THEC

HAPI

TEAU

FASC

INAT

ION!

LINDSEY BRUCK-AYOTTE

INTERVIEW WITH AMALUNA’S UNEVEN BARS CAPTAIN

CREATIVE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PARTNERS WITH CLUB MED TO OFFER A

NEW CIRCUS-INSPIRED PLAYGROUND IN PUNTA CANA

LUNA PETUNIA CIRQUE DU SOLEIL AND SABAN

BRANDS UNVEIL THEIR FIRST COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

KÀ TURNS 10 TO CELEBRATE, WE SHARE

SOME BEHIND-THE-SCENES NOTES FROM “THE KÀ

CREATORS’ NOTEBOOK"

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NOVEMBER 2014

Well, it's certainly been an interesting month for announcements, hasn't it? There's the previously announced "Allavita!" by the Cirque du Soleil Group, Events and Special Projects team, which was tasked to create an engaging and unique show concept to be presented during the Universal Expo in Milan, Italy from May 1st to October 31st 2015. Saban Brands and Cirque du Soleil finally unveiled their first collaborative effort since joining forces last year - a TV co-production called "Luna Petunia”, a pre-school series inspired by the Cirque. And last, but not least, is "Creactive", a partnership with Club Med to dream up the ultimate circus-inspired playground in Punta Cana, featuring unique activities inspired by the wondrous and unexpected world of Cirque du Soleil. It's no wonder there won't be a Cirque Week in Las Vegas this year! (There's various details about these projects in our news section this month should you be interested in learning more about these new projects.)

CIRQUE BUZZ NEWS, RUMOURS

& SIGHTINGS

ITINÉRAIRE TOUR/SHOW

INFORMATION

OUTREACH UPDATES FROM

CIRQUE'S SOCIAL WIDGETS

FASCINATION! FEATURES "KÀ AT 10: THE ORIGINAL CREATOR'S NOTEBOOK”

BY: RICKY RUSSO

INTERVIEW: "LINDSEY BRUCK-AYOTTE - UNEVEN

BARS” BY: JOSE L PEREZ

COPYRIGHT & DISCLAIMER

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S Cover Credits: PHOTO: Yannick Dery © Cirque du Soleil

COSTUME: Mérédith Caron

Ricky Russo - Fascination! Newsletter

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D!Speaking of Las Vegas... guess who turns 10 this month? KÀ! Though it would go on to hold a star-studded gala premiere on February 3, 2005, the spectacle began preview performances at the MGM Grand on November 26, 2004. So... happy birthday KÀ!

At the time of its creation, KÀ was Cirque du Soleil's biggest and most ambitious project to date, in terms of physical size and budget. Directed by Canadian theater and film vanguard Robert Lepage, and ringing in with a purported price tag of $220 million USD, an alleged weekly running cost of $1 million USD, a cast of 75+ artists, and a crew of 158 stage technicians, KÀ aimed to reinvent and revolutionize the world of live theatre, and in many ways the Cirque du Soleil itself. KÀ, of course, deals with the theme of duality and is the epic story of a set of twins, separated at childhood, who must voyage through a series of adventures, while relentlessly pursued by enemies, in order to fulfil their destinies in a classic battle between good and evil. The characters of KÀ inhabit a world of many tribes and factions. These tribes are largely segregated from each other and some tribes are in conflict with others. The story of KÀ brings together the different peoples of this world to meet their collective destiny.

To celebrate KÀ's momentous achievement, we've dug into our vast archives for something unique to share at this occasion, finding: "The KÀ Creators' Notebook". This journal, compiled and shared internally, features some very interesting behind-the-scenes notes regarding the creation of the MGM Grand show. Picking up just following the official press conference on September 15, 2004, we hear from Anh-Dao Bui (the Assistant to the Production Manager),

Céciles Vignes (Internal Communications Ad v i s o r ) , a n d S t é p h a n e M o n g e a u (Production Manager), as milestones in the show’s creation are reached– including living through a “Lion’s Den” performance!

Any performance in front of hardcore fans is a "Lion's Den" one in my opinion. There's hardly anyone more critical than a hardcore fan, is there? Early last month I joined a band of Cirquesters here in Atlanta to take in Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna, which I've not seen (except on DVD) since it premiered in Montréal in April 2012. What did I think? Although I can't say I am happy about the cuts (I really do miss the unicycle girls and the t i gh tw i re t e am) , no r was our performance a perfect one (the storm duo were out of commission that night and hoops manipulation - the replacement - failed to ignite our passions), it was good to see the show again. Especially considering Lara Jacobs Rigolo, the original Balance Goddess was performing! (Alas, I also miss Marie-Michelle Faber as the Moon Goddess, and Pepa Plana as "Deeda", but I digress...).

That being said, the teeterboard boys rocked it (even with one or two short), it was great to see Julie McInnes as Prospera too before she leaves, and, of course, the Amazons didn't disappoint. Lindsey Bruck-Ayotte is a gymnast and artist from Syracuse, New York who is currently touring with Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna as one of the Amazon characters and captain of the Uneven Bars team. Lindsey granted The Chapiteau an interview in which she talked about how she started her career in gymnastics, how she ended up in Amaluna, information on the creation process and much more!

Robin LeachTalks to Mukhtar About ONOD 3

C irque du Soleil’s ambitious voluntary cast effort for the annual, one-night-only “One Night for D r o p ” b e n e f i t p e r f o r m a n c e i s underway for the third consecutive year.

At the helm again for the second time is “The Beatles Love” performer Mukhtar O.S. Mukhtar, and he promises in our exclusive interview that his vision for the new production will ensure that we won’t even recognize the “Love” theater in the Mirage where it will be staged next March.

“You are definitely not going to feel like you are in the ‘Love’ show,” he said.

“One Night for One Drop” i s the la rge annual fundraiser for the clean water for the w o r l d c h a r i t y. O u r interview with One Drop Foundation President Catherine Bachand was posted last week.

Nicknamed “The Mind of Mukhtar,” here is a YouTube video of his preparation for last y e a r ’ s s h o w a t Mandalay Bay.

R e t u r n i n g f r o m a conference about the One Drop shows in S w i t z e r l a n d a n d juggling a trip for a Cirque show expansion i n D u b a i , M u k h t a r talked with me about the March 20 show subtitled: “Through the Eyes of One, We Follow the Lives of Many.”

PHOTO: Christina Russo

CIRQUE BUZZ NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS

Q. Is it more difficult the second time to be original when you’ve done such a great job the first time out?

I don’t think it’s more difficult because the amazing thing is I can do something completely d i f f e ren t . Tha t ’s my a im because people are going to expect to see the same type of field, but I want to really flip the script and do the opposite.

Q. So how wil l this be different? Year one was the search for water, year two, which was your first year last year, was desertification. If you had to use one word or a couple of words to describe year three, how would you describe what you envision?

