10.12 Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco

By Arial Skye

Cirque du Soleil’s breathtaking Saltimbanco is coming to the Agganis Arena in Boston from October 31 to November 4 ~ and with so much spectacle to take in at any Cirque production, it’s always good to have a bit of background on the show ~ and the people responsible for its creation ~ that you are about to witness. Take a moment to become familiar with the amazing world to which you’ll be transported by every element of Saltimbanco…

THE PATH OF SALTIMBANCO

Saltimbanco is a characteristic and classic Cirque du Soleil show inspired by the urban fabric of the metropolis and its colourful inhabitants. The show premiered in 1992 and toured many countries under the Big Top before embarking on a new journey in 2007 with a world arena tour through North America and Europe. Saltimbanco ~ from the Italian “saltare in banco,” which literally means “to jump on a bench” ~ features an international cast of 51 performers and musicians from more than 20 different countries. Classic Cirque at its best, Saltimbanco is a thrilling and kaleidoscopic celebration of awe-inspiring artistry and agility. It features breathtaking acrobatics and unbelievable athleticism during solo spotlights and epic ensembles. Decidedly baroque in its visual vocabulary, the show’s eclectic cast of characters draws spectators into a fanciful, dreamlike world, an imaginary city where diversity is a cause for hope. Saltimbanco is set to enthrall, from the seemingly impossible balancing, jumping and spinning during the Chinese Poles or the Russian Swing to the gravity-defying Bungees and Trapeze, the crowd-pleasing Juggling and Acrobatic Bicycle, to the celebrated and very unique Clowns. Technical expertise and extravagant design are woven together with uplifting spectacular costumes, amazing lighting, humour and enchanting music and magic. Full of colours, amusement and amazement, Saltimbanco is a fun show for the whole family to enjoy. Saltimbanco is the longest running Cirque du Soleil touring show, a timeless opus.

ACTS

Inspired by a discipline called acrosport, this act features three acrobats whose bodies meld together to create startling figures. A show of strength, flexibility, balance and grace, this act evokes birth, the family unit and the fragility of life in today’s metropolis.

Multi-coloured beings slip onto the stage and climb on Chinese poles seven meters tall, which symbolize the sky-scrapers of Saltimbanco. Leaping from pole to pole, the acrobats soar through the air in a breathtaking display of agility, power and speed. Exhibiting outstanding deftness, a juggler creates forms and figures with juggling balls. The sheer speed of execution makes for an unforgettable show of rhythm ~ a tribute to the many things we must juggle within our everyday lives.

Two performers twirl boleadoras in the air, a simple percussion instrument made of a weight attached to the end of a cord. The weights bounce off the ground and make exploding sounds either in unison or in counterpoint to the dance steps of the performers. Invented in Argentina, the boleadoras were used by hunters in the pampas or plains. The family of baroque characters invadesthe stage, now a huge playground. Leaping from a Russian swing, performers are catapulted up to 12 metres in the air where they execute breathtaking aerial jumps before falling either on their feet, on the shoulders of their partners or atop a human pyramid!

Adagio

Juggling

Exhibiting outstanding deftness, a juggler creates forms and figures with juggling balls. The sheer speed of execution makes for an unforgettable show of rhythm ~ a tribute to the many things we must juggle with in our everyday lives.

Boleadoras

Russian Swing

The family of baroque characters invades the stage, now a huge playground. Leaping from a Russian swing, performers are catapulted up to 12 metres in the air where they execute breathtaking aerial jumps before falling either on their feet, on the shoulders of their partners or atop a human pyramid!

Chinese Poles

Sexy and animal-like, this act requires great strength and flexibility. Displaying impressive control, the artist balances on canes slowly or rapidly executing a series of astounding figures.

Balancing on Canes

A lone woman rises into the air and flies. In this moment, the vulnerable nature of flight is achieved with purity, mastery and skill. She gives herself to the moment with humility and bittersweet joy. Her heart pulls her to the earth as she aspires to touch the stars.

Solo Trapeze

Four performers tied to bungees swing, drop and fly in the air in ways that defy gravity. They perform an aerial ballet on an opera theme, giving spectators the impression they are looking at magnificent birds or angels soaring through the sky. In a display of tremendous power and an unwavering sense of balance, two men engaged in a hand-to-hand duo push their bodies to the limits of human strength.

Hand-to-Hand Bungees

A playful creature cavorts through the air. In a fleeting moment, his inhuman strength and agility are demonstrated through the art of aerial straps. It is not for unsteady souls.

