Albino wild animals. Albino animals: photos and descriptions of rare species
On April 27, the legendary Canadian Circus of the Sun, also known as Cirque du Soleil, came to St. Petersburg with the “Varekai” program. Cirque du Soleil is an artistic combination of circus arts and street performances, as they position themselves. It was founded in 1984 by Guy Laliberte and Gilles Sainte-Croix and is based in Montreal, Canada. The circus is known for its principled refusal to involve animals in performances and for its synthetic performances that combine circus skills with music, whimsical design and choreography
The new program, which has already been successful in Moscow, is called “Varekai”, which in the language of the eternal wanderers, the gypsies, means “wherever”. This show honors the nature of nomads, the nomadic soul, the spirit and tradition of circus art and those who passionately seek the enchanted land of Varekai.
And today I attended his rehearsal, saw the actors and their costumes getting ready in the costume room, and even looked into the dressing room. I suggest you go and see everything!
2. Ekaterina is the PR director of a circus in Russia. A professional in her field, she answered my letter late at night 5 minutes after I sent it. If all PR people worked like her, then the events would be sold out and popular, for example.
Today's show has existed since 2002, was first demonstrated in Montreal, over 14 years it was shown in 130 cities, 23 countries around the world, and was seen by about 10 million people.
Director Dominique Champagne assembled the Varekai troupe of 50 artists and musicians from 19 countries. According to legend, a lonely young man falls from heaven to earth, and the story of Varekai begins. Finding himself among the shadows of a mysterious forest, in a colorful world of fantastic creatures, he plunges into
a stormy stream of adventures, both impossible and incredible. On the edge of time, in a world where everything and even more is possible, an inspired hymn sounds to the rethinking of life and the newfound miracle hidden at the core of the universe and our soul.
Varekai is born from the fusion of dramatic and acrobatic arts. Talent and power, placed in a stunning stage space and framed by vibrant music, turn the impossible into the real, telling their story through the language of choreography - that universal language human body. The pendulum of time will swing back, and we will see ancient and rare
traditions of Georgian dance. And then Varekai will take us into the future with its innovative disciplines, including the “Russian swing” and the number on a slippery surface.
5. Number called "Flight of Icarus". Caught in the net, without losing his flexibility, grace and emotionality, the young man performs dizzying stunts, trying to break free.
6. During a rehearsal, artists don’t even always need music to practice this or that trick. But from time to time compositions from the show were played.
7. No insurance or anchorages. I don’t know how it will be during the official show, but I think it will be possible without them there too.
8. Fernando is a flexible and dexterous artist, and he has already managed to walk around the city and appreciate Petrograd.
9. Number "Dancing trapeze". Freezing high above the stage or flying over it, young girl performs a series of movements that demonstrate her flexibility and strength.
In 1984, Cirque du Soleil employed 73 people. Today, the Cirque du Soleil team worldwide numbers almost 4,000 people, including 1,300 artists. Cirque du Soleil employs people from 100 professions.
10. Installation of the stage and decorations takes 12 hours. Dismantling takes 4 hours. Everything moves from city to city on their own trucks, of which there are 40 units. Artists travel by plane and spend the night in hotels.
11. Artists are hired from all over the world; first, those who want to be in the troupe send a video by email, and after that, if they are interested in the candidates, they are invited to the headquarters in Montreal.
12. When working on the music for Varekai, Violaine Corradi looked for inspiration in the bottomless heritage of ethnic music. Each piece of music is a mixture or interweaving of different cultures, which are often difficult to identify. To create the unique musical universe of Varekai, Violaine Corradi combined the sounds of Hawaiian ritual ceremonies, the songs of 11th century troubadours from the south of France, traditional Armenian melodies and gospel songs, combining
all this with modern arrangements.
14. The musical group of 7 people includes a group leader and a keyboard player, a second keyboard player, a drummer, a percussionist, a bassist, a violinist, a wind player, as well as two vocalists - a man (Patriarch) and a woman (Muse). Almost all Cirque du Soleil shows feature live music. Unlike musicals, where the performers must strictly follow the score, in a Cirque du Soleil show the musicians adapt to what is happening on stage. For this reason, the band director, musicians, vocalists and sound specialists are constantly in contact with each other during the show.
18. This man at the top controls the flying cables, it’s better not to quarrel with him)
19. Number "Air belts". The two performers glide smoothly through the air above the stage, demonstrating amazingly precise synchronization of acrobatic movements and strength. As a duet, their silhouettes merge high above the stage.
20. The guys are both Russian-speaking, originally from Transnistria. They have a lot of charm)
Cirque du Soleil's performers and staff represent nearly 50 countries and speak 25 languages. In 2015, nearly 15 million people saw Cirque du Soleil shows.
Stephane Roy set himself the task of setting the scenography so that all elements were in harmony with the poetic language of the production: costumes, drama and music of the Varekai show
The Varekai universe consists of: a forest, a stage, a crossing bridge, an observation tower. We saw the forest and the stage, and the rest was already in the show.
24. The design of the Varekai suits required innovative technical solutions to ensure safety and comfort. Experienced craftsmen were engaged in the manufacture of original costumes, spending at least 33,000 hours on this difficult work!
We move on to the backstage, where the artists prepare and rest before their performances.
25. The “heads” of the costumes are in special cabinets that are transported by truck.
26. To Long Dresses They didn’t crumple and didn’t bother anyone, they were hung at the very top.
27. Actor masks.
28. Don’t walk on the blue carpet)
29. The helium balloon will apparently take off.
30. Swing for the corresponding trick.
31. The table at which the artists apply their make-up. Average preparation time is about an hour.
32. The entire video performance is recorded on cameras, and then the details are reviewed by the artists themselves.
The main material for costumes is lycra. The shelf life of some costumes is 6 months. Others are replaced after a few patches.
34. The show's wardrobe includes 600 items of clothing, shoes, wigs, hats and accessories. Keeping costumes in perfect working order while on tour requires up to 250 hours of work per week.
35. Cleaning, repairing, ironing clothes, caring for shoes, hats and other accessories
is handled by a permanent team of 4 people who travel with the tour, and another 2 people who are hired locally in each tour city. Singer machine - fire)
All items fit into 58 boxes on wheels and are transported in two and a half trucks. 7 washing machines and 3 dryers travel with them.
36. Costumes are tailored for each actor. The abs that we see on this suit are the real ones of the actor who wears this outfit)
37. "Spare parts" of the main suits. If it cannot be repaired, it is re-embroidered in Montreal.
38. All costumes are made specifically for specific artists. Most of them are created at the company's international headquarters located in Montreal. This laboratory, unique in North America, employs about 300 craftsmen of various professions - shoemakers, textile designers, lacemakers, tailors, hatmakers and tailors.
39. Threads for every taste!
40. Michael Smith - art director of the circus. In addition to all the organizational work, he also sings well)
Cirque du Soleil's mission is to stimulate the imagination, awaken the senses and stir up the emotions of people around the world!
