks, and the non-cirque song that they used for that act was good. I found myself to focused on the act and did not pay attention to the lyrics to the actual song. The aerial straps act that they had which had the third non-cirque song was absolutely breath-taking. Halo actual mixed so fluently with the act. The duo trapeze act that they performed later was also great. Tossing the main character from the stage floor to the guy on the trapeze bar. It was beautiful. Then, there were two acts that I did not really care for. They had these three couples doing some paired skating, but it was lacking in unison and skill. They seemed to be afraid to do a lot. But those same three couples came out during the finale and did some more risky tricks. Almost as though they stored their energy until the last minute. Aside from that act was this weird skating trio that skated around and as they slide to stops you could hear the sounds of the ice scrapping in the stereo system. It was not very good. Finally, the closing of the show brought the last non-cirque song. I really liked it the tricks and stuff that they did during that performance was good. Finally to finish my review of the show. The story line. It had a seemingly similar story line as that of Quidam. It tells how Crystal has a problem with doing the simple tasks she is given as she elaborates them and brings them into her own world. And, the story begins there as she tries to escape the pressure. She goes to skate on the ice. And sees the girl she wishes she could be, but the world is trying to prevent her from being. And as she sees this girl the ice begins to break and she begins to sink, and that is when the show transforms from her actual life to seeing what is going through Crystal's head. And at the end she accepts that she has to abide by the rules of the world in order to make in through. And we switch back to real time as she fights to swim to the surface and break through the ice. It is very obvious to see parts of the story line, but some are more difficult. Overall, I have had three shows that stood out for me and have been my favorite. Number One was Kurios, La Nouba, and Varekai. But, now I have to admit this blew Varekai out of the water and below the ice as Crystal has taken the place as my third favorite Cirque Du Soleil show. Now, I just have to wait for the dvd and cd for the show. Then, I can enjoy the show more without having to travel to it. Because I do not have the money to travel all over. And, hopefully it will come back to Florida again very soon after its premiere. I will see it. Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Miami, which ever one takes it. ------------------------------------------------------------ THE BOOK OF JOYÀ - BRINGING CIRQUE TO MEXICO Part 2 of 3: "SWEET, SAVORY, AND SURREAL" Edited by: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ----------------------------------------------------------- JOYÀ is an engaging, immersive, multisensory experience in which joy, courage, and friendship conquer all, but with the show beginning its fourth season in the Riviera Maya (on Wednesday, September 27th), I realized there's very little I, here in the United States, know about this unique show. A few weeks back I sought to rectify that by getting my hands on a hardcover book Vidanta Resorts provides to its members: THE BOOK OF JOYÀ. This book, while not a tell-all, is a wonderful reference source about the production and has given me wonderful insights into not only the show itself, but the Theater, the Grounds, and the Menu! So, in celebration of JOYÀ beginning its fourth season (it'll also celebrate its third year of existence in November), I began sharing the texts found in the book - in three parts. Part One (last month): "A GEM IN THE JUNGLE" covered the development of the concept and the grounds. Part Two (this month): "SWEET, SAVORY, and SURREAL" takes a peek at the menu and the show itself. And in Part Three (next month): "Innovator Profiles" we'll meet creators and some of the cast that brought the show to life. Let's continue, shall we? ---------------------------- THE BOOK OF JOYÀ, PART TWO: "SWEET, SAVORY, AND SURREAL" ---------------------------- "The JOYÀ dinner experience should be as enjoyable – and surprising – as the show itself. It should feel like you are eating part of the show." – Alexis Bostelmann, Vidanta corporate chef. Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or the magically surreal stories of Gabriel García Márquez, things are rarely as they seem inside the Cirque du Soleil Theater – especially at the dinner table. Here, heavenly desserts hide inside giant library books. Caviar is made from fruit. Breadsticks, like bonsai trees, grow from their bowls. And it is perfectly normal for you to tip your dinner menu into salsa and take a bite. The three-course JOYÀ dinner tempts every sense with culinary wonders as spectacular as the Theater, music, and performances of JOYÀ. It is the first dining experience of any Cirque du Soleil production and another tasty step on an unforgettable journey. So, if the Cirque du Soleil Theater and its immaculate grounds are where you begin your journey into the world of JOYÀ, then the dinner experience is where you cross the threshold into the truly fantastic. The new aromas, tastes, and sights of the gourmet meal fully immerse you in the magic of the moment. JOYÀ takes you on a wild journey where you meet new characters and see things that only happen in dreams. The JOYÀ dinner takes you on another trip – this one mouthwatering – through the rich culinary history of Mexico, bite by bite. INSPIRATION WITH AUDACITY ------------------------- If you've ever vacationed at a Vidanta destination, then you've tasted the culinary gifts of Chef Alexis Bostelmann. Chef Alexis leads a team of executive chefs, sous chefs, pastry chefs, butchers, and kitchen assistants responsible for the incredible dining experiences at over 120 restaurants at the Vidanta destinations across Mexico. His training began in his parents' kitchen in Mexico City. He then traveled the world, cooking for celebrities and heads of state, then returned home to Mexico and Vidanta, where his menu and presentations for the JOYÀ dinner have garnered accolades from food critics and audiences alike. To create the unforgettable dinner loved by so many, Chef Alexis explored traditional and modern cooking techniques and found inspiration in the geography of Mexico, the culinary heritage of the Yucatan, and the story of JOYÀ. When asked about his goal for the JOYÀ dinner experience, his answer is simple, "I want to surprise the audience." Vidanta Corporate Chef Alexis Bostelmann and his team combine traditional Mexican flavors with modern cooking methods to create the exquisite dishes on the Joya dinner menu. The flavors of the Maya dance on the palate with herbs like Chaya and epazote, xcatic and habanero peppers, annatto, pumpkin seeds, mole-inspired sauces, and bright citrus. Special culinary styles open up a whole new world of taste and texture for dinner guests – liquid nitrogen is used to make the Dragon Breath, and molecular techniques are used to create melon caviar and other edible oddities. Chef Alexis and Cirque du Soleil wanted to create the feeling that the dinner was an extension of the show – Mexican artists created the plates and food presentation elements to match the JOYÀ set. But like the JOYÀ show, the dinner menu is in constant transformation. So, the dishes you enjoyed once before will be different when you return. But they will always be delicious. A MOST MAGICAL MEAL ------------------- THE PLANNING – The JOYÀ dinner had to be as unexpected and memorable as the performances themselves, and it had to be delicious. This was, after all, Cirque du Soleil's first production to include food. Vidanta's Corporate Chef, Alexis Bostelmann, worked closely with executives from Vidanta and Cirque du Soleil for over a year before the show opened to create the menu and to design a kitchen that could support such an incredible culinary experience. After experimenting with hundreds of dishes and presentations, the menu was set. But executing the JOYÀ dinner would prove to be the greatest