Joining the Soleil

Cirque Du Soleil is my favorite Canadian export. With 15 shows around the world, 1000 artists, 5000+ employees, over 90 million spectators in 200 cities and with 50 nationalities making up the company the Montreal-based circus of magic has a lot going for it. This weekend at the Academy Awards they even had their bit on going to the movies.

Down in front. I can't see the fire-breather.

Cirque Du Soleil's appearance at the Academy Awards wasn't their first. 10 years ago the troupe performed at the 74th annual broadcast. Looking back, the Cirque Du Soleil has certainly grown. At the previous award show the acts were primarily made up of rehashing performance vignettes and pitting them to a film montage. While the costumes were adapted, the acts felt separated by their difference. The highlight of their performance wasn't the bang with which Cirque opens, but the ending where several figures in gold leap from the ceiling to perform a trapeze act in honour of Oscar. Splendid, but not their finest.

Last Sunday night the Cirque showed how much of a difference ten years can make.

People always stand on my head at the cinema too.

Unified by a grayscale suit motif (which in retrospect makes the award show look like it was dedicated to big-winner The Artist) the performance focused more on the wirework and clowning showcased in the picture above. Opening with an honour to Hitchcock's North by Northwest the performance was perfectly paced and given the production value of lots of on-stage action.

Having seen three live performances (Corteo, Totem, and Kooza) and two filming (Allegria and KA) I feel compelled to rave about how outstanding the Oscar performance was at representing the talents and cohesion of Cirque when its at its best. Lets be honest, Danny Elfman doing music didn't hurt either. The craft involved in making their shows is without equal and I was so happy to see what started in the inner-city of Saint-Michel all grown up (again) and showing how they continue to build on the success that's come before.

One of the best parts of their growth?

They're hiring.

I'm not sure how transferrable my skills are, but I will be damned if I don't continue to pimp the organization every chance I get.