I would say exploring. Exploring the lives of these women who are on this journey for water.

Q. Last year we began with the ladies who were looking for water in the desert?

It actually goes back to the first year. The first year we saw a whole act dedicated to these women who were looking for water. Then last year, I just thought I would continue their journey because I found them really interesting, so I thought I’ll continue their journey and respect their fellowship and that would link the two shows.

As I was thinking more about it, t h e s e s i x w o m e n r e a l l y interested me and I wanted to

know who they were individually and what they’ve experienced in life or experienced on their journey to this water. So this is the show where I really want to show that to the audience because we have a similar type of audience each year who come, so they can really relate.

Q. As you increase the depth of the storytelling of the characters, do we get more emotional over the lack of the world’s water?

I think definitely emotion is one of the feelings that we’ll see, but it’s not only emotion. I’m also looking for hope. Even though they’re looking for water, I don’t want the whole show about just that. I feel like the past few years have been about that feeling. So what I want to do is even though these women are walking for water, we’re going into their individual stories; these stories are going to be completely different.

For example, if all six women are Indian or from a Third World country, some of the things they experience might not only be related to women from that area. It might be related to something you and I could relate to. So I don’t want to make the show depressing because of everyday life that’s happening.

For example, one of the women is going to focus on this 9-to-5 system that a lot of people are stuck with. It’s like a robotic

type of thing. So that has nothing to do with a Third World country, but it’s something you and I can re la te to . I t ’s something that the woman has experienced, and at the end of the show there’s going to be a moment where all these stories are going to be connected.

That’s why I want to make these six stories different and make these women different. I’ve already developed six stories. I’m in the process right now of picking the right creative team who’s going to push this concept forward.

Q. In the first year, you had a larger cast with guest stars, last year less guest stars and a smaller number of people onstage. Where do you stand this year?

I like working with not such a large cast because of the time that we have, and I also learned a lot from the first year, as well, because of what we’re working with and the restrictions. To get more benefit and results, maybe having 200-plus people might not be the answer for that for me personally. I think this year because we have a bigger theater, I might be able to push the cast number up a little from last year.

Q. There’s a lot of moving, computer-driven parts to that “Love” theater. Are you going to be able to take advantage of it in what you are going to stage?

For sure. I’m actually going one step ahead of that. I’m trying to figure out a way to transform the whole stage by looking at the technology that the stage provides because the stage does things that “Love” doesn’t even use because they don’t need to, so I’m trying to figure out what things people haven’t seen that the stage does.

Q. So it will be a completely different look and feel this time around?

Well you’re going to get, of course, the 360-degree stage, but you’re definitely not going to feel like you’re in ‘The Beatles Love.’ I can assure you that.

Q. So definitely not a Beatles touch to it, but you’ve got projection screens to work with, you’ve got stages breaking into four quarters to work with. You’ve got the up-and-down lifts.

Yes, exactly, we’ve got all of that to work with. I think the best thing about this stage is I’ve got a lot more technical advances around; I have a lot more aerial equipment that we didn’t have at the Michael Jackson Mandalay Bay Theater. We did a great job in masking t h a t w h e n w e d i d t h e performance, but this year “Love” is unlimited in terms of winches, in terms of things that can possibly happen through the air, so we’re really going to take advantage of that.

PHOTO: esmas.com

Q. The first two years, we had The Canadian Tenors, Jackie Evancho and the incredible poet . Are those ar t is ts returning, or do you have new artists?

I won’t give anything away too much right now, but I want to create a new show, so you can take what you want from that.

Q. What kind of music are you going to be using?

We’re go ing to be us ing contemporary music as well as bringing in musicians who will create live music.

Q. Where are you in the timeline of production? Have y o u s t a r t e d s k e t c h i n g c o s t u m e s a n d m a k e u p appearances for the look of the show?

Right now, we’re in the stage where most of the creative team is onboard, we’re at the point where we’re going to go to all the show casts and present the show to them so that we can engage them in what we’re doing. Then we start picking the cast.

Q. Do you audition them for this like any other show?

I don’t really use the word “audition” because everyone is volunteering their time. What we do i s we g i ve t hem the presentation, they see what we’re doing, and then they volunteer for what they think they can do in the show.

If they aren’t ready for our show, then we see where else we can use them. Some of these

artists, even though they do what they do in their shows, they’re extremely skillful in other disciplines, too, so I want to bring out those skills that no one has seen before.

Q. The first year, which was at Bellagio, physical water was obviously very prevalent because that’s what “O” is all about. Last year, being in the desert was the complete contradiction of that. I know you don’ t want to give anything away, but in the “Love” theater, do you have any access to water?

I can get access to water, yes; the question is do I want water in this show. These women are search ing fo r wa te r ; the question is do they get there? Do they find it? And if they do find it, do we actually see the water, or do we see the water in a different metaphor? That’s the question. The more and more I’m getting involved with this, the more and more I’m thinking to myself that maybe I don’t want to use water onstage.

Q. How has this whole thing affected you in terms of you are African bringing to the Western world the message of water shortages and the lack of good, clean water? How has it affected you emotionally from doing it the first time to where you’re redoing it now a second time? What has it made you realize?

It has definitely made me realize that there are people out there who are trying to help solve the problem, which is incredible, especially in the One

Drop Foundation. It’s pulled me harder than ever to come and help.

Putting on a show like this is a lot of work, and for me to come back again and say, “Yes, I’ll do it,” must show that there’s a big cause there that I’m doing this for. It’s because everybody is coming from a great place and everybody really wants to do this because they’re trying to help.

Q. And you are juggling your regular work while tackling this show?

Yes, exactly. Well, three. Right now I’m juggling this with a project I’m doing in Dubai with Cirque du Soleil, and I’ve also got 5-month-old twin girls this time. That’s a lot of work in and of itself.

Q. So you’re sort of working 2 4 h o u r s a d a y a t t h e moment?

Yes, definitely. I’ve already got the whole concept for the Dubai project, and we’re just waiting right now on them. So all my attention can now go to “One Drop.”

Q. Do you find the process exhilarating or is it daunting in terms of the challenge?

I find it extremely exhilarating. This is the only way you can get challenged creatively. You have a time limit, and you have to find solutions creatively; there’s no other way that you can go forward unless you use your brain to find a creative way to find solutions. It really excites me because I learn so much

from the process, as well. This really trains me.

Q. Is it sad that it’s only for one night, or does that make it extra special?

It’s both. It’s sad for me and the players that it’s only one night because of all the work that goes into it. They really want to perform it again for different people, and it creates such a huge buzz, but looking at it from the other side, the format gives it an incredibly unique feel.