The circus tour will take place in St. Petersburg from April 27 to May 8, 2016 at the Ice Palace. Tickets for the Varekai show can be purchased on the website
23/06/2010
The famous Cirque du Soleil, whose tour is about to begin in St. Petersburg, can be compared with football club Chelsea. The Canadian circus, as well as the brainchild of Roman Abramovich, is the very place where talents from all over the world dream of getting to. Russian speech has become increasingly common among circus performers lately. Former Russian athletes and circus performers are giving up everything to travel the world under the Canadian flag.
"C
Circus du Soleil" (translated from French as "Circus of the Sun") is called the "maternity hospital of ideas" and "the tomorrow of the global entertainment industry." About 350 Russian-speaking artists feel great in this “maternity hospital”. By the way, there are 1.5 thousand performers in Cirque du Soleil. And in “Alegria” - one of the 20 circus productions - among the fifty artists performing on stage, almost thirty are from the countries of the former USSR.Russia has an amazing tradition of acrobatics and circus art, explains the “abundance” of Russians Michel Laprise, creative director of the act that Cirque du Soleil showed at “ Scarlet Sails" - You have your own unique circus school, and therefore Russian artists can easily be seen among others. The influence of your compatriots on Cirque du Soleil is difficult to overestimate. We respect what they do. In addition, Russians fit perfectly into our circus. At the core of their DNA is the curiosity of a traveler. We like it.
Michel Laprise's words are not an empty formality. Russian artists in Canada are provided with conditions that they previously only timidly dreamed of.
Roman Kalaev is 32 years old. He used to be an athlete: he jumped on a trampoline and sincerely thought that he would never get anywhere further than his native Voronezh. When his sports career ended, he was invited to work at a local circus. The several years spent there were not easy for the former athlete.
Everything changed when Roman Kalaev learned about “Canadian happiness.” Having recorded his performances on video, he sent them to Cirque du Soleil. Two months later he was invited to work there as an aerialist. And now it's been three years former resident Voronezh travels around the world. While on tour, he does not live in old hotels, but in four- and five-star hotels. It happens that polite receptionists and beautiful rooms bore him to the point of gnashing his teeth. Then the circus rents a three-room apartment for Roman Kalaev and his family. The apartment must be located in the center of the city where the tour is taking place, nearby - only best restaurants, supermarkets. The noise of the road should under no circumstances disturb a tired circus performer, and therefore the windows of the apartment simply must face the courtyard. Having become accustomed to such care, Roman Kalaev is in no hurry to return to his native circus, which for some reason he persistently calls Soviet... Moreover, his daughter will soon go to school. But together with the artists of Cirque du Soleil, teachers travel from country to country. They teach children of circus performers all general education subjects. However, training is conducted only in English and French. But, as Kalaev says, the child is always there. But Russian circuses are not yet thinking about their own school for children.
Yes, working in a Canadian circus is very difficult,” admits Roman Kalaev. - We have constant training, we spend 8 hours at work, but it’s worth it. In addition, after each city we rest for 2 weeks and get ourselves back to normal. Nobody forces us to work as hard as we can.
Olga Vavrenyuk, who shone in the number shown at “Scarlet Sails,” is a former Ukrainian gymnast. At the age of 16 she was injured. On sports career the cross was put up. Having recovered, the girl began to train on her own and after a while she was invited to work at the Kiev Circus. Olga, perhaps, would have agreed, but then she heard that Cirque du Soleil was coming to the capital of Ukraine on tour. Plucking up courage, the girl went to the casting. The gymnast, performing difficult tricks, was immediately hired. On the very first day she received insurance.
Without insurance, the artist will not even be allowed into the rehearsal, says Olga Vavrenyuk. - In general, Cirque du Soleil is excellent at working with documents. We all sign a contract that specifies a fixed wage in year. All artists know perfectly well how much money they will receive. There is no uncertainty. And it helps to work.
How much the performers of the most famous circus in the world receive is a closely guarded secret. But many gymnasts have expensive watches on their wrists, and almost all walk around in stylish clothes from leading brands. In Russian circuses, many performers live by completely different laws.
Acrobats in Russia receive an average of 20-25 thousand rubles per month. And when they rehearse a new program and don’t perform, they can count on 5-7 thousand rubles,” Anatoly Ruban, the head of the “Acrobats with Throwing Boards” act at the Great Moscow Circus on Vernadsky Avenue, tells MK in St. Petersburg. - Not always everything goes well with the insurance of gymnasts. It happens that the circus people are told: they say, you yourself are broken, heal yourself. I somehow ended up in the hospital. The circus bought me a pin for my broken leg. But my wife bought the painkillers...
According to Canadian circus performers, this does not threaten them even in a nightmare. Moreover, if a gymnast suddenly gets tired of risking his life under the very dome, he may well change his field. Cirque du Soleil has opened courses where specialists find new jobs for former artists. Some may be offered a coaching position, others are sent to work in the office. Still others have a long conversation with a psychologist, trying to figure out what exactly the artist doesn’t like.
We regularly hold special meetings,” says Olga Varenyuk. - There we tell you what exactly doesn’t suit us in our work. Tell me, where else will I be offered such conditions? Even if I am invited to the best Russian circus, I will still refuse. Yes, I miss home, but I also can’t live without Cirque du Soleil.
During the 7 years that former gymnast Olga Varenyuk has been working in the Canadian circus, she has toured dozens of countries. Every now and then she inserts English words into her speech, although before working at Cirque du Soleil she had difficulty understanding Shakespeare’s language. She visits Ukraine so rarely that she already forgets the names of many streets in the city. Therefore, I accepted the tour to “brotherly Russia” as a gift.
When they told us that we were going to St. Petersburg, all the Russians were absolutely happy,” Olga Varenyuk smiles. - However, the foreigners were happy too. Everyone is interested in how Russia lives now. When we performed at “Scarlet Sails”, I was worried like never before in my life. I couldn't even smile. I went out on stage and saw that everyone around me was friendly, all Russian. And I'm one of them. This is... responsibility... How do you say this in Russian? A! Responsibility, great responsibility - to perform in front of your own.
Michel Laprise also liked it in Russia. After he came up with an act for Cirque du Soleil's performance at Eurovision in Moscow, he was drawn to Russia like a magnet.
I can't explain it, but I really like working in your country, says Michel Laprise. “Completely inexplicable things are happening here.” For example, all of our artists suddenly begin to treat each other better. Everyone becomes very friendly. And in general, our circus and the Russian public have a real love story.
However, even a “love story” will not keep the Russian performers of Cirque du Soleil in St. Petersburg longer due date. At the beginning of August, the tour will end, they will leave for Kazan, and then leave Russia altogether. After all, Russian circus performers see their future in the arenas of Europe and the USA. And they don’t yet dream of Russian circuses, where acrobats are accustomed to risking their lives with half-empty pockets.
