Montreal’s circus scene
City is home to Cirque du Soleil, National Circus School and more
Known internationally as the birthplace of Cirque du Soleil, the world’s premier contemporary circus extravaganza, Montreal has earned its reputation as the home of the big top.
Eager students and some of the top performers in the world come to Montreal to craft their unique art. Along with Cirque, Montreal houses the National Circus School and circus performance and community outreach centre TOHU, which are all within steps of each other in an area of town known as “circus city.”
In July — when I visited Montréal Complètement Cirque, the city’s annual international circus festival, the first of its kind in North America — it was a bit like stumbling into another world.
During a performance by the Machine de Cirque company. the captivating performances of five young men, from their daring acrobatic stunts down to their unflinching facial expressions, had me on the edge of my seat. All this despite a modest set of props and minimal scenery.
And the best thing about Montreal’s world-renowned circus scene? It doesn’t shut down when the weather cools. Cirque’s massive spectacles and TOHU’s performances are the perfect way to warm toes and hearts, and both troupes have a number of upcoming shows on the roster.
You can catch Cirque du Soleil’s brand new production Toruk in Montreal from Dec. 21-30, and it’s a show you won’t want to miss. Cirque’s sets are designed to the same calibre as those for multimillion-dollar blockbuster movies, and costumes are created from scratch (Cirque du Soleil even dyes their own fabrics).
But if you’re keen to find out what’s on the cutting edge of smaller experimental circus companies, head to TOHU, an amazing sustainable building and community-driven entertainment space.
Here, you’ll witness independent circus companies testing the boundaries of what circus can be. Many of the memorable performances here are put on by recent grads from the National Circus School, which is close by, and some are even free to attend. Shows run year-round, so there’s always something on, and you’ll find that no two shows are alike.
A Montreal circus show is the best way not just to observe but to participate in the frenetic energy that fuels the city’s vibrant culture. Antoine Lépine from Cirque Alfonse, a young circus company from Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez, Que., puts it perfectly: “Circus is like seeing the world through the eyes of a child.”
I’m convinced we could all benefit from such a shift in perspective from time to time, and I’m happy to know I can always find it in Montreal. Nicola Brown’s trip was subsidized by Tourisme Montreal and supported by Montreal Complètement Cirque.