I gave a conference last week in Switzerland, and I had a lot of people come up to me asking why isn’t it more than one night? They saw it on the Internet, and it created a huge buzz all the way on the other s i d e o f t h e w o r l d . T h a t uniqueness of it is what makes people really want to watch it.

Q. What at this moment is the biggest challenge you face w i t h t h i s p a r t i c u l a r production?

The biggest challenge I face is first of all the time frame. I think the time frame is a challenge for anyone who comes into a production like this because the show has to be on the same field as the other Cirque shows that are all closing on the same day for ours and all the people come to donate their money and time.

You have to respect that by giving them a really high-end show. I think the biggest c h a l l e n g e i s u n d e r t h e timeframe creating the best show you can possibly create.”

SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun, Luxe Life PHOTO: esmas.com

One Drop celebrated the third-annual “Walk for Water” last weekend at Springs Preserve presented by UFC with a 2.7-mile walk kicked off at Symphony Park by the Smith Center for the Performing Arts and ended with a celebration at Springs Preserve. The event paid tribute to the 780 million people who lack access to water and are forced to walk miles every day to retrieve it. Keynote speeches about our growing lack of water and need for conservation were made by Mayor Carolyn Goodman, Congresswoman Dina Titus, One Drop CEO Catherine B. Bachand, UFC Hall of Famer and former light-heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin and other concerned residents. Robin Leach spoke at length with Catherine Bachand about the work of ONE DROP and what we can expect at Cirque’s next benefit

performance, on March 20, 2015 at The Beatles LOVE Thaeter at the Mirage. Q. What did you set out to achieve with this “Walk for Water”? What did you raise, and what did you feel it accomplished? How does all that marry into what you’re doing with One Drop in Las Vegas?

It was an amazing, beautiful day where 600 participants and students joined us. The idea is to really have a community-based event that’s not so much focused on r a i s i n g f u n d s b u t o n generating awareness and mobilizing the community around the issue of water. It’s also the opportunity that we have to launch our efforts to promote “One Night for One Drop 2015.” So in that sense, it was a great success, and the difference also this year was the route that took us from the Smith Center to Springs Preserve, where we have a partnership to build a huge education program.

Q. Catherine, if it’s too far afield, then we won’t explore it, but is the knowledge of good, clean water worldwide one of the things that is going to come to the forefront now because of the Ebola crisis?

I think certainly it’s an interesting thing because that’s part of what we do, u s i n g t h e a r t s a n d

entertainment to educate people. I know they’re having some challenges convincing populations and reaching populations to educate them about the danger of Ebola and how it’s being transmitted. Which also is what we do about cholera and all water-related disease. What we do in our platforms and our way of doing business is very effective in cases just like that. When we had our project in Haiti and we saw a rise in Cholera levels, we inserted a portion dedicated to that specifically in the plan that we delivered in the communities where we worked. It provoked a dramatic shift in lowering the numbers. So we know that through theater and art, you’re able to communicate and educate.

Q. Other than the fact that Cirque is so dominant as an entertainment conglomerate in Las Vegas, what’s the importance for Las Vegas to One Drop?

You’re right, our first connection is definitely our presence with Cirque du Soleil, our largest and most important partner, but it goes beyond that. Your mayor and the community have embraced One Drop like probably no other community in the world. The fact that we are telling a very powerful message about water, water stewardship and conservation right in the middle of the desert, that is in itself a very powerful message. The city of Las Vegas also has a very unique and powerful story to tell the world. It’s the city that grew by 400,000 people and yet your water consumption levels have gone down by about 30 percent. I think the rest of the world should know this, and I think Las Vegas can definitely lead the way.

Q. So that naturally leads to the biggest effort in fundraising and awareness with the annual “One Drop” show. It started off being a one-time special, and now in March it will go into its third year.

The show that’s now presented every year is a unique show; it’s a brand new show around the theme of water. Every year, there’s a different, or at least a new creative concept behind it tackling or approaching a different subject relating to water and water-related subjects. Each single “One Night for One Drop” is performed only once ever. So it’s a whole new show built from the ground up: New music, new costumes, new location, new acts. This is not a collage of other Cirque du Soleil shows. This is a completely unique, one-night, one-time-only Cirque du Soleil performance.

Q. So the first year we were in the “O” theater at Bellagio, and we saw performers in the water and actually using water. Last March, we switched to Mandalay Bay for more of a desertification production. So this year, can you give me a little sneak peek as to how you keep the same but different message going?

We used projections a lot more last year with the desertification — the increasing desertification of the world that we live in. We’re almost ready to unveil the creative genius of Mukhtar as he is the best at taking people on a very unique journey. Robin, you have the scoop in that the subtitle for this one, because it’s always “One Night for One Drop,” will be “Through the Eyes of One, We Explore the Lives Of Many.” Mukhtar is going to take us on a journey through the eye of one telling the story of many. One thing that really struck me when I saw the presentation is that the first year, there was this beautiful performance choreography. Then last year, he took that a little farther and he used the same performers and had those ladies also play a role in the show. My understanding is that this year, he’s going to actually get even closer and really follow the lives of these six women — the journey that they have had and the different elements that are important in their lives.

ONE NIGHT FOR

“Through the Eyes of

One,We Explore the

Lives Of Many”

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Hexoskin announced that 10

Cirque du Soleil performers

are wearing its smart shirts to

record their biometrics during

the live Beatles Love show.

Though Cirque du Soleil

performers around the world

normally wear Hexoskin smart

shirts during training routines,

this marks the first time that

they will be wearing the smart

shirts for the Beatles live show.

Hexoskin said it will continue

this trial for the next six weeks

t o ana l yze t he a r t i s t s ’

performances and identify

new ways on how these can

be optimized.

The wearable tech solution

connects an intelligent sports

garment wi th in tegrated

sensors that capture body

metrics, including heart rate,

breathing rate, power, and

acceleration.

Hexoskin is designed for

trainers and coaches of

amateur and professional

athletes and sports teams who

are looking to evaluate and

monitor performance results.

The Hexosk in in te l l igent

garment provides trainers with

an easy and natural way of

regularly capturing precise

data, recording more than

35,000 data points per minute

to provide accurate body

metrics.

Trainers can monitor and

compare t he i r a t h le t e ’ s

detailed body metrics either

remotely or onsite using an

iPhone or iPad or via a Web

portal.

Cirque Performers

WEAR Hexoskin

TO RECORD BIOMETRICS

SOURCE: Biometric Update PHOTO: Richard Termine © Cirque du Soleil

Sean Adams, writer for the Patriot Times in Central P e n n s y l v a n i a , h a d a

moment to speak with E m i l i e S c h ra m , o n e o f Varekai’s Slippery Surface p e r f o r m e r s , w h i c h i s scheduled to play in the city of

Hershey soon.

