The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Cirque’s ‘Luzia’ a Mexican journey
New show integrates elements of water and dazzling feats.
Cirque du Soleil’s spectacular creation, “Luzia: A Waking Dream of Mexico,” will soon arrive in Atlanta and remain at Atlantic Station’s redesigned white-andgold big top at Atlantic Station through late November.
The new touring show, which integrates innovative and technically challenging elements of water (which include a rain curtain), dynamic sounds and songs sung in Spanish, and dazzling physical feats, will run from Sept. 14-Nov. 19. Regular tickets cost from $35-$145. VIP experience tickets, which include a reception with open bar with food, start at $245.
Cirque du Soleil is known for its cutting-edge shows featuring aerialists, acrobats and lavish, imaginative costumes. Since 1984, Cirque has played to more than 150 million spectators in more than 330 cities in 48 countries.
With mesmerizing high-flying acrobatic performances, “Luzia” promises to bring traditional and contemporary circus disciplines to a bold new level: Cyr wheel artists roll and spin in the rain; an aerialist suspended from a trapeze flies through pouring showers; a Guinness World Record
holder juggles seven pins at breakneck speeds; and two freestylers deftly mix street dance with mindblowing ball movement in a nod to Mexico’s sport of choice, soccer.
“It’s a journey through an imaginary Mexico. It’s an ode to the rich culture and sights and sounds, different settings, different times in Mexico, the architecture, the imagery,” Gracie Valdez, artistic director for “Luzia,” said in a recent interview. “It’s really beautiful.”
Here is a look at five aweinspiring acts that will fill the new, eco-friendly whiteand-gold big top (which apparently looks like the solar system from above, in an abstract, Cirque du Soleil kind of way):
The Running Woman: As the morning sun rises, a woman and a metallic horse run together to begin this dreamy journey through Mexico. The running woman spreads her butterfly wings in a tribute to the annual migratory journey of the monarch butterfly from Canada to central Mexico.
Hoop Diving on Treadmills: This scene combines hoop diving and two giant treadmills.
Seven acrobats wearing hummingbird costumes (complete with wings and long beaks) jump through small hoops less than 30 inches in diameter. Performing this feat on treadmills makes the challenge even more incredible. The acrobats leap through the hoops feet first, sometimes backward, sometimes even leapfrogging over their partners, to jump through the rings.
Football Dance: This act plays tribute to Mexico’s favorite sport, futbol, or soccer. In this scene, a male and female performer try to outdo each other by making a ball bounce, roll and spin by using their knees, feet, back of their neck. Even when it starts to rain, they continue impressive ball movement.
Rain and Percussion Parade: A thirsty traveler tries to quench his thirst with a providential rain. Two-dimensional images created by water droplets and black spaces start falling from the sky with a parade of percussionists and singers, in a scene inspired by Day of the Dead, a popular celebration, particularly in Mexico, to remember loved ones who have died, with festivities held in early November.
Swing to Swing: For the first time for Cirque du Soleil, two swings are mounted on a turntable so the audience can see the performance from all angles. Under a luminous red moon, performers demonstrate impeccable timing as they fling their partners up to 33 feet in the air.