Cirqe du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil

At the center of the creative energy found in every Cirque du Soleil production are acrobats, dancers, singers, musicians, clowns and actors at the pinnacle of their art: Cirque du Soleil performers. These men and women possess a burning passion to challenge the limits of their skills. Anyone who has watched a "Cirque" performance knows that they are unlike anything else. It seems that each act is more mesmerizing than the last. Gymnasts especially appreciate the strength, skill and sweat involved. (Many performers are former gymnasts.) You will find that these videos become the most watched videos in the house (or gym)!

Cirque Du Soleil - Corteo - Fans of the fantastic Cirque du Soleil know that a DVD of a performance can only approximate the sensory experience of being there, but Corteo nonetheless will hold fans spellbound. The loose thread of theme is of a clown who dreams he's dead, and is at his own funeral--so Fellini-esque processionals of angels, jesters, animals, musicians, cannibals, and other-worldly sprites seem perfectly appropriate. The most breathtaking segments include, as always, the sheer athletic prowess and fearlessness of the acrobats and gymnasts. One early scene shows fairies literally swinging from giant chandeliers--then tossing them about and gyrating within them so that at any minute they seem likely to spin into the audience, Phantom of the Opera-style. Other performers take simple hoops and turn them into Olympic-level endurance sport-equipment, by spinning inside, outside, around, and on top of them. Another highlight includes a dream sequence of every kid's fantasy: jumping on a bed that somehow magically becomes a trampoline--and the jumping "kids" incorporate spins, dives, even leaping across the stage onto the other bed and back. There's wily Cirque humor, too: one funereal procession includes four pairs of empty shoes, walking perfectly believably in synch behind shoes occupied by human mourners. The extras are, if anything, even more gripping, including Through the Curtain, a making-of documentary that includes interviews with first-time Cirque director Daniele Finza-Pasca, and some of the early choreography and practice sessions while routines are crafted and honed. Advice the director gives to one of the hoop gymnasts: "Talk to the ring ... hold it like you would the horns of a bull!" And let the magic begin. April 2006

Cirque du Soleil's Anniversary Collection 1984-2005
A 12-disc retrospective of the Canadian troupe's distinctive brand of performance, involving the fantastic feats of acrobatics and athleticism, balance and contortion; the single-ring techno circus; the multicolored lights and costumes; the abstract story lines of fantasy and self-discovery; the music that fuses rock, New Age, and various world influences; and the madcap clowns that prey on their live audiences. The programs included are La Magie Continue (1986); Cirque Reinvente (1989); Nouvelle Experience (1991); Saltimbanco (1994), the 1994 documentary retrospective A Baroque Odyssey; the Amsterdam-set Quidam (1999); Allegria (1999), the live Sydney show; the Chinese-influenced Dralion (2000), in its standard, non-Superbit release; the relatively short IMAX film Journey of Man (2002); Varekai (2002), from Toronto; La Nouba (2003), from Walt Disney World; and Midnight Sun, strikingly staged outdoors at the 2004 Montreal International Jazz Festival.

That's a lot of aerial feats, tricks, and tumbling, but the set is not designed to absorb in one sitting. Rather, viewers can sample both the simpler early shows and the stunning later performances that, with their 5.1 sound and widescreen pictures, are perfectly suited to home theaters. Compiling 12 previously released DVDs in space-saving Thinpaks at an economical price, the Anniversary Collection is nearly all the Cirque du Soleil you could ever want, but completists should note that the set does not include the feature film Allegria: An Enchanting Fable, the bonus disc of Varekai, the reality-TV show Fires Within, and the 13-part variety series Solstrom.

Cirque Du Soleil 3-Pack
When Cirque du Soleil first ventured beyond Canada's borders, its powerful, singularly ambitious "reinvention of the circus" seemed quixotic. Inspired by European precedents, this was a big top downsized to a more intimate, single ring, as the French Canadian troupe jettisoned animals and the usual fright-wigged clowns, and focused on acrobats, contortionists, and illusionists. Conventional wisdom would have held that such esoterica was doomed, but anyone lucky enough to catch that initial Cirque production (or any subsequent offerings) knows just how wrong conventional wisdom can be. Each is totally unique and out of this world!
A Great buy!