Q. Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us, Emilie. What is your role in ‘Varekai’?

“I’m a female dancer and singer. I’m doing break-dancing stuff, like head

spinning and jumping on my hands, stuff like that.”

Q. How did you first become interested in breakdancing?

“So I was very young and still doing gymnastics, and I saw on TV some breakdancing. When I saw that, I

was so inspired. Many years after I began to go outside on the street and

practice with people out on the street in my hometown of Nice, in the southeast of France. I was 17, so that was in 2003.”

Q. I think a lot of Americans tend to think of break-dancing and hip-hop

dance as a very American thing. What is that culture like in Europe?

“We got inspired by Americans, and so now the h ip hop dance is very huge.

We have many events everywhere, most ly

Par is . I t ’s very huge, many young

people begin to t r a i n . I n F r a n c e w e

h a ve a ve r y huge level . We don’t only have

break-dance, we have m a n y types of hip-hop dance. Popping and locking, house dance, new style, experimental.”

Q. When did you start performing with Cirque du Soleil? Did you run away and join the circus, as they say?

“I began last May, 2014. I’m replacing another girl who got hurt, so I sent a video one year ago and they found me. I came first in April. I was in Montreal for two weeks to learn her character. There are many other moments in the show where I dance, but it’s mostly the Slippery Surface act.”

Q. Can you explain the Slippery Surface act?

“Slippery Surface is part of the show where we are aquatic, [moving as if we are] underwater. We are seaweed and other

creatures , and there are acrobat ic gymnastics. There are also contortionists. Very light; very colorful. The music is very joyful. It’s very beautiful and impressive, all of the talents in this scene, for maybe five minutes. I love this act. It’s a light in the show.”

Q. What is an average day of rehearsal like?

“Usually I come very early, because I also like to sing and I come in early to train in singing. After I go and eat and stretch – that’s maybe two hours, because I like to take my time. I go do my makeup. After we have Pilates with my coach, about one hour before the show and after the show.”

“Every day is different. Sometimes you stretch, sometimes you work out. Sometimes you just dance to make yourself feel good.”

Q. What does an average workout routine look like for a Cirque performer? How do you stay in shape?

“It’s a lot of, how you say, core work, yeah? To have strength in the legs, arms, we work on every part, every muscle. We do a lot of Pilates. I’m used to being my own coach, so I take exercises from many people that I met. But since I met this coach, he made me love Pilates, and he made me love to work out. I started very slow, a lot of breathing and we take our time. A lot of exercise is about doing things fast, push-ups, as fast as you can. We work our muscles so much more when we take our time. For me, it’s mostly Pilates.”

Q. How do you rest and recover from a show?

“Every morning I’m trying to breathe and doing breathing exercises. We are always traveling. We are kind of out of our bodies sometimes. I’m always trying to be grounded. At night, I make sure to sleep well. I’m the kind of person who loves to sleep, so I will go to sleep around maximum 11 [p.m.], and to sleep around 9 [a.m.].”

“It’s good to find peace and peace of mind, and eat well! I’m careful of what I eat. Not a lot of bread or heavy stuff. I can feel the difference between when I eat heavy and when I eat healthy. A lot of vegetables and fruit, not a lot of meat. After a show, something very light.”

Q. What’s something unusual about being a Cirque performer that audience members might not know about?

“What comes to me right now is being an artist, at Cirque du Soleil or not, all the time I’m here to give, you know. I have a huge chance to be on stage and with Cirque du Soleil. I always dreamed to be in this family, and it’s good to travel and be with people all the time. But it’s very challenging to learn a lot how to live with each other and accept each other. It’s like a school of life, a fast school of life. Trying to be stable. People come and see us perform and get inspired, and that’s how I get inspired to be an artist.”

P e n n L i v e Chats With E m i l i e S c h r a m - V a r e k a i S l i p p e r y S u r f a c e Performer

SOURCE: PennLive

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL LOOKS TO THE CLOUD TO

TRANSFORM HRGlobal dance company Cirque du Soleil has implemented cloud-based HR service SuccessFactors to help manage its staff as they travel around the world.

Cirque du Soleil tours in more than 100 cities on a yearly basis -

with the direct support of an employee group made up of artists, o p e r a t i o n s a n d m a n a g e m e n t professionals from 50 different countries.

The organisation said it was looking for a platform that offered both remote access and could handle the extremely complex realities of a global workforce, always on the move.

After an evaluation process, it opted to use SuccessFactors because it is cloud-based and integrates a multitude

o f w o r k fo r c e - r e l a t e d functionalities that are

b o t h m o b i l e a n d

international, according to Bernard Hébert, vice president of Information and Business Systems at Cirque du Soleil. He added that it “simply aligns very well with our needs.”

He said that in using the cloud, the organisation’s HR team is able to deliver all of the key services expected of a world-class HR department, anywhere, anytime.

“It provides the transactional flexibility that is required in order to carry out the HR functions within a company that is complex and in movement,” he added.

“The SuccessFactors Employee Central Function provides us with all the required information to set up any future requirements in terms of master data management.”

Hébert also said it is important, in the future, that employees and direct managers have the option to use self-service functions that

the cloud software offers to carry out HR-related activities by themselves.

The initial investment the group had to make to get up and running was limited to the software component and requires no infrastructure spending, resulting in savings from the beginning, according to Hébert, which made the cloud option much more attractive than staying on-p re m i s e . Fu r t h e r m o re , t h e c o re application/platform is maintained and constantly optimised by SAP thus m i n i m i s i n g f u t u r e i n v e s t m e n t requirements.

“The vast majority of the costs of o p e r a t i o n a l r a t h e r t h a n c a p i t a l investments - making each cloud-based project much less demanding of the enterprise's financial resources,” said Hébert.

Lastly, Hébert said that the service can scale up and down as and when the

needs of the group change over time.

SOURCE: Cloud Pro

Saban Brands and Cirque du Soleil

unveiled their first TV co-production,

Luna Petunia, a pre-school series

inspired by the Quebec-based

circus troupe.

Veteran kids TV writer Bradley

Zweig (Sid the Science Kid,

Krypto) will serve as

showrunner for the

c r o s s - p l a t f o r m

project about a

l itt le gir l who

p l a y s i n a

d r e a m l a n d

where she

learns how

t o m a k e

t h e

impossible

p o s s i b l e .

T h e T V

s e r i e s ,

showcased

a t M I P J r .

d u r i n g a

n e t w o r k i n g

lunch, will be

accompanied by

a c o n s u m e r

products line and

interactive and digital

content.

Saban Brands, an affiliate of

Saban Capital Group, in February

2014 pacted with Cirque du Soleil

Media to co-produce kids TV series

w i t h o n l i n e c o n t e n t a n d

merchandising spinoffs. Saban

Brands, best known for its Power

Rangers and Ninja Turtles: The Next

Mutation titles, was launched in

2010 to acquire and develop kids

properties with consumer brand

potential.