Ours at Cirque du Soleil:
Trainers: Boris Verkhovsky, Andrey Lev, Alexander Moiseev, Konstantin Beschetny (director and creator of the Voltige act, received the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo for it, having been sent there on behalf of Cirque du Soleil);
- clowns: Vyacheslav Polunin, Sergei Shashelev, Nikolai Terentyev, duet Valery Keft - Leonid Leikin;
- acrobats: the Arnautov brothers, Oleg Kantemirov, Alexey Tvelenev;
- juggler: Victor Ki (Kiktev);
- prize-winners of the world and European championships in sports acrobatics Alexey Lyubezny and Anatoly Borovikov from Belarus, two-time world champion in acrobatics Evgeny Ivanov.
"Cirque du Soleil" is radically different from its "brothers"
Ban on animals. The Canadian circus has stopped using trained animals.
- Non-standard choreography. Business card The circus is considered to be extremely difficult jumps of several acrobats on a trampoline cross track to the music. From a distance, it resembles patterns that are visible, say, in a kaleidoscope. In addition, the number “Dance on a Wire” is known all over the world, which will also be shown in St. Petersburg.
- Invention of new technologies. During one of the shows, seven independent platforms are installed on the stage space: the main platform can rear up and rotate in three dimensions on a huge lever, five pillars emerge from below and disappear again, on which acrobats jump, and deep below, a safety net invisible to the public protects those diving from above the artists .
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TALENT IN A SUN FRAME
Cirque du Soleil and its Russian artists
"It's better than the thrill of the wheels." "Visual orgasm" "I laughed so hard I almost peed myself." "I will never be able to go to other circuses again." Spectators leave such entries in the Cirque du Soleil guest book.
Seven of his different shows are running simultaneously in different parts of the world. It is curious that in one of the performances, "Alegria", among the 50 artists performing on stage, 30 are from countries former Union. In other troupes the percentage is smaller, but still impressive. I wonder why there are so many Russians there and how our fellow countrymen influence the development of modern circus?
Circus organism
The culmination of the multi-step clownery is the number “Storm” he invented (copyright reserved), in which main character(Spanish: Yuri Medvedev), getting ready for the trip, climbs with one hand into a raincoat hanging on a hanger under his hat and cleans his floors with a brush. Suddenly, like in a thriller, the cloak comes to life, alienating the clown's hand, and does not let go, taking away the brush. The poor clown dies in quiet horror, and the coat suddenly strokes him, removes specks of dust from his shoulder, kisses him like a woman and quietly slips a note into his jacket. But the departure whistle sounds, the clown breaks free, runs to the suitcase, puts on a black hat that smokes like a chimney, and circles the stage like a train. Out of breath, he sits down on the suitcase, takes out a handkerchief, sees a note that has fallen out, reads it eagerly... Then he slowly tears it up and sadly throws the pieces up. They swirl like snowflakes, and after them light paper snow falls from above, turning into a thick continuous shaft. After a minute of increasing howling wind, an apocalyptic storm begins. A dazzling spotlight and a wind turbine shine into the eyes of the audience, which blows away paper snowdrifts right up to upper tier tent. Thunderous music cuts to the bone. Complete spectator catharsis.
Hysterical ovation. Intermission.
After the end of the show, people need at least 15 minutes to yell and whistle enough. In the finale there is a special number when the artists run out to bow and tear off their masks.
I'm sorry that I was carried away into tearful delight, but I can't do anything about it. Tears flowed without asking. From happiness.
Epilogue to fanfare It seems that so global success circus, achieved in just 15 years, is due to excellent leadership, a powerful artistic concept and extraordinary aesthetics, the absolute skill of all show creators and artists, the latest technical equipment
, and, as a consequence of all of the above, - elementary monetary wealth. The influence of this example on the rest of the circus world cannot be overestimated, and we have the right to be proud of our compatriots who, with their art, amaze so many spectators in all parts of the world.
For the last time he will perform in Moscow with the show Kooza - one of the most spectacular circus shows in the world. For our special project, the artists took pictures without costumes or makeup and talked about their lives in the circus and beyond.
BARRY LOWIN, ACROBAT About work: “I am a perfectionist by nature. If I make a mistake, I get very worried and scold myself. The viewer may not notice it, but I know that I could do better. Therefore, I devote a lot of time to training and rehearsals. To maintain good physical fitness I do Pilates and yoga. Work in Cirque du Soleil
not the easiest, but the best for me at the moment.”
About personal: "Show Kooza
fulfilled two of my cherished dreams at once: working on stage and traveling around the world. I like that we never sit in one place. I like to travel around cities and study the culture of different countries. Of course, sometimes I miss my friends and family. But such is life: those who follow their dreams always have to give up something. I don’t regret anything and I’m absolutely happy now.
BARRY LOWIN Acrobat (role in the show - Dodger). A country: USA. I do Pilates and yoga. Work in Before : worked on American television and radio, played in the theater. At Cirque du Soleil
: two years, six months in the show Kooza.
BARRY LOWIN, ACROBAT
« I do Pilates and yoga. Work in VLADIMIR KUZNETSOV, ACROBAT
creates excellent conditions for artists: medical insurance, travel around the world. If you are with your family, then the circus rents apartments... And yet it’s hard to perform in the same image, in the same show for so many years. I think five years is enough and something needs to change.”“A year ago my daughter was born. Now my wife periodically goes to Russia to visit her grandparents, and in the summer she vacationed in Bulgaria with her daughter. Before the birth of the child, my wife was with me on tour all the time. It’s hard for the other halves of the “circus”. We work six days a week, leaving little time for family. On weekends we try to go somewhere: to museums, theaters, or just walk around the city. But usually the wife has to look for entertainment on her own. I don’t think that without her support I would have been able to work in one place for so many years.”
VLADIMIR KUZNETSOV
BARRY LOWIN(number in the show “Flip Boards”). (role in the show - Dodger). Russia. USA. I do Pilates and yoga. Work in: worked at the Russian State Circus. : worked on American television and radio, played in the theater.: six years on the show Kooza.
YULIA KOROSTELEVA,
AIR GIMNAST
BARRY LOWIN, ACROBAT“For a long time I perceived work in I do Pilates and yoga. Work in as temporary. I left a couple of times, trying to find myself, for example, in journalism. But I realized that the circus is my life. There is a routine in it too, and sometimes it becomes unbearable. The cities are changing outside the window, and you don’t even have time to see them. But a second wind opens and everything gets better.”
creates excellent conditions for artists: medical insurance, travel around the world. If you are with your family, then the circus rents apartments... And yet it’s hard to perform in the same image, in the same show for so many years. I think five years is enough and something needs to change.”“I think my next role is as a wife and mother. But with our work it's hard to find good dad for future children. I strong man: sport and circus strengthened my character. If I meet someone stronger than myself, I’ll give up everything. It doesn't matter to me where to live. Previously, I couldn’t imagine myself outside of Moscow. Now I know that home is a place where people love and wait.”