challenge Chef Alexis and his team at Vidanta had ever faced. THE SERVICE - Each night, the three-course JOYÀ dinner is served to almost 60 guests (twice if there are two show times) in less than 45 minutes, with full wait service before and during the show. To efficiently and safely serve food and drinks among actors and acrobats who often perform in the aisles and on top of tables, the dinner staff routinely rehearses with the cast and crew. "This took an incredible team because what is normally possible in a standard restaurant isn't as easy to do from the belly of a strangely shaped theater," Chef Alexis notes, "so timing is everything." THE TIMETLINE – A dedicated team of nearly 100 chefs, waiters, bussers, and bartenders work throughout the day to prepare for the JOYÀ dinner service. o) 7:00am – The tapas prep cooks arrive and prepare 1,200 tapas servings o) 9:00am – At the Vidanta resort kitchen, breads are baked, desserts made, and meat trimmed. Chefs and cooks arrive and start preparation for dinner, sear and braise meat, prepare dehydrated veggies, and begin slow-cooked items. o) 12:00pm – All the staff arrives at the theater and stars preparation of fruits and vegetables. o) 1:00pm – Breads, deserts, supplies, and the staff meal are transported to the Theater from the Vidanta kitchen o) 2:00pm – Staff enjoys lunch o) 4:00pm – Appetizer plating begins. o) 4:30pm – Waiters set up tables with glasses and flatware o) 5:00pm – All food preparation is complete o) 6:00pm – Plating of tapas and the dessert book o) 7:00pm – Bread basket set up o) 7:30pm – Entrée plating begins o) 7:45pm – Theater doors open for VIP guests. o) 7:50pm - Appetizer and tapas served; Dragon Breath given to guests. o) 8:00pm – Waiters take entrée orders o) 8:20pm – Entrée served o) 8:30pm – Dessert served o) 9:30pm – Tables cleared and kitchen cleaned o) 11:00pm to 7:00am – Deep cleaning of kitchen MENU HIGHLIGHTS --------------- MERCIER CHAMPAGNE – When one takes an extraordinary journey to magical worlds, one must stay hydrated. Because experiencing JOYÀ is an event worth celebrating, champagne was the beverage of choice. After a number of tastings, the Vidanta team felt that Moet & Chandon's Mercier Brut Champagne was the only bubbly worthy of the JOYÀ experience. It has a soft sweetness, delicate bubbles, and a clean finish. This variety of Mercier Brut can only be found in France and at the Cirque du Soleil Theater at Vidanta Riviera Maya. DRAGON BREATH – Another playful surprise waiting for JOYÀ dinner guests is Dragon Breath, an amuse-bouche made tableside with freeze- dried tropical fruits quickly dipped in liquid nitrogen. As you eat it, your breath condenses and steam billows from your nose like a dragon. This is a bite to remember! THE BOOK OF DESSERTS – The passing of knowledge is one of JOYÀ's central themes, and the classic symbol of knowledge, the book, is seen many times throughout the show and set. And in dessert. One of the more memorable moments for dinner guests is when they receive their dessert box. Uniquely crafted for JOYÀ, the dessert boxes are large books that open to reveal a quartet of delectable desserts. The JOYÀ gastronomic experience sets the stage, as it were, for diners to experience the performance collectively in the spirit of the Mayan greeting "In Lak'ech Ala K'in" (which means "I am you and you are me"), which speaks of unity and oneness. A PLACE WHERE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE ---------------------------------- "JOYÀ is a unique Cirque du Soleil experience. The theater, the dinner, and the show all contribute to a complete evening. It's a fantastic privilege for guests to be so up-close to the performers and to be totally immersed in a dream world where all your senses are involved." – Joel Bergeron, Director of JOYÀ. Welcome to a place where anything is possible. Here, up is down. Left is right. Backwards is forwards, and the past is really the future. Our guides on this whimsical journey are sweet JOYÀ and her zany grandfather, Zelig. They'll take us on a whirlwind of adventures through time and space where we'll meet peculiar creatures with superhuman powers. They will do things that bend the mind and baffle the eyes. We'll battle pirate ships, cannon fire, and dinosaurs. Rockets will shoot across the stage. We'll swim under sea and breathe just fine. In this magical new world, statues come to life, giant flowers grow in seconds, and paper butterflies fall like soft rain. And you have a very important part to play. Welcome to JOYÀ. But what is JOYÀ? Is it theater? A circus? A musical? Comedy or drama? History or science fiction? Maybe fantasy? The beauty of JOYÀ by Cirque du Soleil is that it is all of those things and much more. It is a mind-bending, genre-blending show that has truly created a new category of immersive entertainment. JOYÀ invites you to leave this world for a while, forget what you know, and trust your imagination. We are guests at a Parisian art deco theater in 1920. Then we're aboard a traveling spaceship. Next we are inside a giant machine, the belly of a robot. Maybe we're all just small creatures in an ancient, giant library. The performance happens in front of you, behind you, and sometimes right under your nose – characters emerge from every nook and cranny in the theater. It is a show full of incredible energy, endless surprises, and stunning physical and mental feats. JOYÀ combines all of the artistic and technical disciplines – acting, music, sound, lighting, special effects, makeup, costumes, sets, props, and storytelling – to stimulate every sense and fully immerse you in a magical world. Take your seat. You're in for a wild ride. ALLUSIONS AND SYMBOLS --------------------- Our story begins in the whimsical workshop / laboratory / library of Mr. Zelig, an endearing old alchemist who performs mad experiments to find the meaning of life, helped by his band of half-animal, half- human assistants. Joya, his granddaughter, pays Zelig a visit and accidentally leads them on a wild journey through the magical mangroves. Along the way, they encounter strange characters who do amazing things. Throughout their zany and mysterious journey, Zelig passes generations of knowledge to JOYÀ, teaching her important lessons about nature, the universe, and herself. The story of JOYÀ is a story of love – love for family and friends, love for learning, and love for life. The story of JOYÀ is about Mexico in many ways, drawing inspiration from Mexico's complex history, diverse cultures, and the beauty of its art, architecture, and environment. THE BUTTERFLY – Seen throughout the show, the butterfly is the classic symbol of transformation, beginning life as a caterpillar, retreating to its cocoon, and emerging as a magnificent winged creature. Joya, the character, is our butterfly who transforms from a clumsy teenager into an enlightened hero. The monarch butterfly is also famous around the world for its spectacular 2,500-mile migration from Canada (the home of Cirque du Soleil) to Mexico (the home of Vidanta), where it spends the winter. A perfect symbol of JOYÀ's two parents. BOOKS – Symbols of knowledge, books are everywhere in JOYÀ – a book is the main prop in the show that gets passed between characters; large volumes tower behind the stage; and desserts are even served inside books. The set itself was inspired by the UNAM library in Mexico City, the largest library in Latin America and one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. Even the costumes of the pirates are made from hundreds of pages torn from books. METEORS – The meteor that makes a dramatic appearance in the show refers to the Chicxulub crater buried beneath the Yucatan Peninsula where JOYÀ takes place. The crater is the result of a meteor that hit Mexico millions of years ago, triggering a mass extinction of the dinosaurs (we meet two dinosaurs in the show). The meteor is a visitor from another world, like many of the show's characters, and symbolizes the end of one era and the beginning of something new. There are many other hidden symbols in JOYÀ. You'll see references to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, allusions to the stories of Octavio Paz and