“We are enjoying this fantastic

journey with Cirque du Soleil Media

as we collaborate on our upcoming

series, Luna Petunia,” said Saban

Brands president Elie Dekel on

Saturday during the annual kids TV

buying and sel l ing bazaar in

C a n n e s . “ A l o n g w i t h o u r

showrunner Bradley Zweig, Cirque

and Saban’s creative vision is

becoming a reality as we bring to

life a groundbreaking, immersive

new preschool series.”

Jacques Méthé, president of Cirque

du Soleil Media, added: “We are

committed to delivering refreshing,

beautifully artistic entertainment

and we are confident that Luna

Petunia will do just that.”

Rights holder Saban Brands is

partnering with another Canadian-

based media group, Lionsgate, to

do a movie reboot of its iconic

Power Rangers TV property.

Cirque du Soleil Media is a joint

venture between Cirque du Soleil

and Canadian media giant Bell

Media, and is charged with creating

film, TV, digital and gaming content

for worldwide distribution.

Saban&Cirque Unveil TV Show – “Luna Petunia”

SOURCE: Hollywood ReporterPHOTO: OSA Images © Cirque du Soleil

COSTUMES: Liz Vandal

Glade Triggers First-Ever Cirque du

Soleil Scent-Inspired

Performance

Glade and Cirque du Soleil

announced a partnership to prove there is more to scent than meets the nose. As expressed through the artistry of Cirque du Soleil, the year-long partnership will demonstrate how any of the 37 Glade fragrances can incite emotion, spark the imagination and arouse the senses.

B e g i n n i n g w i t h a n immersive, multi-sensory experience on Wednesday, October 22, Cirque du Soleil will transform Madison Square Park in New York City into a dreamland. Animators and acrobats will alter the park landscape as various scents fill the air. Inspired by Glade fragrances Pumpkin Pie Diner, Apple Cinnamon, Red Honeysuckle Nectar, Cashmere Woods and Clean Linen, the visual animation will shift as each scent elicits a different emo t i on and a r t i s t i c expression.

“Cirque du Soleil is one of the most innovative brands in the world – they are a great partner to bring-to-life the power of Glade scent as a driver to emotion and creative expression,” says Kelly M. Semrau, Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs, Communication and Sustainability, for SC Johnson. “We look forward to the year ahead and Glade playing the part of catalyst to Cirque du Soleil’s special performance.”

Cirque du Soleil is known for producing high quality productions telling each show’s story through capt ivat ing theatrical performances, stunning acrobatics, dramatic music and lighting. As part of the year-long partnership, Cirque du Soleil and Glade will bring people across the country scent-inspired surprise special performances, testimonials from Cirque du Soleil experts, and more.

“What we’ve developed for Glade is unlike anything we’ve ever done before,” says C i rque du So le i l ’ s Corporate Al l iances Senior Director Louis Malafarina. “Fragrance has the power to elicit a speci f ic feel ing or emotion, or in our case, inspire us to imagine a new one.”

As the worldwide leader in home fragrance, Glade can help unlock a variety of positive emotions through scent. Glade has been a fragrance leader for more than 50 years, growing from two products to 37 fragrances in an ever-evolving range of product forms.

To learn more about the partnership or Glade fragrances and products visit: www.Glade.com, www.Facebook.com/Glade or follow us at Twitter.com/Glade and Instagram.com/Glade using #FEELGLADE.

PHOTOS: Cirque du Soleil | Glade SOURCE: PR Newswire

Air Canada Vacations Partners with CIRQUE and MGM RESORTS

What happens in Vegas now starts right here in Canada as travellers will have the ability to book best-priced tickets for all eight spectacular Cirque du Soleil shows either when they book their Air Canada Vacations packages or, for more spontaneous travellers, directly from their seats aboard Air Canada rouge flights to Las Vegas. The in-flight booking program for Cirque du Soleil tickets, the first of its kind in Canada, will start January 1, 2015 from Montreal, with a view to expanding across Canada in the future. This new service is a result of a partnership between Cirque du Soleil, MGM Resorts International and Air Canada Vacations that was launched last night at a glittering event held at Cirque du Soleil headquarters.

According to Michael Friisdahl, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada Leisure Group, this partnership is great news for consumers. “Air Canada rouge has 38 direct flights a week from Canadian cities to Las Vegas, making it one of our most popular destinations. We know that our passengers want access to the best Cirque du Soleil shows at the best prices, and we are delighted to add this new program to

the list of services—things like airport transfers and great car rental packages—that we already provide our Vegas clients. We are proud to launch the program in Montreal where Cirque du Soleil began, and look forward to expanding the program to other cities soon.”

To celebrate the launch of this program, every passenger who books a package to Las Vegas with Air Canada Vacations from now until November 15, 2014, will receive a complimentary ticket to one of three Cirque du Soleil shows: KÁ at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Zarkana at ARIA Resort & Casino, or Zumanity, The Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil at New York-New York Hotel & Casino. “We are excited about this partnership and this is our way of kicking it off in typical Vegas fashion” added Friisdahl. “No matter where in Canada you book from, no matter what hotel you stay in, as long as you book your trip to Las Vegas with Air Canada Vacations by November 15, 2014 you will be seeing a spectacular show as our treat.”

Jerry Nadal, Senior Vice President of the Resident Shows Division of Cirque du Soleil was in Montreal to launch the

partnership. “As the world’s leading live entertainment company we are proud to be here in Montreal where our international success story began. Cirque du Soleil shows are a must-see experience for all Canadian guests visiting Las Vegas. We look forward to working closely with Air Canada Vacations and our Canadian travel partners in further promoting live entertainment and Cirque du Soleil.”

Cirque du Soleil’s Vegas show venues are located at resorts including Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage, all part of MGM Resorts International, a significant hotel partner for Air Canada Vacations. According to Jeff Eisenhart, MGM Resorts Vice President of Leisure Sales and Marketing, there is something for all types of visitors in the portfolio. “MGM Resorts properties provide a wide array of outstanding guest experiences for travellers to Las Vegas. By offering the city’s premier entertainment as well as dining and nightlife options, we hope to inspire many more Canadians to choose Las Vegas for their next vacation, and we are proud to be working closely with Air Canada Vacations as we work towards our goal.”

Las Vegas is renowned as a veritable playground for Canadian travellers. Brand USA—the public-private partnership responsible for promoting the United States—reports that at 1.8 million annual visitors, Canadians represent 36 per cent of the total international visitor market to the city. Canada is the largest international market for the destination.