Straps (Act in Rotation)

The Baron is your guide in the world of Saltimbanco. He is ageless, timeless and recounts fascinating tales of the past. The Baron is an imposing figure in his black and white striped cape, long red gloves and top hat perched on a pile of serpentine hair. The Baron thinks he has power but really has no authority; he is the king of fools. And when he tears off his cape, he reveals another side of his character ~ an erotic satyr on the prowl! At his most carefree, the Baron loves to party with the Baroques.

CHARACTERS

The Baron

Eddie

Eddie is a jester, a clown. He is the child within us all. In his distinctive red cap, black bow tie, striped shorts and suspenders, Eddie finds adventure in his own imagination. Whatever he needs, he invents. Eddie moves freely between our world and the world of Saltimbanco.

The Dreamer

The Dreamer lives between reality and illusion. He is like a clown, satirizing and poking fun at the world around him. Dressed in a striped blue costume and with his long curly tail, the Dreamer is always ready for a nap. But since he is responsible for looking after the child, he rarely gets the chance to doze off.

The Ringmaster

In his yellow jumpsuit with his fanciful green vest and cape, the Ringmaster struts proudly around the world of Saltimbanco. The Ringmaster likes to be the centre of attention and often steals the show. With his winning smile and natural charm, he usually gets away with it. The Ringmaster likes to believe he has great powers and he carries a sceptre to prove it. But as everybody knows, it is the Baron who holds ultimate control.

The Child

The core of every society is its children and at the heart of the family is the child.

The Cavaliers

The Cavaliers are the gentle protectors. They are calm and serene but could strike with great force if they needed to defend themselves or someone more vulnerable. The Cavaliers are elegantly dressed with the tips of their tall black and white hats pointing towards the future. With their lanterns, they light our path through the world of Saltimbanco.

La Belle

La Belle reflects all human emotion. She is the ever-present town crier who expresses the soul of Saltimbanco. Her language is universal and her song reflects the atmosphere around her.Her vocals are emotions ~ serenity and excitement, hope and joy, disappointment and melancholy.

The Vers Multicolores

The Vers Multicolores are the origin of all life; they are the simplest of all beings. Like reptiles, the Vers Multicolores do not know love. They follow their primal urges and are concerned only with survival. Dressed in hooded multi-coloured body suits, the Vers Multicolores are identical yet they sometimes express their fledgling identities.

Vers Masqués

A face without a name. A name without a face. The Vers Masqués are the masses, the multitudes, the bureaucrats. They watch. They follow. They never act. They only react. They are the status quo. Their masks hide all expression but then they have nothing to say. The Vers Masqués always keep their feet firmly planted on the ground. They play it safe. They risk nothing, lose nothing and, ultimately, gain nothing.

The Baroques

The Baroques sleep under bridges and emerge to celebrate life. They are defiant, rebellious and explosive. The Baroques are enlightened beings with free spirits that run wild. Armed with a deeply perceptive vision of the world, the Baroque family reflects the extreme personalities of city characters ~ both in their beauty and wretchedness. They are baroque in their attitude as well as their appearance.

COSTUMES

When Saltimbanco was created, it was estimated that migration to cities would continue to rise. This is the premise on which Saltimbanco is based. Cities are networks of inter-relationships, but they are also networks of paradoxes, and this is precisely what the show’s costumes build upon. The costumes in Saltimbanco are brightly coloured, eccentric and eclectic. The characters are not simply dressed in the costumes; rather the costumes are fashioned as each character emerges as the show develops.

FACTS

• Most of the Saltimbanco costumes are made of Spandex but some of them incorporate silk and cotton fabrics.

• The costumes are produced in Montreal at the Cirque du Soleil International Headquarters where over 300 artisans are employed in the costume workshops.

• Most artists have three to five costumes each which can include up to 12 individual pieces. There are more than 80 different kinds of buttons that are used to maintain the costumes on-tour.

• Over 2,500 costume items travel from city to city in more than 50 road cases.

• There are more than 250 pairs of custom-made shoes. Shoes for the Chinese pole act are repainted before each performance.

• The tour travels with its own washing machines, using biodegradable detergent.

• The entire costume department can be packed and ready to go in less than one hour.

• All artists have their own make-up station that travels with the show.

• All artists apply their own show make-up. They are given a book that contains a detailed step-by-step procedure along with pictures to help them complete their make-up. It takes approximately 90 minutes for each artist to apply their make-up.

• Four wardrobe employees travel full time with the tour and two or three people are hired locally in each city.