Carlos Fuentes, and hits at the work of Guillermo del Toro. We can't divulge too many secrets here. You'll have to see the show – more than once – to find them all. THE MANY MUSICAL JOURNIES OF JOYÀ --------------------------------- A singer with a soaring voice like a celestial being from another time. A trumpeter whose sweet, sublime sounds come from everywhere – the stage, the aisles, and the catwalks. A percussionist who plays mischievous beats. A guitarist who blends the sounds of rock, samba, and merengue. These are the artists who make the stunning music of JOYÀ – a whimsical score for a wild night. The music of JOYÀ is your incredible guide through a strange new world, zigging and sagging alongside JOYÀ and her grandfather on their magical journey. In true Cirque du Soleil fashion, the music and the artists who create it are main characters in the show. Their unforgettable melodies bring all the elements together to create the mind-blowing spectacle that is JOYÀ. And also in true Cirque du Soleil fashion, there are surprises everywhere. What guests don't realize is that there are really four parts to the musical experience of JOYÀ: THE WELCOME PARTY – The music starts when you arrive. The sounds of different Cirque du Soleil shows play throughout the grounds, filling the air with excitement and whimsy, reminding you that this is a place of magic and of fun – you are in Cirque du Soleil's world now and anything is possible. THE VIP SHOW – Guests who choose the VIP dinner experience are treated to a spirited performance by Arpason, a lively trio of musicians from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. As you dine on exquisite dishes and drink delicate champagne, the festive sounds of rumba, cha-cha-cha, samba, and merengue fill the electric air. The musicians all sing, snap, and clap along to well-known beats, play the harp, violin, and drums – and even do a little tap dancing to liven the mood. Sometimes, guests get a lucky visit from the JOYÀ vocalist or trumpeter who join the band. It's a bustling treat to an incredible evening. THE MAIN EVENT – When the house lights dim, ethereal music welcomes you to the main attraction. Angelic vocals and regal trumpets announce your arrival to Zelig's Naturalium. The beat quickens, and the amazing trip begins. Live music is always a part of Cirque du Soleil's performances – the music is just as important as the acts themselves. The musicians of the JOYÀ ensembles merge musicals styles from around the world to create a beautiful and balanced score that sets the mood and supports the actors and acrobats. You'll hear traditional Mexican melodies, Caribbean drums, improvisational jazz, rhythms, merengue, rumba, samba, and rock all in one show. The music guides you through all the emotions of the story – drama and deceit, comedy and the absurd, elation and inspiration. Some songs are fast-paced and full of action, some zany and unpredictable, and others delicate and introspective. Each one takes you to a different dimension of the JOYÀ universe – deep under the sea, through the Mayan jungle, and even into the afterlife. The final song leaves you energized and inspired with a modern rock anthem backed by powerful vocals that linger playfully in your head as you leave the theater – still in awe of what you have seen and tasted. THE AFTER PARTY – As you leave the theater, humming the JOYÀ songs and wondering what you just experienced, you'll hear it from far away – the kitschy catchy sound of The Red Shoes. At Nektar, the all-female group from Cancun performers covers of your favorite pop songs in their signature quirky style to keep the experience going. And yes, they do wear red shoes: red velvet heels, to be precise. And finally, as you leave the JOYÀ grounds, the musical experience comes to a close. But not to fear! With your newly purchased JOYÀ soundtrack (wink, wink), you can relive the experience over and over again, whenever you need to add a little magic to your everyday life. * * * JOYÀ BY THE NUMBERS ------------------- o) 10,000 – the number of beads and jewels in the masks worn by Zelig's Masters. o) 33 – full time performers. o) 35 – full-time theater technicians o) 15 – months it took to prepare for JOYÀ o) 6 – months it took to build the set. o) 6 - costume designers who take care of the actors' wardrobe o) 6 - Zelig has six half-human, half-animal assistants: the Master of Time (the rabbit), Master Physicist (the iguana), Master Botanist (the cat), Master Archivist (the bird), Master Alchemist (the ram), and the Master Entomologist (the lemur). o) 4 – times each performer rehearses his/her routine each week. Being part of Cirque du Soleil show is often considered the pinnacle of success for performers – only the world's top talents are asked to join the renowned organization. For JOYÀ, Cirque du Soleil assembled a team of acrobats, aerialists, actors, jugglers, dancers, and magicians from all over the world, including Mongolia, Ukraine, France, England, Japan, Canada, USA, and Mexico. Cast members follow a strict training schedule, exercising every day and often practicing their full routines four times each week to maintain the excellence and stamina required for the rigorous JOYÀ schedule. Next time we'll hear from some of the cast and creators of JOYÀ in THE BOOK OF JOYÀ, PART THREE: "INOVATOR PROFILES". ------------------------------------------------------------ "We're Off and Running - A Series of Classic Critiques" Part 7 of 16: Saltimbanco, Part 2 (1993) By: Ricky Russo - Atlanta, Georgia (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ A few weeks ago, as I was flipping through a few classic Cirque du Soleil programme books (as is my wont), I was happily caught off-guard by a brief history of the company that it had written about itself in Saltimbanco's original European Tour programme, published sometime in 1996. Not because the historia was in English, French, and Spanish, but rather I found the wording a bit more colorful… haughty… than what you'd find from the company today. Something about its whimsical and heady nature spoke to the way Cirque du Soleil saw itself then, containing a youthful verve and arrogance that is simply no longer present. When did Cirque lose this dynamic sense of self, this liveliness, and vivacity about its past, present, and future? Unfortunately, not long after. Thereafter the speak becomes less joie de vivre and more lié aux affaires, and Cirque du Soleil turns from a rag-tag band of street performers into a bona fide corporate entity right before our very eyes. This is not a new revelation – far from it in fact – but this re-discovery struck a chord of curiosity within… How did others see Cirque du Soleil during this period? Think about it: as Cirque's multitude of shows travel around the globe in either arenas or under the big top, at each stop, in each city, there is a write-up in the local press. Sometimes the coverage is just a brief blurb about the show and its theme, occasionally there's a short interview with a performer, a stage hand, or creation director, and other times it's an assessment of the show itself, evaluating its technical and acrobatic merits with what had come through before. But the reviews we see today are too current, discussing these shows through a contemporary lens; shows that have/had 15 to 20 years touring the globe, shows we would refer to as "classic" or "signature". What I'd become interested in knowing was what some of the first reviews, peeks, and evaluations of these shows were as they took their first steps across North America. How did the press see Le Cirque du Soleil in 1998, 1994, 1990, 1987? It was time to peck through the archives. What I found was extraordinary, and more than I expected. And I'm sharing these discoveries here in Fascination through a series of collections, beginning with the 1987 tournée of Le Cirque du Soleil (better known today as Le Cirque Réinventé), and continuing on from there. This month we continue on with 1993's reviews of Saltimbanco. # # # THE LIONS ARE ONLY HUMANS By: Mel Gussow | New York Times April 5, 1993 As a Big Top performance event, the Cirque du Soleil operates in a sphere where myth meets magic. In keeping