“Brand USA is the destination marketing organization for the USA it’s only logical that we partner with Air Canada Vacations to offer the best in comprehensive travel services for Canadians travelling to Las Vegas, and one of the most recognizable entertainment brands in the world, Cirque du Solei l ,“ said Chris Thompson, President and CEO for Brand USA. “We believe world class theatrical productions, concerts, music festivals and professional sports to be some of the unique experiences that distinguish the USA and Las Vegas as a world class travel destination.”

Daily non-stop flights to Las Vegas aboard Air Canada rouge operate from Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.

SOURCE: Cirque du SoleilPHOTO: Matt Beard © Cirque du Soleil Inc.

COSTUME: Alan Hranitelj

Pre-Order KURIOS CD on

Amazon Today!

The release isn’t until December 9, 2014, but be one of the first few to get it in your hands when it does by pre-ordering KURIOS CD on Amazon.com today!

Club Med, the brand that pioneered the all-inclusive concept over 60 years ago, and C i r q u e d u S o l e i l , w h i c h reinvented circus arts and r e s h a p e d i t i n t o a groundbreaking entertainment company, have partnered to launch a completely new and unique concept in experiential travel with Club Med CREACTIVE by Cirque du Solei l . The CREACTIVE concept will debut at Club Med Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic in June 2015, where guests will be able to learn many of the exciting acrobatic disciplines showcased in famed Cirque du Soleil productions. These two iconic global brands were created by visionaries who sought to create moments of happiness, and both continue to do so through innovat ive experiences that tap into the desire for adventure and surprise.

T h e o r i g i n a l C R E A C T I V E experience will invite vacationers to participate in a variety of recreational circus acrobatic and artistic activities ranging from high bungee, flying trapeze, aerial si lk, t ightrope and t r a m p o l i n e t o j u g g l i n g ,

percussion and dance or mask painting, amongst many others. Guests will be fully immersed in a fan tas t ica l ly co lor fu l and imaginative environment that is custom designed to encourage both adults and children alike to learn new skills, play and have fun under the supervision of Cirque du Soleil trained staff, which will help them progress and discover unexpected new abilities.

Cirque du Soleil President and CEO, Daniel Lamarre stated “This p a r t n e r s h i p i s a n a t u ra l progression, stemming from the success and uniqueness of Club Med having provided circus instruction for over 25 years, and now with Cirque du Soleil’s 30 years of experience and know-how, this activity will have a new color.” Club Med’s Chairman and CEO, Henri Giscard d’Estaing also added, “This new concept will leverage, for the benefit of Club Med guests, the expertise and knowledge of Cirque du Soleil, who are unrivalled innovators in the realm of circus artistry. It will also capitalize on the heritage and talent of Club Med in creating extraordinary memories in beautiful vacation destinations.”

CLUB MED AND CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ANNOUNCE NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIQUE EXPERIENTIAL CIRCUS ACTIVITIES FOR GUESTS

Escape to a world of creative exploration. Club Med and Cirque du Soleil have joined forces to dream up the ultimate circus-inspired playground.

Adults and children alike are invited to live a one-of-a-kind immersive experience in Punta Cana, featuring unique activities inspired by t h e w o n d r o u s a n d unexpected world of Cirque

du Soleil. From artistic to acrobatic activities, vacationers will have fun, learn new skills and achieve things they would never have expected / discover capabilities they would never have imagined.

With CLUB MED CREACTIVE by CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, we’ll elevate your vacation fun to a whole new level.

CREACTIVE PLAYGROUND:

• Recreational acrobatic activities: high bungee, double flying trapeze, aerial silk, tightrope and trampoline

• Artistic activities: mask painting, juggling, percussion and dance

• Over 25 activities for both adults and children

• Expert staff supervision from our Gentils Circassiens trained by Cirque du Soleil and Club Med

Watch the CREACTIVE videoSOURCE: Cirque du Soleil | Club Med

ALEVTYNA TITARENKO

Cirque du Soleil star Alevtyna Titarenko and her talented castmates are set to thrill Sydney when their show Totem opens on Tuesday. Titarenko is the extraordinarily athletic acrobat who performs the female role in Totem’s Rings Trio act, in which she soars over the heads of the crowd up to 12 metres in the air.

Watching her, you’d never guess she’s afraid of heights, and that she prefers not to know her exact distance from the ground when she’s working aloft.

Speaking to S during rehearsals for Totem, Ukrainian-born Titarenko revealed her latest height-related anxiety: watching her 10-year-old daughter, Alisa, perform aerial acts.

“She came on tour with the show last year and took circus lessons,” says Titarenko. “And she excels at aerial. She likes it best, which is unfortunate for me!

I am terrified to watch her up there. I’m saying: ‘hold on! Don’t let go!’ It’s very different when it’s your child doing the things that you do.”

Alisa, says Titarenko, does not share the fear that causes her mother to avoid roller coasters and bungee jumps and even, sometimes, to close her eyes during her spectacular Totem performances. “She thinks it’s embarrassing,” says the 34-year-old veteran of four Cirque shows.

Titarenko’s mother wanted to be a trapeze artist, but became a fashion designer instead. “She was able to realise her acrobatic dreams through me,” says the performer, who is also an international bodybuilding champion. Now the next generation looks set to take the high road, too. ” I will support her of course, all the way,” says Titarenko. ‘Although my heart will be pounding and I will be praying!”

Afraid of Heights?

SOURCE: Sydney Morning Herald PHOTOS: OSA Images © Cirque du Soleil

COSTUME: Kym Barrett

Here Comes the Sun

LIF

E IS

BEA

UTIF

UL

As he finished conducting the Las Vegas Philharmonic in an exquisitely performed medley of music by The Beatles, maestro Richard Oberacker turned toward the thousands of people crowding the Life Is Beautiful Downtown Stage.

Clad in a stately black suit in the face of a sunny Las Vegas afternoon, Oberacker gestured with a sweep of his arm to that army of talented musicians.

He then stopped to notice a prop at his feet.

Beach ball.

The maestro grinned, scooped up the plaything and tossed it to the crowd. Then he flashed the peace sign.

It was a beautiful moment in one of the most eagerly anticipated performances of the festival. The Las Vegas Philharmonic, teaming with artists from the Cirque show “The Beatles Love” at the Mirage, all happily converging on LIB’s main stage.

Never had these artistic institutions collaborated in such a way. The idea bloomed over time, with L.V. Phil CEO Jeri Crawford approaching Life Is Beautiful founder Rehan Choudhry and asking about, maybe, setting up a “rave” with the Phil. The concept was further enlivened when LIB music guru Craig N y m a n s u g g e s t e d incorporating Cirque’s “Love” cast into a performance of The Beatles classics.

It all came off beautifully. The Phil opened with a series of those readily recognizable songs, played purely as the crowd swayed and even sang a l o n g t o “ A c r o s s t h e Universe,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Michelle,” “Here, There and E v e r y w h e r e , ” “ Ye l l o w Submarine,” among other songs.

