It seems that the Cirque du Soleil get away with all of the things we were staunchly told not to do as children.
Imagine being dressed as a bed and then jumping from a trampoline, swinging from a trapeze into a pit of foam cubes. Plus they do it all wearing ballet slippers that have been transformed into stilettos and costumes made from eye-catching fabrics that are capable of surviving water and fire.
Producing a Cirque du Soleil show is no easy feat, in fact it takes more than 5,000 employees who are experts in choreography, costume design and acrobatics to take the firm beyond the realms of a traditional circus act. Today they have more than 19 performances that tour all around the world, with Las Vegas and Tokyo some of the most popular locations.
Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas is a fantastic experience for those looking for something to do in between their trips to the casinos. Many visitors to Las Vegas who are looking for fun rather than a serious gambling experience can end up receiving negativity from veteran players at the blackjack table, because they believe the myth that bad players can ruin a game of blackjack, and so will take a break to watch the Cirque du Soleil’s magical performance, which dates back to the 1980s.
The original Cirque du Soleil was established Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec in 1984. There were initially a group of stilt-walkers and street performers known as Le Club des Talons Hauts (the High Heels Club). Guy Laliberte was the founder of the group and arranged for them to perform a special show to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the European discovery of Canada in 1534. The celebration show was named ‘Cirque du Soleil’ (circus of the sun), funds and awareness were raised for the show by Mr Ste-Croix who walked 56 miles on stilts.
The success of the anniversary show led the troupe to rename themselves on a permanent basis, with thousands of eager fans willing to pay money to their unique style of acrobatics. Part of the show’s success was the decision to do away with animals, which had become a big part of traditional circus shows, and instead focusing on the acrobatics. They emerged at a time when Canada didn’t have much of a circus culture which made the shows even more appealing to fans who’d never seen anything like it before.
Exposure in Japan in 1992 raised the awareness of the brand among the Asian market and opened them up to the wider world. Steve Wynn offered Guy Laliberte a permanent slot as his Mirage Resort in 1993, this also paved the way for a show to open at Disneyworld in Orlando.
Switzerland was the first country that Cirque visited in order to raise their European awareness. They toured alongside the Swiss Circus Knie throughout the country in 1995 that then led to further opportunities in Europe. Despite most of the company’s shows taking place abroad, the Cirque du Soleil are still cherished throughout Canada.