(1,637 kb)
(1,637 kb)
It is as close as most people get to a fantasy world. Darkness falls. Pulsating music fills the air. Magical and bizarre creatures frolick and cavort on the ground and in the air. Mysterious fogs and magical lights appear and disappear. No words are spoken in any earthly language, but the story is understood all the same.
You haven't lost touch with reality or crossed into a parallel universe—you've entered the world of Cirque du Soleil, a unique Canadian troupe that has written its own huge worldwide success story.
Cirque du Soleil's history goes back to 1982, when a group of stilt-walking jugglers and fire-eaters—then called 'Club des talons hauts'—came to Baie-Saint-Paul, a small Quebec community, to work as buskers.
Immensely successful with the public, the company of acrobats went on to set up a festival. In 1984, the Quebec government invited the group to perform in the celebrations of the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's arrival in Canada.
After performing at venues throughout Quebec, the Cirque toured Ontario and appeared at Expo 86 in Vancouver. The 1990s saw an explosion in the troupe's size, scope and success. By the end of the century, Cirque du Soleil had permanent shows in Las Vegas, Orlando and Biloxi, and offices in Amsterdam, Singapore, Montréal and Las Vegas. A total of seven shows playing simultaneously in North America, Europe and Asia sold tens of thousands of tickets each week.
Cirque du Soleil shows are truly otherworldly experiences. As you enter the big top, there are familiar echoes of traditional circuses—popcorn vendors, the hum of expectations. But Cirque du Soleil shows are as far from traditional circuses as could be imagined. No animals figure among the cast of performers; instead, humans fill all roles in every show. The shows each have a theme—as simple as a story of unrequited love, or as broad as our human frailty and angst at the end of the century. The lack of dialogue or narration means that performances easily transcend linguistic and national boundaries. Instead of a calliope or brass band, the music is supplied by a live ensemble heavy on exotic percussion and sounds. And productions are spectacularly conceived and executed.
Contortionists, trapeze artists, hand-balancers, jugglers—stunning acts are mixed with troupes of dancers, characters and clowns dressed as anything from lizards to commedia dell'arte characters.
The shows seamlessly blend heart-stopping acrobatics with moments of comedy and of tragedy. Audiences are drawn into the show's spell, sometimes to utter silence.
Most important, Cirque du Soleil has succeeded in taking the circus experience to new heights of artistry and popularity in an era when few circuses survive. But wait... the lights are dimming and the music is swelling. . . it's time for another show to begin!