with the Italian name of its new show, the Cirque takes a Fellini esque turn. "Saltimbanco" is closer to "Satyricon" than to "Juliet of the Spirits," with an eerie, erotic edge that makes it an entertainment more suitable for adults than for the youngest children. In contrast to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey extravaganza, this French Canadian troupe is like a European circus: one ring filled with singular acts. The difference is in the Cirque's high-powered style, an unearthly mixture of commedia dell'arte and rock-concert razzle. "Saltimbanco" is less innocent than the company's two previous shows in its tent in Battery Park City. But the framework remains free-form, one act flowing into another without introductory fanfare. At times the show is breathtaking, as in the elasticized aerialism of Claude Lergenmuller, whose team of trapezists bounces through the sky like a quartet of balletic bungee jumpers. Down to earth but no less phenomenal are the Tchelnokovs, a family of unusually compatible contortionists (at the center is a 7-year-old boy with an apparently boneless body). Twisting themselves into unimaginable positions, they are as supple as serpents. The animal imagery evoked by the Tchelnokovs is characteristic of the company. There are no performing animals, just a ringful of human equivalents. Anyone who has watched a cat leap from floor to cupboard should recognize the catapultic wizardry of those who perform the routine entitled "Russian Swing." Then there is the Chinese pole act, with acrobats shinnying up and down bars and slithering from one bar to another like a forest of monkeys. Circumnavigating the aerialists and equilibrists is an army of extras, cheetering crawlers identified in the souvenir program as worms (a questionable credit for a circus resume). Because of the garish, Martian-style costumes, there is an androgynous element to the ensemble, but there is no mistaking the gender of the Steben sisters and the Lorador brothers. The Stebens are a striking, mirror-image pair of trapeze artists who perform with the symbiosis of Siamese twins. The Loradors are the strongest of strongmen, Terminator 1 and 2, lifting each other as if they were 10-pound weights. Put the Stebens and the Loradors together on a high wire and one could only imagine what athletic and sensual intricacies might result. The oddest of the acts is the Boleadoras duo, bolo-swinging flamenco dancers who stop one stomp short of an Amazonian martial art. Personally, I prefer the juggler, Miguel Herrera, who keeps so many (seven) lively balls flying in circles around him as to make him the envy of the Mets pitching staff. In its last show here, the Cirque featured the clown David Shiner, who is currently delighting theatergoers on Broadway with Bill Irwin in "Fool Moon." His replacement is Rene Bazinet, who shares with his predecessor a total lack of inhibition in accosting members of the audience and drawing them into his act. By himself in the ring, Mr. Bazinet is a skillful mime and sound-effects producer. He is just not very funny, least of all in a scatalogical routine that deals with a plumbing malfunction. In tandem with an audience volunteer, however, he wins laughs, and at a recent performance, so did the volunteer. The clown takes a willing accomplice on a journey through the jungle, where they encounter unseen threatening species. Sounds and zounds occur on cue, and the adventurers battle back with imaginary arrows and spears. Mr. Bazinet's childlike air in this sequence is a relief from the freneticism that surrounds him and the insistency of the electrified musical background. None of this should distract the audience from the virtuosity of the individual performers, who bring a new dimension to circus arts. * * * * * * WHEN CIRCUS WALKS A TIGHTROPE INTO THEATER By: Frank Scheck | Christian Science Monitor April 19, 1993 It is by now no secret that Canada's Cirque du Soleil is not a conventional circus. Rather, it uses circus acts, and top-flight ones at that, and blends them in a swirling melange of movement, sound, and music to create a seamless theatrical experience. And it is one of the most thrilling theatrical experiences to be found today. There are no animals in this intimately scaled one-ring circus, and its sophisticated nature is not particularly geared to children. The current production, called "Saltimbanco," is the third one to tour North America. Like repeated viewings of a movie, the more you see Cirque du Soleil, the more you will become aware of the technique that lies behind the magic. But knowledge of this technique in no way diminishes your enjoyment. The evening begins like most circuses, with controlled mayhem in the crowd as clowns run wild and kidnap members of the audience. Soon, however, the performance begins, and you are transported to a stylized world that resembles a Hieronymus Bosch painting, infused with a sensibility a la film director David Lynch. The atmosphere is moody and mysterious, reinforced by the opening act, "Contortion Acrobatics," performed by the Tchelnokov family: a father, mother, and young son who intertwine their bodies in unimaginable ways. Other highlights include: "Chinese Poles," which utilizes no less than 15 performers on four poles, and includes such feats as climbing them upside down; "Double Tightrope," which begins with Jingmin Wang walking up an almost-vertical rope and continues with her doing back flips from one rope to another; and "Russian Swing," which propels a team of acrobats so that they seem to be literally flying through the air. There is a decidedly sexual tone to some of the acts that evokes an eery, decadent atmosphere. These include the twin female trapeze duo of Karyne and Sarah Streben; the balancing act of the Lorador Brothers; and the "Boleadoras," who combine bolo swinging and flamenco dancing to hypnotic effect. Simpler, more conventional acts, such as juggler Miguel Herrara - who performs wonders with plain white balls - are no less stunning to watch. In this edition the principal clown is Rene Bazinet, who is less sophisticated in audience manipulation than David Shiner (who graduated from a previous version of Cirque du Soleil to a starring turn in the current Broadway attraction "Fool Moon"). Bazinet began with tiresome routines in which he simulated the loss of bodily functions and played imaginary catch with audience members, but with the help of a particularly eager recruit he fashioned an entertaining mime routine involving a walk through a danger-filled forest. Between acts there is a constant swirling of sound and movement. The sets, costumes, sound design, elaborate choreography, and musical score all combine to transport you to another world, a world where the human body is seemingly not confined by natural law. * * * * * * CIRQUE ACTS WAY OUT OF THIS WORLD By: Richard Christiansen | Chicago Tribune July 29, 1993 Though they bear the names of ordinary mortals, the extraordinary artists of Cirque du Soleil do indeed seem to come to us from another, far more exotic planet. Their world is the interior of their giant yellow and blue tent, now stationed on the lakefront at Cityfront Center, and their environment is one of supraheightened sensation, in which music, color, movement and old-fashioned daredevilry come together in enticing new patterns. For almost three hours in "Saltimbanco," the Cirque's latest production, these extraordinary creatures allow us into that world, as they sing, dance, clown and defy gravity. Part old-fashioned showmanship and part New Wave razzle-dazzle, this remarkable show spans centuries of circus performance. The brightly hued costumes and striking makeup hark back to the 17th Century Italian street players from which "Saltimbanco" gets its name; at the same time, the uniquely colored clothes speak of a daring new era of young and inventive talents. Many of the acts that "Saltimbanco" presents would be perfectly at home in any other circus, in Las Vegas or on the old Ed Sullivan show. But none of these other places would ever present these performers as part of such a brilliantly designed ensemble, showcased in a vibrant theatrical experience through the combined