MUSIC

Saltimbanco composer René Dupéré was inspired by urban life when creating the show’s original score: ethereal yet baroque, rhythmic and cosmopolitan. The soundtrack is performed live for every performance by five musicians and two singers on a raised platform on stage. The live performance adds to the energy and colour of Saltimbanco and enables the band to adapt to the performances on stage. The musicians follow the artists’ movements and ensure they are in sync with the act. The lyrics that accompany the Saltimbanco music are an invented language created specifically for the show and derived from various languages including Arabic, Swedish and German.

SET DESIGN

The set design of Saltimbanco reflects the contradictions of the city where the powerful and the dispossessed live side by side. Anything is possible here. The set is an urban space stripped to its most essential elements. The rosace is a canopy of metal rings which hangs above the stage. Light filters through it as it would through the branches of a tree or through a stained glass window. Saltimbanco uses different coloured gels, the lighting gives a cinematic effect by bringing characters in and out of focus depending on their position on the stage and on the colour of their costumes. The lighting is also used to create spaces by focusing on particular areas while leaving the rest of the stage in obscurity.

FACTS

• The stage is 110 feet by 65 feet.

• There is more than 600 feet of trussing to hold the acrobatic grid, the rigging and all the lighting elements above the stage.

• The aerial acrobatic is 30 feet and is suspended 45 feet above the stage. Its main purpose is to hold the trapeze and bungee rigs.

• The poles that are used in the Chinese pole act are 24 feet long.

• The equipment on tour totals 180 tons (360,000 pounds).

• The technical team is made up to 20 specialty technicians and 12 truck drivers.

• Approximately 140 people are hired locally in each city to set up and load out the show from the arena.

CREATORS (ORIGINAL DESIGN)

GUY LALIBERTÉ ~ Guide and Founder

DOMINIQUE LEMIEUX ~ Costume Designer

MICHEL CRÊTE ~ Set Designer

GILLES STE-CROIX ~ Director of Creation

DEBRA BROWN ~ Choreographer

RENÉ DUPÉRÉ ~ Composer

LUC LAFORTUNE ~ Lighting Designer

ANDRÉ HÉNAULT ~ Mask Designer

JONATHAN DEANS ~ Sound Designer

NATHALIE GAGNÉ ~ Make-up Designer

CARMEN RUEST ~ Director of Creation

CREATORS (2007 RESTAGING)

HÉLÈNE LEMAY~ Boleadoras Act Choreographer

FRANÇOIS DESJARDINS ~ Sound Designer

RENÉ BAZINET ~ Clown Acts Creator and Acting Consultant

PIERRE GUILLOTTE ~ Production Manager

THE MISSION

The mission of Cirque du Soleil is to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in nearly 300 cities in over forty countries on six continents.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit cirquedusoleil.com.

THE CREATION OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

It all started in Baie-Saint-Paul, a small town near Québec City in Canada. There, in the early eighties, a band of colourful characters roamed the streets, striding on stilts, juggling, dancing, breathing fire, and playing music. They were Les Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul (the Baie-Saint-Paul Stiltwalkers), a street theatre group founded by Gilles Ste-Croix. Already, the townsfolk were impressed and intrigued by the young performers ~ including Guy Laliberté, who founded Cirque du Soleil.

The troupe went on to found Le Club des talons hauts (the High Heels Club), and then, in 1982, organized La Fête foraine de Baie-Saint-Paul, a cultural event in which street performers from all over met to exchange ideas and enliven the streets of the town for a few days. La Fête foraine was repeated in 1983 and 1984. Le Club des talons hauts attracted notice, and Guy Laliberté, Gilles Ste-Croix and their cronies began to cherish a crazy dream: to create a Québec circus and take the troupe travelling around the world.

In 1984, Québec City was celebrating the 450th anniversary of Canada’s discovery by Jacques Cartier, and they needed a show that would carry the festivities out across the province Guy Laliberté presented a proposal for a show called Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun), and succeeded in convincing the organizers. And Cirque du Soleil hasn’t stopped since!

A FEW STATISTICS

• In 1984, 73 people worked for Cirque du Soleil. Today, the business has 5,000 employees worldwide, including more than 1,300 artists.

• At the Montréal International Headquarters alone, there are close to 2,000 employees.

• More than 100 types of occupations can be found at Cirque.

• The company’s employees and artists represent close to 50 nationalities and speak 25 different languages.

• More than 100 million spectators have seen a Cirque du Soleil show since 1984.

• Close to 15 million people will see a Cirque du Soleil show in 2012.

• Cirque du Soleil hasn’t received any grants from the public or private sectors since 1992.

Tickets are now available at www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/saltimbanco/tickets/boston.aspx.