YULIA KOROSTELEVA
Aerialist(room “Trapezoid”). (role in the show - Dodger). Russia. USA. I do Pilates and yoga. Work in: did gymnastics. : worked on American television and radio, played in the theater.: 12 years, of which 5 in Kooza.
RON CAMPBELL, CLOWN
BARRY LOWIN, ACROBAT“The main difference between theater and circus is the audience. People come to the circus to relax, so everything should be extremely simple. We hardly speak, we convey information to the viewer with the help of facial expressions and gestures. IN "Show Clowns are not sentimental. Our jokes are on the verge of good and evil. You have to be careful not to offend anyone."
creates excellent conditions for artists: medical insurance, travel around the world. If you are with your family, then the circus rents apartments... And yet it’s hard to perform in the same image, in the same show for so many years. I think five years is enough and something needs to change.”"Thanks to "Show I met my girlfriend. We met while touring in Japan. She has her own store there. The work is smooth, so she can easily leave with me for 2-3 months. I practice Japanese martial arts. And if I play the fool on stage, then in life I can fight back. Although I’ll be joking at the same time. After the end of the contract with the circus, I will return to the theater. But for now I like being the head of the kingdom "Show».
RON CAMPBELL
Clown(role in the show - King). A country: A country: USA. I do Pilates and yoga. Work in: was a street actor, worked in the troupe of the California Shakespeare Theater. Organized a show in Los Angeles
in which he performed 49 roles. : worked on American television and radio, played in the theater.: 6 years in Kooza.
SEAN KAMPTON, CLOWN
BARRY LOWIN, ACROBAT“I don’t get tired of work: my work is me.
creates excellent conditions for artists: medical insurance, travel around the world. If you are with your family, then the circus rents apartments... And yet it’s hard to perform in the same image, in the same show for so many years. I think five years is enough and something needs to change.” There are two types of clowns: some with 30 years of work experience and absolute children, others who have been working for what seems like three hundred years - such gloomy old men. I'm somewhere in the middle." "Show“My wife is an aerialist, but in the show
worked as a clown with me. She has now returned to England with our daughter to send her to school. The daughter grew up behind the scenes and loves the circus.
Clown I think she will work here. Although the main thing is her happiness. I grew up in a family of military doctors, but my parents did not insist that I follow in their footsteps. This is how I will approach my daughter’s choice.” (role in the show - Dodger). SEAN KAMPTON
(role in the show - King's Jester, handyman) I do Pilates and yoga. Work in Great Britain. Before: played in theaters in the USA and Great Britain, performed in street shows, worked as a director
Generating Company : worked on American television and radio, played in the theater. "Show.
- the UK's largest company
organizing tours of circus shows.
VEDRA CHANDLER, SINGER
creates excellent conditions for artists: medical insurance, travel around the world. If you are with your family, then the circus rents apartments... And yet it’s hard to perform in the same image, in the same show for so many years. I think five years is enough and something needs to change.” About work: I do Pilates and yoga. Work in?»
“In musicals I sang, acted, danced, but here I just sing, without distracting attention from the stage. Of course I miss dancing, but I love my new job. It gives you the opportunity to travel and communicate with the whole world.”
“I graduated from Harvard with a degree in politics. But I always dreamed of performing on stage. It was difficult for my parents to come to terms with the fact that I, with such a serious education, was working in musicals. And when they learned about the circus, they were horrified. But I invited them to the performance, and all questions disappeared. They saw a beautiful show and realized that I was happy here. Now everyone is proud to tell about my work. I am 32 years old, and I feel like a child thanks to the circus. I don’t think about what will happen tomorrow, but no matter what happens, I know: I won’t be lost. If I get tired of singing, I can get involved in politics. How do you like the new President of America from(role in the show - Dodger). A country: USA. I do Pilates and yoga. Work in VEDRA CHANDLER Singer: Performed in musicals on Broadway. Kooza.
At Cirque du Soleil
: four years, three of them on the show
JIMMY IBARRA ZAPATA (LEFT)
AND RONALD SOLIS, ACROBATS
not the easiest, but the best for me at the moment.”
Jimmy about work: “Since childhood, I loved adrenaline. When I saw “The Wheel of Death” at the age of 12, I promised myself that I would perform this trick. And I’ve been performing with him for 20 years now.”“Mom came to the show only once, but in the middle of the performance she ran out of the hall. I think after finishing work in
Kooza,
I'll stop doing this trick. I have a girlfriend, and I want to think about the future: family and children.”
creates excellent conditions for artists: medical insurance, travel around the world. If you are with your family, then the circus rents apartments... And yet it’s hard to perform in the same image, in the same show for so many years. I think five years is enough and something needs to change.”“When you take risks every day, it’s better not to think about the future. I try to live for today. My wife doesn’t approve of my work, but she knows that this is life for me.”
JIMMY IBARA ZAPATA (RIGHT)
BARRY LOWIN(room "Wheel of Death") A country: Colombia. (role in the show - King's Jester, handyman) I do Pilates and yoga. Work in: worked as an acrobat in German Circus Flic Flac. : worked on American television and radio, played in the theater.: seven years, six of them on the show Kooza.
RONALD SOLIS
BARRY LOWIN(number in the show "Wheel of Death") . A country: Colombia. USA. I do Pilates and yoga. Work in: worked in Swiss Nock. : worked on American television and radio, played in the theater.: year in the show Kooza.
Almost a quarter of a century ago, in the distant province of Quebec, a circus was born, as a poet would say: “stars called the Sun,” which was destined to become a factory of new circus dreams. The Canadian Cirque du Soleil (translated as Circus of the Sun) is called “the tomorrow of the global entertainment industry”, “the maternity hospital of ideas”, “the brilliant invention of Guy Laliberte”.
In the guest book, viewers leave such notes on different languages: “What I saw blew my mind.” "Visual orgasm" "I laughed so hard I almost peed myself." "I beat my hands and lost my voice. Today is the happiest day of my life." “Give your girls my phone number, let them all call whenever they want, I love you forever.” "You helped me understand who I really am. I want to thank you for the deep shock I experienced - for drawing me into delight, love, laughter, freedom and dreams."
The brainchild of Guy Laliberte is today a colossal enterprise in the world of show business, attracting more than ten million viewers a year. It can perhaps be compared to the Chelsea football club, but in the circus area, that is, the richest place where all the talents gather.
An interesting paradox: he brought fame to the Canadian circus through an international creative team that includes representatives from more than forty different countries.
At the moment, almost 4,000 people work there, among whom are over a thousand artists, the rest are the directors and administration, creative workshops (directors, choreographers, artists, musicians), trainers, technical staff, personnel department, teachers, cooks, security and etc.
