Euro Wings vol. 8

EuroWings no.8 Barcelona – April 2007

In this Edition View from gate one page 2 Behind the scenes 3 Let’s make the most… 4 New faces 5 Bacardi Party 6 Brazilian day 7 The Sabbatical 8 Global dominator 9 Easter Aromatherapy 9 School 0 Last Page 12

Euro Wings! Team: Ken, Charlie, Shannan, Tania, Ilona Contributors: Todd, Nic, Charlie, Anastasia, Ilona, Lisa Photos: Tania, Katia, Yuri, Lisa, Todd, Charlie, Nic, Loyed, Aliaxsei, Garry

From the editors by Charlie

Exactly what makes a city on tour “good”? Is it the bars, restaurants, entertainment, and sightseeing? Maybe it also has to do with the weather and the people – or does it always? For me personally, most good cities on tour are determined by something a little different. Generally speaking, I think that the

living accommodations, commute to work, and the conditions at work (i.e. food in the kitchen, drama amongst employees, etc.) are what make the biggest difference. Of course all the other stuff means a lot, but it really seems to me that if you have a healthy situation at work and home (which is where we spend 90% of our time,) then everything else is just icing on the cake. All in all, I would have to say that Barcelona was the best of both worlds for most people. The ticket sales, sights, and local nightlife were definitely some of the highlights, and I think that most people were able to enjoy their accommodations as well as the surrounding areas like Mallorca and Andorra. Although the weather was not so great, until the last week and the internet rarely worked at the hotel (big surprise there – NOT,) and the families were living next to a seriously LOUD construction site – the general consensus was that it was much more than bearable and that we still got to see everything, meet a few cool people, and actually get some work done – all while having a seriously good time! So what about Paris? I can already feel the tension mounting from the work and living situations that may or may not hinder us from getting on with our lives and trying to have fun. (I will seriously miss my cozy little beach hotel room next to the beach that is only 5 minutes from the site!) However, I think Paris is going to be one of the best cities on tour and I am looking forward to living near the Tour Eiffel (even if it is a good hour from work)… Hopefully some of those French lessons will come in handy, and Alegria will prevail once again-in spite of any difficulties. Donc, vive le France et merci beaucoups Barcelone pour le bon temps!

THE VIEW FROM GATE 1

Wow…it’s hard to believe our recent adventure in Barcelona is almost over. What an amazing city. Ok-take away the pick-pockets, rainy days and smell coming from who knows where…and really, what is that smell?! Gate 1 has seen some interesting moments and people, so it’s time to share… Weirdest Moment – During set up an individual came to gate and said that he heard we had no place live so to prevent the amazing artists and staff from sleeping in the streets, he offered to house us (free of charge) in his “lovely” old farm house about 2.5 hours out town fully equipped with outdoor washroom, a tree with a swing, a mail box, one cow, 2 dogs and even one man servant, who appeared slightly intoxicated by the photo, to help around the “estate”. Maybe next time….. Large Pain In The Butt Moment – The police (not the band) came at the beginning everyday and could not understand why we did not have

tickets for them, friends and family. It happened so often that I invited the whole police department to a private show on May 2, 2007…enjoy the show, guys!!! Nightmare Moment – I was asked to deal with a customer who would not delete photos of the show. When security asked him to

delete them, he decided to run away screaming. We caught him and he was very nervous to show the photos. Why?…Because there were several pictures of him…well lets just say “up close and personal”…if you know what I mean. I had nightmares for days!!!

So adios to the night life, the performances on the Ramblas, great tapas, the beach, naked tattoo guy wandering around, and all the amazing sights…hasta pronto (see you soon) Great job everyone…thanks for an amazing city!!! Later… THE TODDLER

