Imagine a world in which our differences cause not war, but celebration. A place where the boundaries of happiness are set by our dreams and imagination, not our bank accounts.
While this way of life is easier said than done, one group of performers has worked to prove otherwise. The Cirque du Soleil, a French-Canadian circus company based in Montreal, Quebec, has entertained and thrilled audiences for more than twenty years. Morphing the disciplines of musical theater and traditional circus into a unique performance, their artistic mission is to inspire imagination and creativity in the hearts of its participants.
Not just for children, this circus isn't like anything you've ever seen before. While it may take place under a big tent and there might be popcorn and peanuts, any similarities to the three-ring nostalgia of yesteryear end there. No elephants, either. They're not necessary.
Using solely their bodies as a voice, performers contort, spin, fly, jump, and hurl themselves through rings of fire, metal, and anything else they can latch their extremities onto. Whether flying on trapeze swings using one hand (and no net) or erecting a human totem pole by jumping off each other's bodies, it's done with precision and seeming ease, sparing nothing to amaze. Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theater and Dance Sally Fox likens their craft to poetry in motion.
"They create a world where words aren't enough," she said. "They allow adults to see the world through the eyes of a child."
While the physical achievements of the circus' 500-plus performers worldwide are enough to warrant ticket prices upwards of $65, the success of Cirque goes far beyond the visual. Each of the five touring and three permanent shows follows the story of a creature (often a human or animal) found lost in the world.
"Quidam" features a girl whose parents neglect her, while "Varekai" features a bird who has lost its wings. Their journeys begin when an equally unexplainable character with animal and clown-like properties brings the character into the world of the Cirque du Soleil, French for "Circus of the Sun."
In "Varekai," Cirque du Soleil's newest production, now appearing in Toronto, a forest of toothpick-like trees and spiny animals takes shape on a platform and thrust stage encircled by the audience. In this environment, the ancient art of storytelling flows through the air like smoke circling over a campfire. Costume and set design is at times questionably fashionable and still MTV-contemporary, as if Italian designer Gianni Versace had a showroom on Sesame Street during Mardi Gras. The style is a flamboyant and unique alternative to the red-nosed, white hair clowns associated with a traditional circus. As if inside one of Magritte's umbrella, bowler hat, and cloud masterpieces, it's avant-garde at best.
To add to the spectacle, a New Age and jazz-nouveau score of original music is played by a live band assembled of equally decked-out performers. In turn, a featured "chanteuse," or songstress, compliments them.
The genius of Cirque du Soleil is not simply that their acts appear to be difficult, but that they seem unimaginable. Knotting his forearms around two red sheets draped from the peak of the tent, a performer from "La Nouba" soars above the audience with nothing to break his fall but wide open mouths and cartons of popcorn.
There are two opportunities this fall to see Cirque du Soleil. "Varekai" is currently playing at Exhibition Place in Toronto through Sept. 8, and "Quidam" will be appearing at the Nautica Entertainment Complex in Cleveland, OH from Sept. 26 to Oct. 13. Though not scheduled to come to Buffalo, the short car ride to either destination is well worth the trip, as shows typically return only every two years. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.cirquedusoleil.com, where much more information about the circus' history and creations can be found.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