The main headquarters, which is located in Montreal, is where most of the listed non-cast members work - 1,800 employees. In this huge laboratory with the most modern equipment, the best creative forces on the planet are gathered to create new circus projects. The result of this work: today there are seventeen different shows operating under the Cirque du Soleil brand: ten stationary halls (in Las Vegas, New York, Orlando, Tokyo and Macau), the rest have been touring all over the world for years. The average capacity of the tent is two and a half thousand people. Tickets for any Cirque du Soleil performance range from 50 to 180 US dollars.
Almost without exception, all the shows of this circus employ Russian-speaking artists. In some productions, for example, in “Alegria”, among the fifty artists performing on stage, almost thirty are from the countries of the former Soviet Union. In others, the percentage is smaller, but still impressive.
To answer the question - why are there so many Russians there and in what ways do they get there, we need to turn to the history of our country: over a hundred and fifty years we have developed an excellent circus school based on ancient circus traditions, then the freedom to work under contracts opened up where you are in demand and most appreciated. Plus, globalization has begun. Well, each artist of Cirque du Soleil has his own separate case, a specific fate.
Very “typical,” so to speak, in its non-standard nature, is the story of the Ivanov family from the city of Yaroslavl. Since 1995, Evgeny and Natalya Ivanov have been touring with the Alegria tour. Now they are both in their early forties; they got married in their youth, as soon as Zhenya returned from service in the Soviet Army. Natasha and Zhenya are themselves graduates of the Soviet sports system. Their youthful romance was associated with trips to sports camps and performances. After Zhenya performed extensively and successfully at international competitions, his friends invited him to join a circus troupe touring Mexico. He signed a contract with a Mexican impresario, and the whole family began a nomadic life. Daughter Christina is now 23 years old, she is a circus acrobat, already working in another Cirque du Soleil show, “La Nouba” in Orlando. Their eight-year-old son Timofey, who was born during a tour of America, travels with his parents and has been traveling all his life.
The head of the family, Evgeny Ivanov, the current performer of the role of the Red Hunchback in “Alegria”, an acrobat in the “Fast Truck” act, recalls:
“I got into Cirque du Soleil quite by accident thirteen years ago, when this circus was not yet so big and rich, and there were so many artists, and so few programs that it was easier to fly into space as a tourist than to get into its troupe. It was 1995, and Alegria's show was still in its early days. The first time I saw Cirque du Soleil was on videotape, the production of "Nouvelle experience". I liked it so much that I said to myself: this is the circus where I want to work.”
By that time, Zhenya was twice world champion in individual disciplines in acrobatics, won European championships five times, nine in Russia. He worked for several years in a professional circus in Mexico. He came to the Montreal studio, but at first he was turned down, saying that they didn’t need acrobats with such qualifications there. Apparently he achievement list seemed too impressive. He was given a ticket home, but Zhenya stayed behind just to stay in Montreal and watch the training. Somehow, by chance, he was asked to meet at the airport some Gilles Saint-Croix, a gray-haired man with whom Zhenya had a good conversation in Spanish. And he told him to come to the studio and show him what he could do. It turned out that Gilles was the Vice President for Creative Affairs at the circus. Zhenya jumped on the trampoline for him, but did not hear any comments.
And now, with a flight ticket, he was sitting, waiting for a taxi, suddenly a girl comes up and says: “Please hand over your ticket. Here are the keys to the hotel, check in.” Zhenya was so happy that at first he didn’t even ask what the room number was. Those apartments seemed simply luxurious to him, because for the last two weeks he had been living with a friend almost on a rug.
The working and living conditions there are really very good. On tour - accommodation in four to five star hotels or condo apartments with kitchens, full health insurance, and partial insurance for the family. The contract provides a guaranteed capital annual income (what exactly is strictly prohibited from being disclosed by the contract itself, but it is clear that in a provincial circus they would not have earned that kind of money even in ten years). Cirque Du Soleil helps artists change careers when they can no longer perform.
Each tour has its own schools with teachers for the children of artists so that they can receive a full school education. In the main Montreal studio there are huge training rooms, equipped with new equipment, and the assistance of highly qualified trainers. All those invited to perform at Cirque du Soleil must take courses special training, stage movement, singing, dancing. Sometimes these are individual rehearsals, as was the case with Kristina Ivanova, and sometimes they are collective trainings, the so-called “formation”, which usually last 4 months. Directors work to ensure that each newcomer achieves full efficiency, reveals the maximum of their capabilities, and becomes an actor and circus performer at the same time. At the end of the training, the best ones receive work contracts.
The company's founder, Guy Laliberte, who was born in Quebec City, Canada 49 years ago, was a street performer, fire-eater, accordion player and stilt dancer. In the early eighties, he united two dozen artist friends around him. They took part in various street festivals, a particularly successful performance was in 1984 at a large celebration of the 450th anniversary of the discovery of Canada by Jacques Cartier. They turned to the Government of the Province of Quebec, which supported the initiative (which cannot be overestimated), and new company, having received its dose of success and failure in the first years of its existence, set a course to conquer unprecedented heights.
Canadians, having studied and mastered the methods of training circus performers in different countries, having communicated with the masters of the most famous circuses and circus schools, outstanding artists and directors, we created a structure with very strong management. In addition to circus performances, the company is actively realizing its potential in other genres - television projects, cinema, in the entertainment part of ceremonies and corporate events, their CDs, DVDs, souvenirs, as well as other designer products under the brand name are widely promoted.
It takes from a year to 3 years to create each circus program, but they operate it for 12-15, or even more, years. Moreover, in recent years the scale of production has increased, for example, in 2008 three new shows were launched at once: in Tokyo, Macau and Las Vegas. The contract with each artist is concluded for at least a year. Some stay on the show for many years.
When Guy Laliberte comes up with an idea for a new program, he assembles a creative team that develops this idea from all sides: the main theme, script, music, lighting, characters, costumes. The trump card is the invitation to work of original and talented directors, the best artists, composers and directors, such as, for example, the Belgian Franco Dragone. At one time he was given unlimited creative freedom and as a result he created a number of masterpiece productions for Cirque du Soleil: Cirque du Soleil (1985), We Reinvent the Circus (1987), Nouvelle experience (1990), Saltimbanco (1992), Mystere ( 1993) Alegria (1994), Quidam (1996), La Nouba and "O" (1998).
Their scheme works on a completely different principle than all the world's circuses. Highlight -
in a special creative style: a fusion of theatrical aesthetics with the spectacular atmosphere of the circus, plus a fundamental refusal to use trained animals. Also, a new musical score is specially written for each show, and there are always live singers on stage as characters. Each of the characters is a unique image with its own history and purpose. The set design is multi-layered; at the same time, many characters in extraordinary costumes live in different layers of space. The action flows in a single stream, in which there are rapids and quiet backwaters. Light is a living, full-fledged participant in the action. Non-standard and very strong choreographic solutions, for example, when the jumps of several acrobats on a trampoline cross track to the music form amazingly beautiful patterned trajectories. The professionalism of the performers is of the highest class.
It turns out that this level was set from the very beginning by the participation of the Russians.