effects of choreography, electronic music and technical splash. The result is not just an incredible juggler (Miguel Herrera) or a rubber-limbed Russian family of graceful contortionists (father Nikolai Tchelnokov, mother Galina Karableva and their 7-year-old son, Anton Tchelnokov) or a breathtaking trapeze turn by teenage twins (Karyne and Sarah Steven). In Cirque du Soleil, these acts, thrilling in themselves, are transported beyond themselves into a state of enchantment through the ingenious, sometimes downright eerie stagecraft that the Cirque creators bring to bear in putting together their world. No individual act defines the Cirque mystique better than its closing spectacle, an aerial act in which elastic cords attached to their bodies allow the four performers the chance to dive from their high perches, bounce magically through the air and then spring back to their trapeze bars in coordinated splendor. Some of the magic unfortunately is dissipated in the program's first half with the clunky clowning of Gordon White, whose reliance on sound effects of bodily functions is far below the rest of "Saltimbanco's" sophistication. (He somewhat redeemed himself in the second half of Wednesday's opening night, when he plucked a volunteer from the audience to create an amusing comic ballet.) The rest of the program, however, is marvelous. It includes the ethereal Sun Hongli, who bounces from tightrope to tightrope with the greatest of ease, and a team of 15 acrobats who one by one propel themselves from a swing, sail into the upper reaches of the tent and then come tumbling down to a feathery landing in a whirl of somersaults and splits. * * * * * * A CIRCUS WITH AN ATTIUDE By: Richard Christiansen | Baltimore Sun October 10, 1993 Perhaps the most amazing aspect in the amazing growth of Cirque du Soleil is that it began less than a decade ago as the brainchild of a group of long-haired street performers, stilt-walkers and fire-eaters who had the crazy idea that they wanted to start a circus of their own. Today, these graying, balding but still youngish entrepreneurs have become proprietors of a Montreal-based operation that is spreading its engagements, and its influence, on a global scale. The highest profile in this enlarging empire belongs, of course, to the newest edition of the Cirque productions. There is, for example, "Saltimbanco," the fifth and latest presentation, which premieres in McLean, Va., at Tysons II Thursday. But that's just the tip of the Cirque juggernaut. Elements of Cirque productions were incorporated into the venerable Circus Knie in Switzerland last year; and "Nouvelle Experience," the Cirque edition that played Washington two years ago, went to Japan in 1992 in a tour that sparked interest in creating a permanent relationship there. Quick to pick up on the tie-in possibilities present in Cirque's scenic and costume displays, the producers also are marketing T- shirts, sweat shirts, posters, balloons, dolls, umbrellas, tote bags, coffee mugs, watches, baseball caps, key chains, lapel pins, children's pajamas, jigsaw puzzles and boxer shorts -- available on the site or by mail order. Little wonder that in addition to such artistic prizes as a 1993 Obie Award honoring outstanding achievement in off-Broadway or off-off- Broadway work in New York, the Cirque won the 1992 "business of the year" category for small and medium businesses, in a competition organized annually by the Chamber of Commerce of the province of Quebec, Canada. "We're not trying to do the [producer Cameron] Mackintosh trip," keeping a big show running indefinitely in dozens of productions around the globe," says Gilles Ste-Croix, the Cirque's veteran directeur de la creation. "Our success rests on fragile things; the maximum run for any of our shows is four years, which gives the artists a certain job security but doesn't keep them tied up forever. We try to treat our people well, but it's very hard to keep a show alive and challenging and not let down the quality over a long period," he said. The maximum first-run tour for a Cirque production is now two years, beginning in Montreal, its hometown, and then touring to large cities in the United States and Canada for the rest of the run. While one show is making the grand tour, another show is being developed in workshops and think tanks at home. By the time "Saltimbanco" ends its travels this year, for instance, the new Cirque edition will be in preparation to premiere in April 1994, in Montreal. And once the initial two-year tour is over, there is now a possibility for further travel abroad. The title chosen for this fifth production of Cirque du Soleil, "Saltimbanco," derives from a 16th-century Italian word meaning skilled street performers and acrobats. The general theme for the show, however, is described as "urbanity," or as Mr. Ste-Croix explains it, the evolution of man from a naked, newborn creature into a social being who lives and works in a complex urban environment. In describing one aspect of the show, the program says: "In 'Saltimbanco,' the characters, like all human beings, are born nude. These are the Worms, at the very base of society. All similar in appearance, yet different one from the other, they must, with time, adapt themselves to their environment. Thus, as the show goes on, they embody various types of social characters, hoping to one day accede to the rank of Baroque, a cast of visionaries. The Baroques constitute the most important family of 'Saltimbanco.' Armed with a deeply perceptive vision of the world and sleeping under bridges, the Baroques, throughout the fable, reveal the countless contradictions of our civilization when imagination has not yet taken power." Customers worried that all this might be too intellectual or rarefied should relax. The tickets, reflecting the show's Broadway-grade production values, are more expensive than those for most circuses ($13 to $35.50 for adults, and $6 to $23.50 for children); but such traditional circus delicacies as popcorn and soft drinks are always on sale, and, more important, "Saltimbanco" carries a full load of thrilling and graceful circus specialty acts peopled with top-notch jugglers, acrobats, aerialists, contortionists and clowns. But, in the Cirque style, these are circus acts done with a difference, with a definite attitude. The trapeze act this year, for example, employs the elastic straps of bungee jumping to create a unique aerial ballet. And the tightrope performance is given more excitement by having the tightrope walker hop from one tightrope to another. Each of the circus artists, in addition to performing his or her specialty, is given a personality that will fit within the structure of the show's environment; and all the players, whether developed by the Cirque staff or imported from other arenas, must be able to act and dance and (new this year) sing as part of their duties within the integrated production. Over the last nine years, the Cirque team has developed into a solid core of creative talent. In addition to Mr. Ste-Croix and founder- creator Guy Laliberte, the team includes director Franco Dragone, costumer Dominique Lemieux, scenic designer Michel Crete, composer Rene Dupere, choreographer Debra Brown and lighting designer Luc Lafortune. This season, according to Mr. Ste-Croix, the total effect of "Saltimbanco" may be "a little more aggressive, daring, more hard- edged" than in past shows. The singing, which the producers felt could finally be tackled by the performers, adds a fresh, operatic touch that fits the already established image of balletic grace in the proceedings. Yet, even with this addition, "Saltimbanco" remains anchored in the tradition of Cirque du Soleil performance. It is like nothing else in the circus world. "Through the last few years," Mr. Ste-Croix says, "we have been able to build up a good team. We function well. We understand each other. We know where we want to go. Our work is continuing, constant; it grows and develops. It's like a painter. You have to look at all of his pictures to see the complete range of his work, but they all clearly come from the same artist." * * * * * * BODY SOLEIL By Megan Rosenfeld | The Washington Post October 