The Cirque artists bounded to the scene, as is their wont, as the tea-toting character from "Love" took center stage. The recording of The Beatles playing “Get Back” blanketed the crowd. Footage of the rooftop concert was buoyed by the symphony 's l ive playing, and the “Love" cast took to the air on a line of four long bungee chords.

“Eleanor Rigby” was played a second t ime, powerful ly delivered as the “Love” cast member portraying that character shuffled across the stage. “Here Comes the Sun” was warmly received by the sun-drenched crowd, cheering George Harrison’s vocals, followed by “Yesterday.”

At the end, it was a full-voiced “All You Need Is Love,” with the crowd roaring at the images of John Lennon and Paul McCartney singing together during footage of the live “Our World” global telecast from 1967. “All together now!” McCartney shouts in that clip, throughout history and over the masses in d o w n t o w n L a s V e g a s . “Everybody!”

“All you need is love, love, love is all you need!” the crowd sang, obeying gleefully. The song played out, with the musicians and Cirque artists amassing in the middle to acknowledge all that love.

Afterward, Oberacker, the music director of “Ka” and co-creator of a new musical called “Bandstand,” said it was a career highlight. “The perfect fusion” of the elements of his career is how he termed it.

It also was the perfect fusion of music spanning generations and a pair of this city’s great cultural institutions. It was a moment when life really was beautiful.

SOURCE: Las Vegas SunPHOTOS: Al Powers/Powers Imagery

Rock in Rio USA100 acts, 300,000 fans,

and 37-acre City of Rock

For two weekends next May, more than 100 acts representing the music of America, Britain and Brazil will entertain 300,000 expected fans at the debut Rock in Rio USA festival at its very own 47-acre City of Rock on the Las Vegas Strip.

Br uno Mars, Joss Stone and Ed Sheeran were announced Monday as t h e n e w e s t p e r f o r m e rs to j o i n already-set Taylor Swift, Metallica, Linkin Park, John Legend and The Deftones. More concert artists will b e re v e a l e d i n D e c e m b e r a n d January. Organizers said Monday as they unveiled an on-site miniaturized model that they have booked more than 50 percent of the 100-plus stars expected.

The first-time Las Vegas event, on MGM Resorts land from Circus Circus to the edge of Sahara Avenue opposite SLS Las Vegas, celebrates the 30th anniversary of the legendary Rock in Rio celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Lisbon, Portugal.

Although the venue will have six stages for entertainment, it’s more about “the gathering” for people to enjoy music, culture and food. In addition to a Ferris wheel, there will be a 64-foot-high and 600-foot-long zip line that stretches in front of the Main Stage. As many as 85,000 people can attend daily from 4 p.m. until 2 a.m. The air-c o n d i t i o n e d V I P a re a a l o n e c a n accommodate as many as 4,000 people with a unique view of the City of Rock.

Organizers provided a sneak preview Monday of the three thematic streets inside the City of Rock. Dozens of musicians, performers and street artists tantalized with the experience that audiences will enjoy. Rock in Rio chief Roberto Medina conceived the U.S. festival and its City of Rock four years ago.

Now his vision will come to life in par tnership with MGM Resor ts, Cirque du Soleil and billionaire Ron B u r k l e — h i s Yu c a i p a e q u i t y investment takeover company owns Fresh & Easy among his numerous supermarket holdings.

Unlike other music festivals, Roberto wanted Rock Streets where audience and artists could interact over each 500-foot area featuring 20 “homes” filled with shops, restaurants and a stage. Performers will transform the street into stage areas to connect with audiences.

Rock Street USA will use the imagery of New Orleans, its culture and music as its backdrop with a diner, parked C a d i l l a c , s t re e t-s i d e c a f e s , j a m sessions, the blues and dozens of street-dance styles with an official crew. Artistic directors Bruno Bastos, Miguel Colker and Shaun Evaristo will choreograph 15 dancers performing ro u t i n e s f ro m a r t i s t s i n c l u d i n g Beyonce, Usher, Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson as diverse as hip-hop, p o p p i n g a n d l o c k i n g , v o g u i n g , waackin’, dancehall, house, breaking

and krumping. Guest crews from L.A. and Las Vegas will take part alongside the street-dance battles of the official crew.

Rock Street U.K. will feature the heritage of music from Great Britain and Ireland on a street created to resemble London’s Camden Town and Ireland’s Grafton Street with houses inspired by traditional Irish and E n g l i s h p u b s a n d s h o p s . O n t h e streets, audiences will meet magicians, b a g p i p e rs , a Vi c t o r i a n- i n s p i re d photographer, jugglers, caricaturists and even a Buckingham Palace guard.

Onstage, there will be Celtic-inspired music by Terra Celta, and to honor the influences of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, the band Stone the Beetles will perform ever y night. Hula-hoop performer Lisa Lottie will present her “Bend It Like Barbie” contortionism circus art that has taken her to more than 100 cities in 29 countries. More than 1.5 million views of her have been accumulated on YouTube.

Rock Street Brazil will capture the warm and colorful culture of Brazil featuring some of the most charismatic figures of the typical Bahiana woman resembling the character that inspired Carmen Miranda and carrying the famous fruit basket on her head; the “Ma l a n d ro d a L a p a ” f ro m t h e bohemian neighborhoods in Rio played by ballroom-dancing legend Carlinhos de Jesus; Bumba Meu Boi, a folkloric bull figure typical from the northeast of Brazil; and capoeira group Batuque that will dance and battle on the street.

The stage will spotlight three acts that represent the variety of Brazilian music culture. Spok Frevo Orquestra,

the Pernambuco big band composed of 17 musicians, and Latin Grammy nominee Cris Delanno and her Bossa Cuca Nova band with traditional bossa nova sounds and percussion.

Since Rock in Rio USA was announced this year, advance tickets have been p u rc h a s e d f ro m 3 2 co u n t r i e s s i x months in advance of the Las Vegas invasion. News has generated $25 million in coverage worldwide and is expected to be worth $150 million in Las Vegas exposure by May.

A Cirque executive told me that acts from the company’s eight Strip shows will be featured at the festival in

collaborations similar to Sunday’s Life Is Beautiful concert The Beatles “Love” cast performed with the Las Vegas Philharmonic.

Organizers say the Las Vegas venue will be a premium world-class facility. “It’s a monumental task, but this will be no o rd i n a r y f e s t i v a l , ” s a i d Ro b e r to proudly. “It’s a permanent installation, so we have a permanent city within a city complete with grassed gardens and even real toilets.”

In m y b o o k , t h a t s u re m a ke s a difference!