Pavel Brun, who collaborated with Cirque du Soleil for more than ten years, talks about the first “swallows” from Russia in this circus:
“It all started small and a long time ago, in 1990, when I integrated the very first Russian artists, Vladimir Kekhayal and Vasily Demenchukov, into the “Nouvelle Experience” show. It was an amazing performance that raised the bar of Cirque du Soleil very high for Cirque du Soleil itself, as well as for all fans of this company, which has now become a super-brand of show business on a global scale.”
In 1992, Pavel Brun was invited to stage the play "Saltimbanco", where he assisted choreographer Debbie Brown. Then, 1992-93, in collaboration with the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, he prepared a large aerial act for the first Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas, “Mystere”. This number was fully staffed by Russian artists, which was the first major “infusion” of ours into the Cirque du Soleil. In 1994, Pavel became the Artistic Director of the play "Alegria", where he invited Slava Polunin, which began the ongoing collaboration of Cirque du Soleil with the Litsedey. Also, for this show Pavel prepared an aerial performance under the direction of Andrei Lev. The presence of Russians in Alegria at that moment was already very significant and tangible.
At the beginning of 1995, Pavel Brun was “transferred” to Las Vegas, where he headed the work with the above-mentioned show “Mystere”. In 1996, when work had already begun on the water show “O” for the new Bellagio casino in Las Vegas, he was invited to this project as Artistic Director, and a little later, in 1997, he was made Artistic Director and Artistic Director of the Las Vegas Division Cirque du Soleil, where he led the work on two shows, “Mystere” and “O”, simultaneously. It was amazing and very difficult. He worked with these two shows until the fall of 2001, after which he decided to take a "break" and left Cirque du Soleil.
The infusion of our talents into this circus goes in several directions. Firstly, the infrastructure: the list of local Russian-speaking coaches, stage directors, artistic directors and recruiters includes: Pavel Bryun, whom we have already talked about, clown Slava Polunin, coaches and stage directors Boris Verkhovsky, Andrey Lev, Alexander Moiseev, recruitment specialist Pavel Kotov and many others. Secondly, there are many circus performers, among whom were the acrobats Arnautov brothers, Oleg Kantemirov, Alexey Tvelenev, juggler from Ukraine Victor Ki (Kiktev), and others. Thirdly, talented athletes, such as, for example, winners of the World and European Championships in sports acrobatics Alexey Lyubezny and Anatoly Borovikov from Belarus, or our hero from Yaroslavl, two-time world champion in acrobatics, Evgeniy Ivanov. I would especially like to mention Konstantin Beschetny, the director and creator of the “Voltige” act from the show “Quidam”. This act, by the way, received the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo, having been sent there on behalf of Cirque du Soleil.
Just as Russian ballet at one time demonstrated the level to which troupes in many countries aspired, so our circuses set a high standard for technique in the performance of numbers.
A little history:
At the end of the 19th century, the circus was popular in Moscow, where several seasonal circuses operated, and in St. Petersburg, where the local nobility helped the Italian Ciniselli obtain the right to build a stationary circus (now the St. Petersburg State Circus is located there), which was opened in 1877 and achieved incredible power and popularity. Its scale can be judged by one of the pantomime extravaganzas called “The French Army in Algeria” with the participation of foot and horse troops and two military music choirs - a total of 400 people. In those days, the Ciniselli circus demonstrated the widest range of genre acts at the very high level. To a certain extent, he was the standard by which other world circuses were guided.
In post-revolutionary Russia, the circus began to be supported by the state, and the first productions for the Soviet circus were created by Mayakovsky and Meyerhold, among others. In the 20th century, the Soviet circus received tremendous development and turned into a world flagship, the largest structure in its field, incorporating talented representatives of numerous nationalities from the USSR. Masterly performance of the most complex, amazing tricks were often combined with naive means artistic expression and propaganda pathos in the design, music, choreography and composition of many circus acts. But the aesthetics of the lines of flight and jumps, plasticity, special spirituality in execution - this cannot be taken away from ours. Russians are distinguished by their desire for creative invention, active invention for the sake of constant improvement of their numbers.
Vyacheslav Polunin was the first Russian clown invited to Cirque du Soleil for a long period. His special style lyrical clowning arose from a fusion of different genres, and sources of inspiration include Russian buffoonery, commedia dell'arto, street theater, pantomime by Marcel Marceau, Chapliniana, the art of Buster Keaton, Leonid Engibarov, etc. The introduction of Polunin's metaphysical clowning had a very strong influence on the formation of further clown traditions at Cirque du Soleil. After Slava, who performed his number there “ Snow storm", four more ex-"Litsedey" signed contracts with this circus at different times: Sergey Shashelev (since 1995 in the show "La Nuba", Orlando), Nikolay Terentyev (2000-2003 in the show "Alegria") and the duet Valery Keft, Leonid Leikin (since 1997 on the “Alegria” tour, and since 2000 on the “O” show, Las Vegas). Last year, Leonid was even invited to stage a clown show in the new Cirque du Soleil show “Zaia” in Macau, Leikin’s talent and authority in this matter were so highly appreciated.
One of the oldest artists in Cirque du Soleil in the show “Alegria”, Yuri Medvedev, was brought in as his replacement by Slava Polunin in 1995. He accidentally found Yuri in New York, where he worked as a taxi driver. The former mime and actor of the Taganka Theater for a long time could not believe his happiness that he was back on stage again, and even in a solo clown act of such a show...
While telling me about this during a break between performances, Yuri Medvedev sneezed loudly and his clown nose fell off.
“What is this,” he said, wiping his face. - During the premiere of the number with the storm, my jacket almost blew off and my glued hair came off. Then I barely found my wig under the rows of spectators.
To date, Cirque du Soleil has a huge casting department that searches and selects the most interesting acts, outstanding athletes and talented artists from all over the world. Russia and former socialist republics- in the area of especially close attention. A small detail: on the official website of Cirque du Soleil (www.cirquedusoleil.com) section, dedicated to recruitment frames, has a fully translated version into Russian. It describes in detail what requirements the applicant must meet and exactly how to apply for a job, there is also a complete list of vacancies open at this moment, and this list always remains long...
Having toured in dozens of countries and cities under his belt, Evgeny Ivanov shares his experience:
“At first I worked in Alegria in the “Fast Track” number on the cross trampoline track. This is a large group number where you constantly work in a team. And the whole team works for you, for the very final trick, most often it was a triple somersault. Over the years, the technical level of the act has grown greatly, especially with the arrival of such masters as my fellow countryman from Yaroslavl, Misha Vorontsov. But for the last few years I've been playing a red character with a hump. This is also interesting because it is associated with all the numbers. At any moment I can go out, walk around, chat with the audience and other characters. When I worked at a fast truck, I read four or five books a week between jobs. Now there is no time. I barely finish reading one in a month.