31, 1993 Warren Conway, the acrobats' coach for the Cirque du Soleil, recalls asking one of his charges how he was taking the excruciating bruises and bangs that are commonly inflicted during the Chinese Poles act. Not to worry, answered gymnast Jean-Paul Boun. The previous night he had hardened himself by beating his legs with a stick for 20 minutes. "They build up a tolerance of pain," says Conway, 29. Boun also performed while he had a scab on his leg that was ripped off during each evening's exertions, leaving a meaty sore under his latex body suit. The Canadian Cirque du Soleil is a different kind of circus -- "the circus of the future, if there is going to be one," says acrobat Alain Gauthier. There are no animals, there is a unifying theme that is manifested in all the design elements, there is weird music that does not include drum rolls, there is only one ring. But even a fantasy- flavored, whimsical concoction like the Cirque has at its core highly trained human specimens, whose leaps and hangs and plunges require bodies so muscled that at times you think they must exercise even their eyebrows. Each daily workout routine is individually tailored, be it a 10-minute warm-up for Chinese Pole expert Huang Zhen or an hour and a half in the gym for strongmen Marco and Paulo Lorador. The hardest physical work, Conway says, was done when the show -- "Saltimbanco" -- was being put together. Designing and learning the routines took 14 hours a day for nine months. For the 18 months spent on the road, the challenges are maintaining precision and avoiding injuries and boredom. To this end, Conway conducts thrice-weekly rehearsals in addition to the nine performances, makes occasional changes to liven things up, and checks out each acrobat's pre-show warm-up. "Ten minutes is exactly what Huang Zhen needs," says Conway. "But another guy was having serious back problems, and then I discovered he was not doing any warm-up at all. I spent three weeks teaching him one and now he has no more problems." The oldest acrobat, Russian Oleg Kantenirov, 42, warms up with a punching bag and karate exercises. Conway has 17 generalists under his direction, the youngest 14. Success as an acrobat, he says, is a matter of training, gene-given physique, psychology and luck. "There are two types of strength," he explains, "absolute and relative. Absolute is lifting a barbell over your head. Relative is strength in relation to your body weight. That is what we need. So instead of the regular push-up, our training would be a push up from a handstand." The ideal physique is "the shape of a Vick's cough drop," no taller than 5 feet 9 inches, short-legged with upper body strength and the center of gravity closer to the head than the hips. Conway calls them "mesomorphs," the kind of people who in the wrong environment could turn into fatsos. You would think that defying gravity by being catapulted from a swing and landing on a bar being held by two men who are standing on the shoulders of two other men -- as in the Russian Swing act -- would require some special sort of muscles, but apparently it is more a question of physics than strength. "The trajectory is key," explains Conway. He started flier Neomi Tamilio, 21, at a 45-degree angle, but found that with the velocity of the swing she could end up in the second row instead of on the bar. So the angle now is closer to 50 degrees, but much depends on the push she gets on the swing (which looks like a large replica of a wooden glider), the weight of the guys at either end of the swing, and the way she holds her arms while she zooms. And this can get boring? The Portuguese-born Lorador brothers -- Paulo, 27, and Marco, 26 -- started their workout about 17 years ago. Their father, Alexis, after whom their act is named, trained them to be the equilibrists that he and his four brothers were in the circus first owned by their father. No amount of barbell lifting can replace the trust and familiarity born of a lifetime of brotherhood. But they work out nonetheless, quickly locating the nearest agreeable gym in every town they visit. Paulo lifts Marco; they weigh and lift about 20 pounds apart. If Marco gains weight, Paulo gains weight. If Marco is lifting 45 pounds, Paulo is lifting 65 and up to 80. "He goes to the gym more than I do," admits Marco, who is still recuperating from arthroscopic surgery for a damaged rotator cuff this summer. Marco used to smoke, as well, and "eats more like a junkie." (He means junk food.) Paulo is careful about his food and consumes about 15 multivitamins every morning. He keeps a close eye on his younger brother and makes sure he gets into every picture. After all, if Marco can't work, Paulo can't work. At a gym at Seven Corners, Paulo starts with a 70-pound barbell and Marco with 45. They lift them 10 times and pause. Ten more lifts, and then on to the deltoids workout, 75 pounds for Marco and 95 for Paulo. Marco winces in pain. He stops, not wanting to overdo his healing shoulder muscles. Paulo lists their weekly regimen: "Today is shoulder day. Tomorrow is chest and triceps. Then back and biceps. And day four is legs." They don't work out on the three days that they have two shows. At a recent performance Paulo had a hard time with some parts of the act and appeared to some audience members to have injured a hamstring. But according to a circus spokeswoman it was nothing serious. Alain Gauthier, 32, has been an acrobat with the Cirque off and on since 1986. He started studying gymnastics at 11 and moved into trampolining at 15. He has major parts in the opening (he's the one who tells the audience not to take flash pictures), the Chinese Poles and the Russian Swing acts -- but the only way you might recognize him is if you look for the yellow hat and short burgundy-colored jacket he wears, along with a big nose and fake bald head, most of the time. Gauthier stays in peak condition by practicing a trapeze act that he and Marie-Eve Dumais are putting together with an eye to the future. She was in the company until having their son, Guillaume, who is 2, and now she works in the costume shop. They practice the act for an hour and a half a day. That, combined with working onstage for about an hour every night, is enough exercise, plus the three rehearsals each week. "Your body becomes very specific," he says. "If I tried to do weight lifting, I'd be sore as hell. I probably could not run a marathon. Well, I could, but it would take me six hours. But I am in shape for what I have to do professionally." He has tough calluses on his hands, and rolls up a sleeve to reveal a forearm so muscled it looks like the bulb end of a butternut squash. "I have weird forearms," he says. He is a vegetarian, and supplements that diet with health food concentrates like algae and wheat germ. Once a week he gets an "adjustment" from the company's resident physical therapist / masseuse / osteopath, Pietro Bondo. If Gauthier is doing a lot of jumping, he says, his spine tends to contract, but this year the trapeze practice has made it expand. The performers have a week's vacation between cities, and Gauthier routinely takes four days to do "absolutely nothing." Then he usually tries to find a mountain to climb or a cave to spelunk. During the last break he flew to Las Vegas and spent five days walking in the desert by himself. He and Dumais are working on the duo act because they'd like to settle down for a while, get booked at a casino in Nevada or someplace like that. "Five years on the road is quite a lot," he says, looking down at Guillaume, who has parked himself and a bottle of apple juice on his father's lap. Gauthier notwithstanding, the troupe is not exactly a collection of health nuts. "Too many smoke," says Conway, puffing on his own. He sighed. "If I was a gymnastics coach, I'd put my foot down. But, you know, these are adults, it's their choice," he says. The amount of smoking has not been helped (or has been, depending on your perspective) by the fact that the Canadian cigarettes most of the company prefer cost $2.50 a pack here and $8 a pack at home. Furthermore, "this circus runs on coffee," says kitchen manager Laurent Comeau. "If they do not have their coffee and croissants in the morning ..." His face says the prospect of such an event is too hideous to contemplate. The coffee is "three times as strong" as the norm in this country, and the care he takes to make it right is itself a kind of high-wire art -- two kinds of coffee, espresso beans and a pre-ground mix for the filter drip, are flown in from Montreal; the coffee makers are cleaned with baking soda, and only bottled water is used to make the brew. Comeau and his two shifts of cooks serve between 300 and 400 meals a day to the company of 110 from a portable kitchen-cafe that is open from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. every day but Monday. He says there are two kinds of attitudes toward food in the company -- "those who care, and those who don't" -- so he tries to provide a choice that encompasses the full range of food ideologies. But he has limits. "I cannot contemplate the idea of a fat-free, sugarless, tasteless dessert," he says. You would expect nothing less from a French Canadian. * * * * * * SHE RAN AWAY AND JOINED THE CIRQUE By: Kenneth Turan | LA Times December 1, 1996 "I just love the air."