The Cirque du Soleil was born in the 80s in Montreal, from an idea of a young Canadian performer. Its peculiarity is that besides having top-level shows, it is a circus which excludes the presence of animals as entertainment, since the physical and psychological abuse that other circus companies inflict on their animals are well known to everybody by now.
The shows of this spectacular circus include performances by tightrope walkers, trapeze artists, jugglers of great artistic preparation and their shows are constantly modified to offer ever-interesting performances.
Some new shows are constantly introduced and some older shows disappear but remain in the hearts of those who watched them.
Just like it has been for me that I attended over 10 different shows in different parts of the world.
The circus is indeed very international both because it tours the entire world and because in it work performers from all over the world.
Strangely enough few shows are held in Canada, the country of origin of this circus company.
The music during the artistic demonstration of the athletes is always played live so every performance needs a different music that is performed based on the intensity and the suspense of the piece. All the soundtracks are recorded on CDs, which are available for sale during the show and in special stores.
The artists come from different ethnic groups and backgrounds, many of them come from the Russian and Chinese schools and are athletes with a great experience and knowledge of the traditions.
Some of the performers are former Olympic athletes even.
The shows are held all over the world, on different stages (the permanent shows) and many are touring the different continents continuously.
A large amount of money coming from the sale of the tickets are used to help young people in need and also to finance new projects of circus schools worldwide.
The world of the circus is a world of fun and distraction in which the aim of the athletes is to give the public emotions and feelings during their performances, to have the adult become like children again, and to let the little ones live moments of pure magic.
But to be able to create exciting shows, the athletes train for many hours a day, even the clowns are professional artists and they challenge their limits with performances that keep the audience hanging. Those lucky enough to be able to see a Cirque du Soleil show will immediately see how they do not need lions or tigers to enjoy a show, but it will be enough to observe the spectacular skill of these athletes to understand what the real circus is.
The details in the costumes are key in the Cirque du Soleil shows and they pay great attention to them.
Each show tells a different story and the company does a great job presenting this story beforehand so the audience may come prepared.
In each show there is an atmosphere suspended between dream and reality, between imagination and gymnastics and it surprises you at every instant. The shows never have a dull moment, they are very moving and always on the move and it’s impossible to remain impassible when watching breathtaking acrobatics.
The scenography is always magnificent, often hand-painted, at times mechanic to create dynamic scenes and challenge the artists even more because they have to perform on a moving stage or platform.
This kind of circus is so modern and entertaining that it cannot be considered just for children, on the contrary, it is a true form of art that adults can interpret and appreciate even more than the little ones.
The show catapults us in a different world, it is a theatrical play, an athletic performance, a parade and an experience, all in one.