Regarding the whole show, I can say that when we performed on our first tour in America, it seemed to me that this was such a cool show, just super. Then on the Japanese tour they worked really well. We watched the American tapes and were terribly amazed: was it really we who worked so clumsily? Then there was a tour in Europe, and now, when we watch those tapes, everything seems very slow and weak to us. Perhaps, when we look at the current recordings in a couple of years, we will also be ashamed. So there is constant growth.”
Evgeniy is silent about the fact that he is one of those thanks to whom the show goes on at such a level. This man, with outstanding talent, many years of experience and hardening, carried a huge burden of responsibility on his shoulders in a situation where his comrade Vorontsov tore his Achilles and was out of action for many months. Zhenya, already a 38-year-old man, jumped triple somersaults every day without replacement throughout the entire period. The calligraphic lines of his jumps remained flawless. This is true heroism, which inspires others to be honest and selfless.
A talented person is talented in everything (you don’t just become world champions). The transition from a collective act to the solo role of the Red Hunchback is only possible for a person with outstanding abilities. Eugene is completely unrecognizable when he transforms into a pot-bellied hunchback, dressed in a purple velvet tuxedo and a fabulously luxurious vest, studded with large diamonds. With his acting, he holds together the action of the entire performance...
For artists who have worked for a long time in one show, there is an opportunity to move to another, within Cirque du Soleil. In general, the relationships between artists of different shows are very close. For example, Evgeniy Ivanov’s daughter, Christina, who began performing as a child in “Alegria” with her dad, is now successfully working in the show “La Nouba” at the stationary theater of the Cirque du Soleil next to Disney Land in Orlando.
Christina, the owner of a charming smile and a stunning athletic figure, at 23 years old, has a lot of work experience. She started working at Cirque du Soleil when she was 11 years old. Before that, when her dad was already working in the show “Alegria,” she just went on tour with her parents for about a year and a half and dreamed of getting into the show too. It must be said that in Yaroslavl, where she was born, her mother and father took her to play sports from the age of five. They wanted Christina to master the same disciplines as them - acrobatics, jumping on the acrobatic track. And at some point - miraculously - a vacant place became available for her to play the character “Nymph”. This is a little bird that dances before every number.
“I really love performing,” says Christina. - To this day I enjoy every show, this is about 400-500 appearances a year. My character gave me the opportunity to see up close and act on stage with all the artists. Of course, I tried very hard to learn as much as possible from them in order to perform as well as possible. I always strive for complete dedication, because we really love what we do, and I hope that the public feels it. When people stand up during the ovation, it gives a great feeling of satisfaction - we see that people are happy. This is the goal we are striving for. Each performer tries to show the best they can, and that’s what I love most about working with Cirque du Soleil.”
Kristina’s mother, Natasha Ivanova, knows very well what her daughter’s achievement cost cherished dream. When it became known that Christina was given a contract, they arrived with her from Hong Kong, where the tour was going on, to the Montreal studio, the main center of Cirque du Soleil. This was in November 1996. Then there were 3 long months of preparation, during which five teachers worked with Christina: a trainer for specific trampoline jumps, choreographers, a mime, as well as costume designers and a teacher. in English. I had to get up at seven in the morning and return home around nine in the evening. Five full working days a week. Two days off. Fortunately, such qualities as hard work and diligence, instilled from early childhood, helped the girl cope with the stresses that were by no means childish. It also helped that she always grew up as a very cheerful and cheerful person. A little joke and a smile lit up her tired, concentrated face. The teachers loved Christina and enjoyed working with her. Returning to the tour after rehearsals in Europe, in Amsterdam in February 1997, Christina quickly became involved in working in the show, along with adult artists. It required full exertion of physical and moral strength. Communication was all in English. The circus school gave the right to study for child performers, but only in French. Can you imagine 11 year old child, in the morning he goes to school to study science in French, and in the afternoon he goes to rehearsal, where all the teams are in English, and then in the evening work begins on the show, where both languages, minus his native Russian. Moreover, it should be noted that the mother in the circus is a stranger and should not be nearby, and the father is the same artist who has his own rehearsal and working hours. It happened that there was no time to say words to each other in Russian.
Natalya Ivanova says with a sigh:
“Yes, it was very difficult. But I saw it, mom. But Christina seemed to perceive everything as it should be. It’s difficult, yes, but it’s necessary. And there is no word “I don’t want.” This is how we raised her from childhood. The premiere was successful for her, without failures. Christina always liked performing on stage, from the very beginning. And her artistic skill grew gradually, she was not an artist, she learned this in the process of working on stage, in public. Our family in the past, initially, was a family of athletes, not artists. It's different..."
Christina herself recalls something else:
“Tour travel is one of the most wonderful periods in my life, because it gave me the opportunity to see many countries, meet different people, cultures, traditions, and ways of life. I traveled with Alegria for 7 years. Among other things, I graduated from a tour school, which is based on the Quebec system school education, so I have a diploma from a Canadian school. I learned English and French there, which I now speak fluently. In my time, we had 4 teachers who constantly worked on the tour and taught 11 students. I know that there are even more students there now than before, and my younger brother Timosha is also studying there now.”
Despite the fact that Christina constantly performs, on weekends - two shows a day, she, while working at La Nube, in Orlando, managed to graduate from a local college without leaving work. correspondence department, earning a degree in interior design for a possible future career. She earned the money for her education herself. Others would have fallen off their feet from such a load, but not Christina. She sees her parents several times a year, flies to them when she has a weekend or vacation starts. He tries to fly to Russia with them every year. Of course, Christina has injuries and moments of weakness, when everything seems like hellish work. This lifestyle is not for the weak. But doing what you love is the best motivation since childhood.
Touring troupes are a subject of special pride and concern for Cirque du Soleil. On average, a circus camp numbers up to two hundred people, including staff and household members. Usually it looks like this: around a snow-white (or striped blue-yellow) tent with two and a half thousand seats, with numerous spiers and flags of different heights, a vast foyer with shops and buffets, there is a circus town, which includes ticket offices, complexes of administrative trailers, a dining room for staff and artists, a techno-zone for installers, electrical installations, plumbing and toilet communications, a pen for fifty temporarily hired ticket takers and three school buildings on wheels. It should be noted that the Circus only needs water and telephone communications from the city, and everything else, including electricity generation, is autonomous. At the entrance to the circus town there is an impressive watchman's hut, the territory itself is surrounded by a delicate, but high and durable mesh.
This is a microcosm with its own rules, laws, and established traditions. For example, once every couple of years, so-called “Talent Shows” are traditionally held, when at a special concert everyone demonstrates their alternative talents to each other: singing, tap dancing, performing heavy metal music. Or there is the “Techno Show,” a kind of private show where the audience is the performers of the show, and the staff and family members make a parody of the show and the relationships on tour, sometimes in a very ironic way. The wives of artists are the most knowledgeable people, word of mouth works, and all kinds of help are common when it comes to, for example, child care. Young people enjoy going to nightclubs to dance. The circus community periodically en masse gets interested in chess, organizing informal tournaments, ping-pong, attending Mexican salsa courses, or going to an away paintball game.
