LIFE ON THE ROPES
Cirque du Soleil is one of the world’s top acrobatic shows, with an impressive roster of well-toned athletes. Its newest show, Totem, is about evolution, love and technology, TONY LOFARO writes.
Agymnast hangs by his knees on a trapeze bar in anticipation of connecting with another performer who suddenly flings herself into the air. As she falls downward, she securely locks hands with her partner, and another successful trick is completed in mid-air. It is one of the many spellbinding moments in Totem, the Cirque du Soleil show in town till Aug. 4 under the Big Top at the parking lot of the Canadian Tire Centre. The show, written and directed by celebrated Canadian playwright and theatre director Robert Lepage, is about evolution and love and technology and the characters range from scientists to apes. It is the first Cirque show in Ottawa since 2008.
Power, precision and acrobatic dexterity are the trademarks of the famous Montreal-based troupe started in the mid-’80s and which now employs about 3,000 people performing in 19 shows around the world. Cirque du Soleil has become such a brand that it is hard to imagine Las Vegas without its acrobatic-themed shows, or its travelling productions, which arrive in cities across the continent, dazzling spectators with its mindboggling displays of athleticism.
With all its success, Cirque du Soleil is not immune to difficult times. The troupe is still reeling after one of its cast members died June 29 in an accident during a performance of Ka, a show at the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel. Sarah Guillot-Guyard, a 31-year-old performer, died after she fell more than 25 metres in what the Clark County Coroner’s office ruled as accidental. The accident occurred during a fight scene near the end of Ka, which combines acrobatics with martial arts and puppetry.
Safety authorities now say that Guillot-Guyard didn’t slip out of her harness, but they couldn’t provide additional information about what led to the deadly fall and a final ruling is not expected for months. It is the first death in the 29-year history of the troupe.
“I am heartbroken,” Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté said in a statement. “We are reminded with great humility and respect how extraordinary our artists are each and every night. Our focus now is to support each other as a family.”
An outing to a Cirque du Soleil performance is truly mesmerizing. The death-defying stunts appear flawless, but before the performers appear onstage they undergo countless hours of rehearsals and practice.
More than half of all the Cirque du Soleil performers come from a sports background, including former Olympians. The majority are elite gymnasts who are recruited by Cirque scouts searching the world for new talent. Once the gymnasts are accepted into the Cirque camp, they get invited to the company’s headquarters in Montreal to participate in training programs led by professionals experienced in such areas as acrobatics, acting, dancing, clowning and singing.
Some Cirque du Soleil shows are “theatrical” in nature, but Totem contains more acrobatic stunts than other shows. The show has about 46 performers, and 15 are women.
Totem traces the journey of humans from amphibian state to our desire to fly. The characters evolve on a stage evoking a giant turtle, the symbol of origin for many civilizations, and is filled with a “visual and acrobatic language,” to illustrate the evolutionary progress of species.
“Totem has an elite level of acrobatics,” says Christopher Bowler, 28, a head coach for the show who was appointed to the job about 15 months ago.
“As a coach I get a chance to work directly with the artists to try and develop the acrobatic content further so that the show will become stronger and better,” says Bowler, an artistic gymnast from Reading, England, who competed at the national and international level before turning to coaching.
“To maintain this high acrobatic level that we’re talking about, you can’t just do it by chance. It’s all about repetition, it’s all about numbers and the feeling (you get) in the air. That takes time to maintain.”
Nutrition is key for performers, especially if they appear in 10 shows per week. It’s important to get the right balance of carbohydrates to have the energy to sustain through the week and protein to ensure the performers build and hold on to their muscle.
Bowler says the coaches do their best to help prevent performers from getting injuries, but they do happen.
“It just boils down to strength and conditioning, and it’s specific to what they do onstage.
“We want their bodies in peak physical strength condition to cope with the training load they have.”