La Nouba
- Cirque du Soleil
Spectacle-makers Cirque du Soleil push the sheer abundance of eye-candy to the maximum in La Nouba. While some astonishing physical feat is underway, a host of colorful clown characters dart in and out at the fringes of the stage. For some viewers, this will only enhance the experience--others will find them an annoying distraction, particularly the lackluster quartet of white-faced clowns who almost never go away. This, combined with some overly busy camerawork, threatens to undermine the show; but the acrobatics are topnotch as ever. The German Wheel, phenomenal bicyclists, trapeze acts, flying straps, tightrope walkers (including a sequence in which a woman does a hand-stand on top of a tightrope walker's head), chair-balancing, and a particularly impressive extended trampoline routine will make La Nouba satisfying. (Nov. 2004)

Varekai
- Cirque du Soleil
Even by the high standards of Cirque du Soleil, Varekai is outstanding. While this artsy circus often aspires to weave a narrative through its spectacular events, in Varekai that story (about a winged boy who falls to earth and falls in love with a caterpillar girl) is as delightful and engaging as the acrobatic feats--which is saying a lot, because these feats will leave you agog. Acrobats juggle each others' bodies with their legs; identical twins spin on aerial straps; a contortionist twists into uncanny pretzel shapes; and much, much more. The elaborate costumes truly do evoke an otherworldly place--one of the clown characters looks like a man's torso emerging from the mouth of a carnivorous plant. Exceptionally well-filmed, and featuring a wealth of extra features about the making of the show, Varekai is Cirque du Soleil at the peak of its powers: Dizzy, dazzling, and sexy. (2003)