--Shana Carroll Settled comfortably one recent night under an enormous white tent topped with delicate spires, a capacity crowd of 2,500 in Antwerp, Belgium, is understandably astonished by the combination of circus tradition and postmodern inventiveness that characterizes Saltimbanco, the Cirque du Soleil show that has been touring Europe since 1995. As always, a special reverence and delight is reserved for the aerialist, the slender, blond trapeze artist in the silvery-bluish unitard whose dazzling moves and poetic presence on the bar 20 feet above the ground compel reverential silence followed by massive, relieved applause. Yet dazzled as this crowd is, I feel considerably more astonished by the performance than anyone else under the Big Top. For I first met Shana Carroll, the young woman on the trapeze, 17 years earlier, when she was a 9-year-old scrambling around the Santa Monica Canyon home of her journalist father. Whatever your range of expectations may be for your friends' children, having one of them end up as the premier solo aerialist of the Cirque du Soleil's European tour is off the charts. The younger daughter of Jon Carroll, once the editor of New West magazine and now a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, and his former wife, Sandra Rosenzweig, a Northern California writer and editor, Shana is the only American of the more than 40 performers in Saltimbanco. She is married to a fellow circus professional, a remarkable acrobat named Huang Zhen, and is well aware that to the people who knew her in California, she has settled into "such a peculiar, out-of-the-blue life, the strangest thing anyone could imagine." The norm in Shana's new world is typified by a scene glimpsed earlier in the day in the backstage practice hall, dressing area, game room and all-around home away from home, known collectively as the artists' tent. Casually perched high up on two parallel floor-to-tent-top ropes is a small boy of perhaps 8 or 9, being rigorously instructed by his Russian acrobat mother. Though in the front of the house, Cirque employees are selling tickets via computer, back here skills are being passed on in the old-fashioned way, which Shana, to her colleagues' surprise, did completely without. Equally out of the ordinary is that Shana did what she did by choice. After her performance, Shana introduces me to pair of charismatic Portuguese brothers, Marco and Paulo Lorador, masters of acrobatic hand balancing and considered close to circus royalty because their family has been in European shows for generations. "They're working hard, trying to earn a lot of money so their children can be educated and have the kind of choices I had but didn't want," Shana explains, bemused at the contrast. "It's a hard lifestyle, and the people who had no choice think I'm a little crazy to be here." This is the mystery I've come to solve: How did it happen that a California girl, dividing her time between her divorced parents, neither of whom are celebrated for their athleticism, came to embrace this arduous and foreign life? Shana sees a possible parallel with her mother, Sandra, noting that Jon has written about her as " 'a woman of sudden and intense enthusiasms.' I'm an extremist myself, and this was the most extreme path I could take. I've always bitten off more than I can chew, and this seems the epitome of it." Sitting in the small cafe on the Cirque back lot and wearing sneakers, green cotton pants and a plaid flannel shirt over a white sweatshirt, Shana Carroll could be a UCLA graduate student killing time between classes--except for the almost tangible air of physicality that she radiates, the self-assurance of the truly fit and the reveling in movement that has her run where others might walk. She throws herself into conversation, loving to talk when she gets the chance, she says, because it's so much the opposite of the physical work that takes up most of her life. To spend any time with Shana is to realize that, far from being some idiosyncratic fling, the trapeze is a passion for her, an almost monastic calling. She expresses frustration at family friends who see this as the equivalent of a junior year abroad or "like I ran away and joined the circus. It's such a frivolous cliche and a misconception. What people are trying to find in meditation, that's what I find here." All of which is ironic, for as a child Shana remembers not liking circuses at all ("I didn't get it, I didn't really believe it was real") and preferring the world of musicals and the stage. She did all the plays at Berkeley High School and, after graduation, thought she might become an actress. When that didn't work out, her father, a member of the board of the San Francisco-based Pickle Family Circus, suggested a box-office job with the troupe as a stopgap measure. In retrospect, there were indicators for what happened next. Years later, looking at family photographs, Shana saw someone who "in every picture was upside down, hanging from a tree or dangling off a diving board." And then there was an even older incident:"When I was 2, I tried to fly. I jumped right off the stairs and broke my arm." (Her father says "she hurled herself just like Superman.") But at the time she went to work for the circus, no one, least of all Shana, was prepared for what that minimum-wage job would lead to. "She went backstage," her father remembers, "and was transformed." What Shana saw was the Pickles' trapeze artist, Sky De Sela, and so many emotions hit her at once that it's hard even in retrospect to sort them out. "I really fell in love. I thought, 'This is so moving, so close, so human, so simple.' I saw it as celebrating being human, testing the limits of what a human can do. Unlike the theater, this wasn't woven in metaphors: Instead of alluding to flying, someone was flying. When I first saw it, it seemed so automatic that this was what I was going to devote my life to." De Sela was departing the Pickle Family Circus, but she had time to give Shana one lesson. "The first time I touched the bar, I felt at home--it just felt right," Shana says. "On the ground I felt heavy and awkward, but in the air I felt I could move gracefully. I'd never been athletic--this was the first time I felt a sense of pleasure in doing something physical." "It isn't given to very many of us in life to find our calling," says her mother. "So the first day Shana came home and said, 'Mommy, I found it,' it was a major thing. She knew she belonged there." Shana auditioned for and won a job as a performing apprentice at the circus, which meant doing everything from group acrobatics to selling T-shirts. Every day she put up a little practice trapeze, three feet off the ground, and began to teach herself to master it. "I had this funny idea it would be more impressive if I learned on my own," she says now. "I was lucky I had a very limited knowledge of the trapeze, or else I would've been intimidated about what I couldn't do. My knowledge of what was out there increased at the same rate I was ready to do new things." Though at 18 she was twice