Cirque du Soleil

Published March 2011

Mere mention of the name 'Cirque du Soleil' conjures up images of superb theatrics laden with visual feasts and mind-blowing acrobatics. Often noted on the to-do lists of many, Cirque du Soleil, or Circus of the Sun, only grows from strength to strength and continues to impress worldwide since its humble beginings over 25 years ago in Québec, Canada.

In the early eighties, Les Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul (the Baie-Saint-Paul Stiltwalkers) was a street theatre group founded by Gilles Ste-Croix. This highly skilled group of performers - including one Guy Laliberté - excelled in acrobatic street shows which incorporated stilt-striding, fire-eating, dancing and overall theatrics.

This group then morphed to become Le Club des talons hauts (the High Heels Club), and organized a gathering for street performers from all over the world in 1982. So successful was the 'La Fête foraine de Baie-Saint-Paul', that Ste-Croix and his team continued to organize it for a further 2 years, and this in turn cemented a strong surge of interest towards the troupe and garnered a loyal following.

In 1984, Québec City celebrated the 450th anniversary of Canada's discovery by Jacques Cartier and city officials were looking for some way to ensure that these important festivities were carried out throughout the rest of the province. It was at this juncture that Guy Laliberté, already a regular feature with the troupe, created Cirque du Soleil with funding and support from the Canadian government. The company then proceeded to tour Canada over the next 3 years.

In 1987, with the desire to bring Cirque du Soleil to a wider audience, Laliberté was able to secure a slot at the Los Angeles Arts Festival – thereby raising the company's profile and popularity in America. Rapid expansion in the 90s and multiple permanent shows in Las Vegas solidified Cirque du Soleil's standing as a true award-winning paragon of stage performance.

So massively overwhelming is the success of Cirque du Soleil that an estimated 100 million people have watched a show over the last 17 years, in 300 cities on 5 continents and as of March 2011, the show Saltimbanco will tour South Africa. The company further expects to receive approximately 15 million spectators in 2011 alone.

Cirque du Soleil has effectively branched out worldwide, setting up camp in various locations and cities around the world with 20 Touring and Resident shows in 2010. Those of us residing in South East Asia would be hard pressed to pass up an opportunity to catch ZAIA – a Resident show based out of The Venetian-Macao-Resort-Hotel in Macau – or KOOZA, which made it's Japan debut recently in Tokyo, and will continue to tour other major cities in the country.

So what is it that makes fans and the uninitiated throng to various Cirque du Soleil productions? Perhaps it is best summed up in their Mission Statement in which they aim to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world. Combine these aspects together with unparalleled creativity and unsurpassed talent and we are presented with the true benchmarks of dramatic performance art, loved by millions.  

Photo Credit: © 2008 Cirque du Soleil Inc.