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Friday, May 09, 2008

Cirque Powerhouse Had Shoestring Beginnings

By Dan Mayfield
Journal Staff Writer
      In 2008, Cirque du Soleil is known as the world's premier circus troupe of its kind. From the group's five Las Vegas shows — from “Love,” a smash hit that features the music of the Beatles, to “O,” a new water adventure show — and the group's touring acts have established Cirque shows as some of the best in the business.
       But it wasn't always so.
       Cirque du Soleil was started on a shoestring in the early 1980s by a group of acrobats, dancers, jugglers and performers in Quebec, Canada, who simply wanted the circus to be more, said Cirque du Soleil co-founder Carmen Ruest.
       “I was a dancer and I danced on stilts,” Ruest said. “I was part of the stilt theater troupe that created Cirque.”
       She doesn't walk on stilts anymore, but Ruest is still heavily involved in Cirque's daily operations as directrice de création (creative director) for the company. She helps come up with ideas for new shows, recruit cast members and choreograph shows.
       In the early 1980s, high-flying, death-defying, mind-blowing big-top circus acts had largely disappeared. There were a handful of large circuses shooting people out of cannons and putting motorcycles in giant metal balls, but nothing, she said, that could capture the imagination, especially of children.
       “Since 1984 it was a circus without animals,” Ruest said. “We had this idea to mix circus with choreography and music. Most of the shows are always based on an acrobatic skeleton.”
       The group started with shows similar to “Saltimbanco,” a 100-minute extravaganza that brings acrobats, dancers, clowns, spectacular costumes and more. “Saltimbaco” was launched in 1992 as the group's first major touring show.
       Cirque has remounted “Saltimbanco” and is taking it around the United States to cities, like Albuquerque, where the group has never toured before.
       Though Cirque du Soleil has toured the show for 14 years, off and on, through various countries, this is the first arena tour for the company.
   

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Cirque du Soleil's “Saltimbanco” WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 14 and, Thursday, May 15, 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. May 16 and 17
       WHERE: Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho
       HOW MUCH: Tickets are $48-$100 through www.gettix.net or by calling (866) 443-8849

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