Behind the Scenes

Let’s make the most of Paris! By Anastasia

Hey guys, So I’ve now got two cities under my belt and I’m getting to know people a little better but I don’t know all of you that well just yet. Paris is going to be a great place for us to discover cool museums, art exhibitions, restaurants, cafés, bars, and you-name-it! We have over 120 people in our intimate family and each of us has our own way of discovering a city. So if you think about it, we’ve got 120 people experiencing 120 different things in a city every day. What if we were to pool those discoveries and share them with the group? For example, Marcos came to me 2 weeks before the end of Barcelona and told me about a great Brazilian club where there were Bossa Nova bands playing every Tuesday night. I would have loved to go see a Bossa Nova show but it was too late!!! How about a jazz club that holds jam sessions on Monday nights or an intimate café that makes the best cappuccino in town? All stuff I am interested in. How about the best sushi you’ve had? I have a Catalan friend in Barcelona who showed me where the first authentic xocolate and churros café was. I know some of you would have loved to experience the thickest most delicious hot chocolate ever! According to my friend, that place hadn’t changed in 150 years. He had xocolate and churros there as a kid and he then brought his daughter there for the same thing some 30 years later. A memorable Barcelona moment for me that I would have loved to share with all of you (the place was far too small though). Also, I know a lot of us also took some amazing pictures in Barcelona. We all have our point of

view and we all see things differently through the lens of a camera. I love to see the eye someone has when taking pictures. So that being said, I am going to launch a photo contest in Paris. I’m going to invite you all to send me a few pictures of things you’ve seen or experienced while in Paris (on-site and off). I’ll print the pictures and put them up in the kitchen. We’ll do this over a period of about 4 weeks and I’ll think of some prizes that we’ll give away. Finally, I’ll be calling on volunteers for a cabaret in Paris. We all have our roles we play in Alegria but some of us have hidden talents which we’d like to share (I exclude myself as my hidden talents are not many and definitely not to be called talents!!). Paris will be the place to do it. With your help we’ll pick a date and plan the cabaret in lovely Paris. So the message is out and I’m looking for suggestions and people to brainstorm ideas for activities. They don’t need to be huge activities either. We can have a poker tournament or another bowling tournament or how about chess? Again, you tell me what you’re interested in doing! My office door is always open (I don’t have a door!). So come on in. There’s a chair reserved for you to come sit down, take a load off, chat and tell me what you would like to do in Paris. Let’s make it happen people! I’ll be setting up a board in the kitchen for all the flyers, business cards and programs from interesting places/shows you’ve seen or would like to see. The ball is now in your court! Lots of love! Anastasia

New Faces

Lars Kristensen – Power-Track Is from Denmark – Holstebro. Trained 8 years In Gymnastics and 5 years in Tumbling. When asked what does he like about Alegria, “I like the feeling of a big family and I like the food in the kitchen”. For his last comment? “ Thank you for being so

welcoming and making it easier for me to integrate into the show” and “ hope that more parties will come” Misha Kalachov – Lev

Is from Ukraine – Sevastobol city. Before Alegria, he worked 10 years at the Moscow Circus as a flyer in the High Bar act “Perezvony”. What he likes about Alegria? “The Dynamic lifestyle and traveling the world. Meeting new people and having interesting conversations, as well as the professionalism at

work.” Mark Dunham

Where are you from? Canada- near London, Ontario How long have you worked for Cirque? 4 years in October (Quidam before Alegria) What were you doing before Cirque? (jokes) Brief stint in the porn

industry—but that didn’t work out ☺ How do you like Alegria so far? Alegria is wonderful. It’s nice to see another part of Cirque. (looks over at Martin B) I think that the wardrode is the cleanest and most organized that I’ve ever seen. It has almost a…Japanese zen-style to it ☺ Anything else you’d like to say? My wife and daughter will join me in Paris. Can’t wait for you to get to know them.

Raiam Moreira Where are you from? Belo, Horiznate How long have you worked for Cirque? Since last July. (Saltimbanco before Alegria) What were you doing

before Cirque? I was studying International Trade in Brazil How do you like Alegria so far? Yeah…I like it. Anything else you’d like to say? (laughs) I wish the best for everybody. Let’s make work fun! Alex Ashcroft – Sound Man From Ormskirk, England. Before Alegria, He was recording for films and television, also worked at the University of Edinborough in the planning department, and prior to that he toured as an engineer. When asked what he thought about Alegria his exact response was - “ Please emphasize this as much as you can - It’s one of the best jobs I`ve ever had in my life!”

JF Bedard – Band leader Is From Montreal-Canada. Before Alegria, He was working for Lanouba for 8 years as a Bass player and Assistant Band Leader.