as old as most trapeze beginners and didn't have the gymnastics background considered critical, Shana compensated with hard-core desire. "It was an insane amount of hard work," says her father. "She worked incredibly long hours training and lifting weights. I wouldn't have stood for it, but it never occurred to her not to do it." Then in November 1989, about a year after she'd first experienced the trapeze, a genuine Hollywood moment occurred. De Sela's replacement abruptly left the Pickle Family Circus, and Shana was asked if she thought she could learn the aerialist's act in two weeks before the group's grand opening at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts. She agreed to try. "I was so nervous I was crying all the time," Shana says. "So elated I couldn't sleep." Her father stayed away from rehearsals, not wanting, he later wrote, "to embarrass myself by screaming 'my daughter, my daughter!' like some grieving peasant woman at the site of a Mediterranean aircraft disaster." And, in fact, there was a horrible moment when Shana, not realizing that her head was still in a rope loop, let go and nearly hanged herself. "I just got a big yank" is how she describes it now. "By the time I realized what had happened, that I could've died, it was over." "She came home with rope burns on her neck, sobbing, and I was terrified," remembers her mother. "I didn't know anything about her world--I was helpless. I had to just respect that she was going to take care of it. It gave me emotional calluses right away, and I haven't worried since." Shana stayed with the Pickle Family Circus for a year and a half. "It was not glamorous," she says. "There were two shows a day, with training after and before, because I was always pushing myself to gain strength. We were living in tents, without heating, backstage, rained on, playing to three people. You have to be loving it to do it, and that's what made me sure." That was also when Shana met circus artist Huang Zhen, a specialist in pole climbing, who had been taken into the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe in his native city when he was 9 years old. "When representatives of the troupe came to his school to look for recruits, he was scared, so he jumped up and crouched over a door frame to hide," Shana relates. "When the men turned around and saw this, they said, 'We want him, that kid up there.' " Shana and Huang Zhen were married three years ago, and he is now attempting to start his own Chinese acrobatic troupe in the United States. A highlight of their wedding was a trick, done by an old friend of the groom's, that involved balancing three raw eggs on the tip of a chopstick, in turn balanced on the bridge of the acrobat's nose. "It defies all notions of conventional physics," says Jon Carroll. Though she adored the Pickle Circus, after a year and a half Shana knew she needed more schooling if she was to progress. She got a one- way plane ticket to Montreal from a friend, hoping to study with Andre Simard, considered one of the top coaches in the world, at the Ecole Nationale de Cirque. The school said it was full, but Shana showed up anyway, and after nearly a year, her persistence paid off and she was able to work with Simard. When he moved to the Ecole de Cirque Rosny- sous-Bois outside Paris, she was one of the two students he asked to make the trip with him. The stint with the Cirque followed soon after. As it now stands, there are two parts to Shana's act, called the ballant and the fixe in French, usually translated as "swinging" and "fixed." The more showy ballant requires raw physical strength to stand on the trapeze, swing it in a 180-degree arc (the hardest part) and then do a series of moves while in motion. Shana is drawn to the beauty of the physics involved, but she considers the ballant a series of tricks that she has mastered. What she loves is the fixe. A fluid series of expressive/acrobatic moves on the unmoving bar, the fixe is, in effect, a choreographed modern dance moment in midair. It is, Shana explains, "a performance piece I do on the trapeze, using it as a dance partner. Fixe is more free-form and creative than the ballant, and there are no prescribed moves I need to incorporate. It's considered passe if you can recognize classic trapeze positions. "What I learned in circus school was that everyone had a different style, and the ways I wasn't a typical trapeze artist were advantages. I was from Berkeley, I had all this other background and I had to use it. I wanted to be different, not just fill a mold that was already there." The amount of strength (but not bulk) and conditioning necessary to do trapeze work was and continues to be considerable. Even now Shana (who alternates with a duo trapeze act done by a pair of Canadian twins) practices every day for at least an hour whether she performs or not. Her hands are callused, she wears leather ankle guards to prevent painful and possibly dangerous rope burns, and it takes but two weeks off her routine to get out of shape. "The bar is solid steel, very heavy and very hard, and when you're sitting on it every day, it deadens the nerves in your thighs," Shana explains. "When I come back after two weeks off, the nerves have grown back, and it's so painful I can't even sit on the toilet." Doing all these stunts 20 feet off the ground without a net may look death-defying, but, Shana says, "I know people outside the circus who take many more risks with their lives. All my risks are calculated. And there's a difference between something being dangerous and feeling scared. Losing fear completely is what's dangerous. You don't want to be nonchalant--that's when accidents happen." Shana has, in fact, fallen twice in the more than 500 performances she's given, with a rigging system of safety lines having absorbed the fall both times. "It's mildly embarrassing. You have to try and figure out what you did wrong and get back up and do it again," she says. "It's an incredible feeling having the audience behind you, to hear 2,500 people gasp at one time, and I was overwhelmed by that amount of support. The fact that someone can always fall makes the performance feel quintessentially live, more than any other kind of performance does. The people who were in the audience the nights I fell, they're not going to forget it." The Cirque's Saltimbanco tour ends next February, at which time Shana will take stock and see where she wants to go next. She believes she has at least another five years of the strenuous ballant ahead of her, more for the fixe, and after that, teaching is a possibility. For now, there is always the lure of the air. To see her is to understand it all, and the question becomes not how this young woman from California became a trapeze artist, but how anyone could have thought she'd be anything else. # # # That's all for in this issue, but there's plenty more to come! o) Issue #167, DEC 2017 - Alegría, Part 1 (1994) o) Issue #168, JAN 2018 - Alegría, Part 2 (1995) o) Issue #169, FEB 2018 - Quidam, Part 1 (1996-1997) o) Issue #170, MAR 2018 - Quidam, Part 2 (1998) o) Issue #171, APR 2018 – Dralion, Part 1 (1999-2001) o) Issue #172, MAY 2018 – Dralion, Part 2 (2001-2003) o) Issue #173, JUN 2018 – Varekai, Part 1 (2002) o) Issue #174, JUL 2018 – Varekai, Part 2 (2003-2004) o) Issue #175, AUG 2018 – Varekai, Part 3 (2005) ======================================================================= COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER ======================================================================= Fascination! Newsletter Volume 17, Number 11 (Issue #166) - November 2017 "Fascination! Newsletter" is a concept by Ricky Russo. Copyright (C) 2001-2017 Ricky Russo, published by Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination! Newsletter." By sending us correspondence, you give us permission (unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination! Newsletter." "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are Copyright (C) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil, Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement intended. { Nov.07.2017 } =======================================================================