Dralion
- Cirque du Soleil
The Chinese consider the lion a symbol of good luck, so it's a half-dragon, half-lion--a dralion--that is the symbol of the East-meets-West fusion of this Cirque du Soleil show, in which 36 Chinese acrobats join the renowned Canadian troupe. Celebrating the four elements as represented in four colors-- blue (air), green (water), red (fire), and ochre (earth)--Dralion combines ancient Chinese circus traditions with Cirque du Soleil's usual stunning elements: the techno-oriented single ring; the multicolored lights and costumes; the music that mixes rock, New Age, and various world influences (though not Chinese); and the madcap clowns that pull a victim out of the audience (he turns out to be a terrific sport). But of course the main reason to watch a Cirque du Soleil show is the acrobatic stunts, those eye-popping displays of agility, balance, and strength. You'll see an acrobat balancing on one hand, a brawny juggler, a high-flying teeterboard act, a double trapeze, contortionists, a parasol turned and tossed atop a foot, furiously synchronized hoop-diving, unbelievable rope-skipping, and more. While nothing can match the experience of seeing this troupe live, the video does offer some choice close-ups that you would never get from your seat, and you can't ask the live performers to repeat your favorite stunts over and over again. And you'll want to see them over and over because Dralion is a dazzler. (1999)
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La Magie Continue
- Cirque du Soleil
Acclaimed by an audience of over 30 million worldwide, with numerous prizes and distinctions to its credit, Cirque du Soleil is a unique organization that has reinvented and revolutionized the circus arts. Since its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil has been pleasing the public with a novel show concept that is as original as it is non-traditional; an astonishing, theatrical blend of circus arts and street performance, wrapped up in spectacular costumes and fairyland sets and staged to spellbinding music and magical lighting. There are no animals in Cirque du Soleil productions, only sheer human energy is put to work! (2001) 50 minutes
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Journey of Man
- Cirque du Soleil
Like all Cirque du Soleil productions, Journey of Man is a showcase for transcendent beauty and astonishing physical achievement. Originally produced as a 3-D IMAX presentation, this 39-minute film remains impressive on smaller screens, although its guiding theme (the evolution of humankind through the power of dreams, faith, and love) is sweetly contrived. It's the way this theme is expressed that matters: elements of Cirque du Soleil's awe-inspiring stage act are performed amidst wondrous settings, accompanied by Benoît Jutras's inspiring score, and metaphorically representing the birth, growth, and maturity of "the Universal Child." The journey of man comes full circle to the sustaining belief that all things are possible. It's this point that is best expressed by the remarkable feats of Cirque du Soleil's lavishly costumed performers, including a uniquely graceful underwater ballet, swooping bungee- cord choreography, two precisely balanced human "statues" in perfect synchronicity, and other wonders that must be seen to be believed. (2000) 39 minutes.
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Saltimbanco
- Cirque du Soleil
Saltimbanco is a celebration of life in which an international troupe of more than fifty performers ranging from 8 to 45 years of age defy gravity and dazzle with their artistry. A panoply of acts in which top-notch acrobatics are executed with masterly beauty, hand-balancing, double trapeze, double tightrope, Chinese poles, the Russian swing, bangees, jugglers, and clowns. Created in 1994 as an antidote to the violence and despair typical of the 20th century, this phantasmagorical show proposes a new vision of urbanity, overflowing with optimism and happiness. Saltimbanco is not linear; rather, it is a kaleidoscope, an adventure in which anything can happen. Saltimbanco has its own language, a soul expressed through the voice, the body and music. (1994) 78 minutes.
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Quidam
- Cirque du Soleil
Cirque's creative brain trust, including "guide" Guy Laliberte and director Franco Dragone, have crafted each production as an extended performance piece framed by recurrent characters, unified production design, and underlying themes. Already mesmerizing visual tableaux and astonishing illusions are given an added poignancy (and, occasionally, true gravity) by the productions' underlying comments about society, conformity, beauty, and emotion; even without such conscious motifs, however, Cirque's sheer artistry is never less than riveting.
Quidam revolves around an Everychild, living with self-absorbed (and deliberately archetypal) parents, who's whisked away to a vividly surreal world where Cirque's remarkable acrobats and artists take literal flight. Their tools are often prosaic--oversized flying rings, an open steel wheel large enough for a single inhabitant, skateboards, ropes--yet the resulting images are stunning. Injecting further drama and atmosphere is the score (here by musical director Benoit Jutras), which is as far removed from traditional circus music as Cirque's "acts" are from Barnum & Bailey. Performed with synthesizers, electric guitar, solo reed instruments, percussion, and voice (often singing in a kind of Esperanto that's tantalizing yet foreign), Cirque's music can be dismissed as New Age only until heard in its intended context. (1999)
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Alegria
- Cirque du Soleil
A film event inspired by Cirque du Soleil. Alegria is the touching story of Frac (Rene Bazinet), a street mime who has lost all love for his art and life, deciding to end it all by lying in front of an oncoming train. When his 11-year-old friend Momo (Clipper Miano) insists on joining the suicide attempt, Frac must save them both. The train carries a traveling circus, and when it stops, Frac catches sight of Giulietta (Julie Cox), the troupe's beautiful lead singer and performer. Frac falls instantly and rapturously in love, but to pursue Giulietta, he must overcome her father, Fleur (Frank Langella), the circus leader who disapproves of Frac. When Giulietta abandons the troupe to be with Frac and help save Momo from an abusive taskmaster who forces young children to sell flowers on the street, the wonderful cirque falls apart. Realizing that Giulietta must return, she and Frac help Fleur understand that the mission of the cirque is to console a suffering world. The show, like life, must go on. 93 minutes. (1999)
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A Baroque Odyssey
- Cirque du Soleil
A unique and inspiring look into the heart of the Cirque du Soleil universe. This 10-year anniversary retrospective made in 1994 highlights the essence of Cirque du Soleil, the amazing energy and spirit that gave birth to the phenomenon and the breathtaking artistry that has captivated and delighted audiences around the world. (1994), 56 minutes.
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Nouvelle Experience
- Cirque du Soleil
The brilliant artistry of Cirque du Soleil has transformed the circus into an exciting, novel performance experience. Nouvelle Experience celebrates the magic of their innovative techniques and the genius of one of the most visionary groups of artists in the world. Included in the show that toured for 19 months in 1990-1991, performing to over 1.3 million people: Contortion, Korean Plank, Solo Trapeze, Tightrope, Aerial Straps, Acrobatics, Trampoline and Balancing on Chairs. (1991) 85 minutes.
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Cirque Reinvente
- Cirque du Soleil
"Ladies and gentlemen, dear children, once upon a time..." The allure of the circus has always been magical. But Cirque du Soleil has redefined the meaning of the word and has taken it to the next level, performance art without boundaries, ballet without gravity. And their intoxicating mixture of costume, music, stage design and showmanship has dazzled millions. Emmy award winning Cirque Reinvente captures the extraordinary tour performed by Cirque du Soleil to sold-out audiences in 1987. Included are breathtaking feats of handbalancing, tightrope, acrobatic cycling, chair balancing, contortion, clowns and aerial acrobatics. "With our fieriness and our youthfulness, we wanted to reinvent the circus." (1987) 56 minutes.
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Fire Within (TV Series)
- Cirque du Soleil
This addictive, Emmy Award-winning series has all the human turmoil of reality television, but the subjects have actual talent--it's a 13-part documentary about the young acrobats of Cirque du Soleil, watching them struggle with the physical rigors and emotional demands of creating a new show (the acclaimed Varekai). Fire Within focuses on eight performers, among them Gareth, a temperamental Brit whose sculpted physique features multiple tattoos; Stella, a young African American trapeze artist who's a bit of a diva; Oleg, a 35-year-old Russian circus professional trying to shift his talents to dance; Olga, a Cirque veteran as a contortionist, being given a starring role in this new show. Skillfully edited, Fire Within follows the performers along the stressful path from auditions to opening. The show gains surprisingly intimate access into their lives, capturing the strength and vulnerability of people whose bodies are their art--and not everyone rises to the challenges they face. The process of making a show like Varekai isn't always pretty or gentle; if an act isn't working--such as when Gareth and his acrobatic partner Ashley have trouble finding their balance for a piece called the Icarian Games--the act will simply be cut, and the performer fired. Fire Within is a remarkable warts-and-all document of frustration and ingenuity. After each episode, you'll eagerly jump to the next one to learn what happens next.

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