And Welcome Back to Pascal

Bacardi Party

Brazilian Day

The Sabbatical: A Martyn Jones Discovery by Charlie Did you know that our Box Office/House Manager Supervisor, Martyn Jones, has just left on a 6 month sabbatical? I bet there’s even more interesting facts that you didn’t know about our little international man of mystery too. For example, did you know that Martyn was teaching a yoga class on site twice a week here in Barcelona? Well, it was after one of these classes that I caught up with our resident guru and just prior to his departure back to the land down under (Australia) here’s about what he had to say.

CD: Where are you from and where are you going? MJ: I was born in the UK but immigrated to Australia in 1977. I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do just yet (besides take a big break) but I’m going back to Melbourne and/or Bali for the time being and we’ll see what happens from there! CD: When and what was your first Cirque du Soleil experience? MJ: I had a small café/coffee shop in Melbourne (called Martyn`s) back in 1999. When Saltimbanco was performing there the singer (anyone remember Isabel Corradi?) came in regularly for coffee and gave me a signed poster by surprise at the end of their run. I really didn’t know or care that much for it at the time but had no idea what would eventually happen…(lol) CD: Which tours did you do with Cirque and what was your favorite? MJ: I started with Alegria in Australia in 2001 and worked until Philadelphia in 2004. That was great and I learned a lot but N. America was a mix of good and bad. I really enjoyed NY, San Francisco and Vancouver the most. Then I did 18 months with Quidam (Australia, NZ, Singapore, and Hong Kong) and loved it even more because I think it was my favorite. This last year with Alegria again in Europe has been the hardest because of the workload, staff changes, language barriers, and promoters. CD: In addition to yoga, what are some of your other hidden talents? MJ: Well, I’m a certified massage therapist specializing in Hawaiian massage and I’m also a

practicing “Life Coach”. Being a “Life Coach” basically means that I try to help guide people through situations who feel like they may be stuck or struggling with anything difficult and so I try to assist them in evaluating their options in order to move forward with their lives. This is something I can do by email or phone also. CD: Sheppard’s pie or Yorkshire pudding? MJ: Shepard’s pie;-) CD: What was your most beautiful moment at Cirque? MJ: It was in Mexico City after the promoter had literally pushed one of the cirquadors down the stairs and had humiliated him in front of everyone. The cirquador didn’t want to come back to work ever again but I was able to talk to him and tell them that I (as well as Cirque) would never treat people that way and when he finally got the courage to come back it was very touching and he was so appreciative that it really meant more than anything to me. CD: Final words of wisdom? MJ: Here’s a little definition of “Namaste”. It means; I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace. I honor the place in you where if you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us. Namaste

Well, so long Martyn and we hope to see you again somewhere down the road. Best of luck and thanks for everything! One last quote from Martyn “Follow your dreams! Peace, love and happiness.”

Global Denominator A new Numbers by Nick! In case you have never seen the “Tour Plan” on the internal servers here at Cirque, it is basically a bar graph with a bunch of numbers and colors indicating where each tour will be on which dates. Something else is really neat about taking a closer look at that Excel spreadsheet calendar. All these numbers and colors paint a very interesting picture for this upcoming weekend in April. Our last weekend here in Barcelona, is actually quite fascinating in terms of just how global the company we work for is. Here’s a close look at what I found out this week… Beginning with our own tour on Saturday the 28th of April, we will all file in for the usual 6:00pm and 10:00pm shows. And when the song Alegria begins at the end of the second show that day, La Nouba back in the United States will already be a half hour into its show that started at 6:00pm Eastern Standard Time. And as the artists of La Nouba take their final bow and run off stage at approximately 7:45pm, Kooza will be teasing people in its audience with some animation. Two and a half hours (including one 15 minute intermission) and 3,000 kilometers later, Corteo is performing in Houston, Texas at around 9:15pm Central Mountain Time. When that show ends at around 10:30pm CMT, Ka

