by Michelle Bortoni

Multicultural artists, live music, specific story line, colourful costumes, have been tranforming the idea of traditional circus. No more its conventional wagons full of animals going throughout the city … now we have a new option, an avant garde perspective of circus making…the sun has shine again with Cirque du Soleil…

Standing in line, 30 minutes before the spectacle began, and feeling that kind of excitement you feel when you are a kid, that was me waiting to experience the best show ever. Finally, after years of waiting, the Cirque du Soleil was in my home city. My boyfriend and I get inside the circus tent and sit in our respective places, suddenly a man, dressed in a peculiar way, asked us to seat near the stage, obviously we didn’t refuse. There we were, no more than 2 meters away from the stage!

The show started…as soon as I heard the voice of that singer, I shiver. Even thought I’ve heard the music many times before, hearing it for the first time “live” overwhelm me. Suddenly many people dressed and characterized in colourful ways started to come out from every corner of the pergola. For more than two hours I was transported into a world of fantasy. Cirque du Soleil was an experience that is worth to live. I realized that the dream doesn’t end with one show; this company has a world of shows to offer the amusement of audiences of all ages.

“Amuse audiences, see the world and have fun doing it” is how Guy Laliberté, the founder of Cirque du Soleil, explains the beginnings of the greatest circus ever. Cirque du Soleil started to perform in the early 80’s, making their presentations in streets. The amazing strength of the dreams of its founders had, made them become what they are today, a circus with more than 10 shows being performed simultaneously throughout the world.

Taking the basis from traditional circus, and the fusion between different artistic disciplines like dance, music, acrobatics, mysticism, and multi cultural aspects produce what we, as spectators, have the pleasure to enjoy each time we see a Cirque du Soleil performance. The human body is one of the main resources that the artists have.

The word “circus” has been acquiring a whole new concept with this type of modern circus. Some of the performances seen in the shows involved amazing works that can make every single spectator shiver. Watching contortionists bending their bodies, jugglers managing peculiar objects, the nostalgia and happiness of the clowns, the chancy trapeze acts are some of the elements that built up these amazing shows.

Live music can be heard throughout the whole show, music is performed in different languages, even in “cirquish”, which is an invented language from Cirque du Soleil. Different languages, races, acts, and colors give each performance a great sense of multiculturalism.

Cirque du Soleil has more than 10 productions going around the world; each one has its own premise, and it is so meticulously created, directed and performed that it represents a difficult decision to choose a favourite one. The different performances follow a specific storyline, sometimes linear sometimes experimental, that is why it is so mystic and mysterious for audiences. Saltimbanco, Quidam, Corteo, Alegria, Dralion, Varekai, LOVE, Mystere, O, La Nouba, Zumanity, Delirium, Ka are the productions that Cirque du Soleil offer, in their most sublime way to the audiences.

Saltimbanco is one the oldest and well known shows. According to its makers, it was created as a response to all the hostility and violence that happened in the past century. Here is a show that portrays a whole new experience far away from misery and despair; the artists give moments of joy, happiness and delight. Everything is so colorful, unique and worth to gaze at.

Alegría, as the name itself evokes emotion, it means joy in Spanish. With this show a whole new universe is created, the story has political and historical points of view. Alegría is a place in which political history of mankind is portrayed. All characters show a dualistic world. Some are naïve, some are mad, some are simple nostalgic. Alegrías’ music is performed live by outstanding voices that make dazzling sensations to the audiences.

Another mystic production is Dralion. Cirque du Soleil fuses their new perspective of circus with early Chinese circus producing, a breathtaking show that breaks the boundaries between past and future. Dralion takes the name from the eastern symbol “dragon” and the western symbol “lion”. Nature becomes a very important part, the four elements are present and they intertwined with history. Their characters Gaya (earth), Oceane (water), Yao (fire), Azala (air), The Ame Force and Dralions show a spectacle full of mystery and color that make the myth and reality to converge.

 

The other side of Cirque du Soleil can be seen throughout their show Zumanity. This is a stimulating and erotic show with glimpses of cabaret style in which the performers show their pure human/animal instincts celebrating the own name of the show Zu -oo Hu- manity. The burlesque cabaret, androgynous creatures, erotic dances, contortionists building sensual poses together, kamasutra performed by a flexible duet, a mystical orgy simulation by the whole company are just some of the arousing performances the audience can make a true catharsis.

Cirque du Soleil has many phases; elements like nature, political issues, human behaviour, happiness, innocence, human instincts among many others are in their spectacles. Undoubtedly, every and each single spectacle performed by this remarkable company of true artist is worth to watch and enjoy.