Circus children have extensive experience in adapting to a variety of conditions in different countries. They have privileges that are not available to ordinary children, for example, attending high-society celebrations after each premiere in the company of high-ranking persons and artist parents. Or trips to the best museums and attractions in the cities where the show comes. Children are allowed to sit at desks in the classroom cross twine or putting your knee behind your shoulder, because it is useless to prohibit it. All of them speak three or four languages fluently, although they speak their native language without an accent, they know how to give lively interviews to the next reporters who come to school, as well as maintain small talk at receptions.
They are aware that everyone is in the same boat, so they need to be more responsible and careful towards each other - their circle of close contacts is forcibly limited due to constant travel. Hence - tolerance when it comes to other people's national, cultural and other views. For younger students, high school students are almost like sisters and brothers; there is constant close communication with them.
Natasha Ivanova says:
“Family traditions on tour are a separate matter. For example, in our family it’s fun to celebrate your birthday, and not only feed the guests deliciously, but also make everyone laugh so that no one gets bored. Play, sing, dance. Unfortunately, it is difficult to maintain ordinary family traditions on tours. They are easy to maintain at home, when you are surrounded by your favorite objects, family and friends. But on tour this is not the case. You always have to adapt to new conditions.”
Of course, with endless travel, they miss communication with close friends in Russia, they miss their native Yaroslavl, and constantly call home, no matter how much money it costs. But they use every opportunity to invite their parents or friends to stay on tour, to see the world with them. And they really appreciate the opportunity to visit Beautiful places, museums, seeing diverse nature, making friends with people of other nationalities.
During their work, the Ivanov family made more than one tour around the globe: through Japan and New Zealand with Australia, many European countries, the length and breadth of the USA and Canada, right up to Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Every year they fly home on vacation to Yaroslavl to see their loved ones, and their cozy apartment is gradually filled with exotic souvenirs.
Evgeniy adds:
“On tour, different things happen. One day we were flying from country to country on a plane and going through customs. The customs officer suspiciously asked me to go through the security gate, empty my pockets, raise my hands, in short, looked from all sides, and then nodded somewhere at my feet and asked: What do you have there? I say: Where? I turn around, I don’t understand anything. Legs, I say. He orders me: lift up your trousers. I lift up my trouser legs slightly and the customs officer begins to blush deeply, he felt so ashamed and embarrassed. He apparently couldn’t even imagine that human calves could actually have such muscles. He apologized later.”
Evgeniy really enjoyed touring Australia, Japan, and Europe. According to him, in Japan the audience reacted a little more restrainedly, in Europe, especially Spain, there was squealing, screaming, and wild applause. And when Zhenya began to play the role of the Red Hunchback, he began to notice more nuances in the audience’s reactions. In his opinion, the best crowd is on Friday night, regardless of the country. After the end of the week comes relaxation and other pleasures. The most lethargic crowd is on Sunday morning. Some were late, some didn't get enough sleep. There are a lot of kids who get distracted. Americans are like children, they need permanent action, if there is a pause, then they immediately start eating popcorn and communicating. And the Japanese will look with wide eyes and open mouth as much as you like, no matter how long you stand still.
There is something to look at with your mouth open.
Negotiations about coming to Russia are already underway, so soon the Cirque du Soleil tour will take place here too.
Stationary shows are another “story with a continuation.” Each project is designed for many years of operation. For example, the show “Mistere” has been on since 1993, and is very successful to this day. Circus workers rent or buy housing at their location and live an ordinary city life, but work under special conditions. The scale of the circus’ capabilities is evidenced by a small quote from an interview with Robert Lepage, who staged the show “Ka” for Cirque du Soleil, which has a permanent hall in the most rapidly developing city in Nevada:
“It’s a very strange situation in Las Vegas. There is a lot of money there, there are only multi-billionaires around, so there is no talk about money there at all. They say: “Our only desire is to work with you.” - "Okay. How can I help you?" - "Invent something that no one has seen before. Do what you want, experiment, try, come up with new technologies, do any research, testing that you need. You can work as long as you need until you you will feel that you have come to things that did not exist before you.” These are the conditions. We worked, carried out all kinds of experiments, invented, experimented... And the total budget for the show appeared only at the very end - 200 million dollars.”
As a result, for the invention of new technologies, the show “Ka” (an epic tale in the spirit of martial arts) received a special award in 2008 for outstanding achievements in technical equipment. The stage space uses seven independent platforms: the main platform can rear up and rotate in three dimensions on a huge lever, five pillars emerge from below and disappear again on which acrobats jump, and deep below, a safety net invisible to the public protects the performers diving from above. Even watching a video of this show on the circus website is breathtaking.
Future projects will include more innovations and fusions of genres, such as multimedia capabilities, dance, various types of martial arts, illusion tricks, such as for the new show “CRISS ANGEL® Believe™”. Criss Angel himself says this about the new performance:
“People come up to me and ask, what is your show like? And here's the truth: expect the unexpected, because this spectacle was beyond my wildest dreams. This is beyond comprehension. The show offers you a special experience that is different from anything the entertainment world has offered so far. Believe me."
A success story like Cirque du Soleil is unique. This is possible once per era. Cirque du Soleil is now developing a truly global commercial entertainment industry. Laliberte takes on the scope and established name of his circus. His projects give a start to life to completely new ideas and feed great amount people, the company participates in numerous charitable initiatives.
One of the best modern experts on the history of world circus, Pascal Jacob, believes that in the future Cirque du Soleil will become an absolute monopoly due to the processes of globalization in world business. In this area of the West, Cirque du Soleil will soon be as ubiquitous as Coca Cola. There is a gradual merging of the meaning of the word “Circus” and Cirque du Soleil, just as in the century before last the word “Circus” in America meant the spectacle “Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show On Earth”.
Pavel Brun, once the Artistic Director and Artistic Director of the Las Vegas Division of Cirque du Soleil, whom we already mentioned at the beginning, says:
“It is difficult to overestimate the importance of Russians in Cirque du Soleil. Why? Yes, because Russian traditions and technologies in the art of circus and theater and in sports are very high and deep. Cirque du Soleil began literally on the streets of Quebec, knowing nothing of the above, but, to their credit, fearing nothing. Step by step, bringing one Russian artist after another to Cirque du Soleil, creating act after act, attracting coach after coach, we introduced the Cirque to what we know and can do better than many (if not all) in the world.”
The impact of this example on the rest of the circus world cannot be overstated. Already, the number of spectators who have seen Cirque du Soleil productions approaches 80 million spectators on five continents.
After watching any Cirque du Soleil show, any of you can buy yourself a colorful program, open it on the last page, look at the composition of the troupe, with photographs, names and countries, who is from where, and find out how many of our people are there. And then, after the end of the performance, go to the service exit and tell them in Russian: “Hello, friends. Thank you for your art. How are the Ivanovs doing there these days?”
Irina TERENTYEVA.