will start its spectacle one hour over in Las Vegas at 9:30pm Pacific Standard time. Are you still following? It gets even better… When Ka is finishing up, we travel 5,500 miles away to the Fuji Dome, where Dralion will be in the midst of its early 12:30pm and 4:30pm performances in Tokyo. Its 3pm there and time for the one of only two small breaks that the world will get from Cirque in this twenty four hour span, because, lest we forget, when Dralion finishes its day at around 7pm Tokyo time, we will all be strolling in for an 11:00am show call on this- our last day in Barcelona, the 29th of April! It may be hard to believe, but when we start tearing down after the 5pm show this Sunday, we will have completed a span of 24 hours where a Cirque show was being performed somewhere in the world at any given time, except for the break between shows in Tokyo, the break between our shows on Sunday, and brunch! One day in the not-so-distant future, it’s possible that there will be a CDS show playing at any given moment, every day of the week. But for now, I guess we’ll just have to settle for 22 out of 24 hours. That’s what I like to call, a “global denominator…”

Easter Aromatherapy by Lisa Skinner Once upon a time on a beautiful Easter Sunday, a group of Cirque du Soleil artists wandered in to work. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and Easter activities in the kitchen were being eagerly tucked into by all the little kiddies. As the evening drew near it seemed that nothing could spoil this perfect Easter day, until an interesting aroma wafted into the tent. It was subtle for just a few moments (which had a few people thinking - `Oh God, has Tamir got his fart spray out again!`) but no, this was not just another innocent prank, it was a full scale alert. `Something smells like shit` was uttered by a passer by. How true that statement turned out to be! It crept into camp like a tidal wave and engulfed the senses. Happy Easter faces gradually morphed into cringes as the Artistic tent started to squirm. A feces fountain/ stink bomb had crash-landed. `There’s no escape, my eyes are stinging, has anyone got any gas masks, I’ve suddenly lost my appetite, and Tamir – what the hell have you been up to?`, were various outcries heard backstage. The extra nutrients in the air were knocking people out left and right. All I could think was “Heaven help those technicians with front row tickets to the shit of a firework show outside!” Moral of the story – Duct tape doesn’t fix everything!

In and out In - Desigual - Gaudi Architecture - The beach - Audience - Mountains 2 hrs away - Bike Friendly - The city Out - Sewage explosion - Pick pockets - Tiny fridge at hotel - Hotel bar closing at 1 - Grumpy service To end it with a saying “the Rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain … and Barcelona!”

School Page Compiled by Ilona

Eco kids club news

Well, this has been a busy city for the Ecokids. Here are some of the things we’ve been up to:

- Conducted an energy survey - Presented our findings in the kitchen - Prepared recycling and energy facts (the “did you know…” on the tables) - Held a lights out campaign

All of this work was for our entry in the Ecokids challenge. Next month, we will find out how we compared to the other Ecokids club in Canada. Thank you to everyone who encouraged us by answered our survey or by listening to our presentation in the kitchen.

Weather report by Timofey Ivanov

In Barcelona, we had a lot of sunny days. We had 3 windy days, we had 8 rainy and we had 11 cloud days. It was good weather!

My 4 line poems By: Justine Galipeau Feather A Highlighter A Highlighter Makes paper alive and colorful Like a bowling ball My feet would be tired The Beach The Beach Makes enormous sounds Like when someone jumps in the pool and makes a big splash I could sit and listen to the waves all day Las Ramblas Las Ramblas The most popular street of Barcelona Like a street fair I always get lost in the crowd

My 4 Line Poems By Natalia Plotnikova

A Violin A violin Gives joy thought music Like a candy given to a kid I get filled with joy Sagrada Familia Sagrada Familia Shows the creativity of the architect Like a beautiful bible I freeze in awe Las Ramblas Las Ramblas Singing with birds and people Like a jungle My eardrums pop from the noise

School Page

Art exposition

Congratulations to: Alexei and Irina Novozhilov for their new daughter born on April 11th 2007

Arina

Taken by Garry

Last Page

International Boob Day (according to the wardrobe dept.)

A Big Hello from ex-Alegrian’s in Corteo!

Blind teaching the blind ☺

Do you know how on earth these things work?

Look who’s in the hot seat now!

A little incident in the Artistic

So when’s yours due?

Euro Wings vol. 8

Documents

Transcript of Euro Wings vol. 8