SOU

RCE: Robin Leach via T

he Las Vegas Sun

The lineup announcements to date include:

May 8Main Stage: No Doubt

May 9Main Stage: Metallica;

Linkin ParkSunset Stage: The Deftones

May 15Main Stage: Taylor Swift;

Ed Sheeran

May 16Main Stage: Bruno MarsSunset Stage: John Legend;

Joss Stone

VID

EOS

Couldn’t make it to NYC for the Glade and Cirque du Soleil event? Live vicariously through this video!

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Want to know how eric hernandez, totem’s hoop dancer got into cirque du soleil? watch the video to find out!

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go behind the scenes of the life is beautiful love performance!

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Under the Grand Chapiteau

BIGTOPAtlanta, GA

Oct 3, 2014 to Nov 30, 2014

Miami, FL Dec 11, 2014 to Jan 25, 2015

Houston, TX

Feb 12, 2015 to Mar 22, 2015

Madrid, ES May 6, 2015 to Jun 21, 2015

San Jose, CR Jan 22, 2015 to Feb 15, 2015

Bogota, CO Mar 19, 2015 to Apr 12, 2015

Düsseldorf, DE Nov 6, 2014 to Dec 14, 2014

London, UK

Jan 7, 2015 to Feb 8, 2015

Bern, CH Mar 1, 2015 to Mar 15, 2015

San Francisco, CA Nov 14, 2014 to Jan 18, 2015

Seattle, WA

Jan 29, 2015 to Feb 22, 2015

Denver, CO Apr 10, 2015 to May 3, 2015

Calgary, AB

Jun 10, 2015 to Jul 5, 2015

Chicago, IL Aug 6, 2015 to Sep 20, 2015

Nagoya, JP Nov 20, 2014 to Feb 1, 2015

Fukuoka, JP

Feb 20, 2015 to Apr 5, 2015

Sendai, JP Apr 23, 2015 to Jun 7, 2015

Syndey, AU Oct 28, 2014 to Jan 4, 2015

Melbourne, AU

Jan 21, 2015 to Feb 15, 2015

Brisbane, AU Apr 10, 2015 to Apr 26, 2015

Adelaide, AU

Jun 11, 2015 to Jul 5, 2015

Perth, AU Jul 31, 2015 to Aug 16, 2015

ITINÉRAIRE TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION

Lille, FR - Dec 10 to Dec 14, 2014 Lisbon, PT - Dec 18 to Dec 28, 2014

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, ES - Jan 3 to Jan 11, 2015 Bratislava, SK - Feb 5 to Feb 8, 2015

Budapest, HU - Feb 13 to Feb 15, 2015 Copenhagen, DK - Feb 18 to Feb 22, 2015

Vilnius, LT - Mar 19 to Mar 21, 2015 Minsk, BY - Mar 26 to Mar 29, 2015

Tel Aviv, IL - Jul 2 to Jul 16, 2015

Pesaro, IT - Nov 14 to Nov 16, 2014Milan, IT - Nov 19 to Nov 23, 2014 Turin, IT - Nov 27 to Nov 30, 2014

Paris, FR - Dec 2 to Dec 7, 2014

Hampton, VA - Nov 12 to Nov 16, 2014 New Orleans, LA - Nov 19 to Nov 23, 2014

Sioux Falls, SD - Dec 11 to Dec 14, 2014 Milwaukee, WI - Dec 18 to Dec 21, 2014

Minneapolis, MN - Dec 23 to Dec 28, 2014 Colorado Springs, CO - Dec 31, 2014 to Jan 4, 2015

St. Louis, MO - Jan 7 to Jan 11, 2015 Wichita, KS - Jan 14 to Jan 18, 2015

Tulsa, OK - Jan 21 to Jan 25, 2015 Oklahoma City, OK - Jan 28 to Feb 1, 2015

San Antonio, TX - Feb 4 to Feb 8, 2015 Phoenix, AZ - Feb 18 to Feb 22, 2015 San Diego, CA - Feb 25 to Mar 1, 2015 El Paso, TX - Mar 18 to Mar 22, 2015

Bakersfield, CA - Apr 1 to April 5, 2015 Sacramento, CA - Apr 8 to Apr 12, 2015 Stockton, CA - May 6 to May 10, 2015

Bloomington, IL - Nov 12 to Nov 16, 2014 Cedar Rapids, IA - Nov 19 to Nov 23, 2014

Duluth, MN - Nov 26 to Nov 30, 2014 Kearney, NE - Dec 3, to Dec 7, 2014

Regina, SK - Dec 10, 2014 to Dec 14, 2014 Lethbridge, AB - Dec 17 to Dec 21, 2014

Kamloops, BC - Dec 24, 2014 to Dec 28, 2014 Prince George, BC - Dec 31 to Jan 4, 2015

Fairbanks, AK - Jan 8 to Jan 11, 2015 Anchorage, AK - Jan 14 to Jan 18, 2015

**Closing, Anchorage, AK - Jan 18, 2015**

ARENAIn Stadium-Like

Venues

Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas Performs: Saturday through Wednesday

Dark: Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm

Added performances in 2014: December 26

Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas Performs: Wednesday through Sunday

Dark: Monday/Tuesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm & 10:30pm

2014 Dark Dates: October 5, December 1-16 Added performances in 2014: December 29

Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando Performs: Tuesday through Saturday

Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 6:00pm & 9:00pm

2014 Dark Dates: December 7-9 Added performances in 2014: December 29

Location: New York-New York, Las Vegas Performs: Friday through Tuesday

Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:30pm & 10:00pm

2014 Dark Dates: December 10-18

Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas Performs: Tuesday through Saturday

Dark: Sunday/Monday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm

2014 Dark Dates: December 2Added performances in 2014: December 28

Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas Performs: Thursday through Monday

Dark: Tuesday/Wednesday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm

2014 Dark Dates: December 2-17 Added performances in 2014: December 31

Location: Luxor, Las Vegas Performs: Friday through Tuesday

Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 10:00pm

2014 Dark Dates: November 9-17

NOTE: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Children under the age of five are not permitted into the theater.

Location: Aria, Las Vegas Performs: Friday through Tuesday

Dark: Wednesday/Thursday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 9:30pm

Location: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas Performs: Saturday through Wednesday

Dark: Thursday/Friday Two Shows Nightly - 7:00pm & 10:0pm

2014 Dark Dates: November 13-28Added performances in 2014: December 26

Location: Riviera Maya, Mexico Performs: Tuesday through Saturday

Dark: Sunday/Monday One/Two Shows Nightly - 9:00pm (Weekdays),

7:00pm & 10:15 pm (Fri, Sat & Holidays) Added performances in 2014: December 26

RESIDENTen Le

Théâtre

NOTE: While we make every effort to provide complete and accurate touring dates and locations available, the information in this section is subject to change without notice. As such, we do not accept responsibility for the accuracy of these listings.

For current, up-to-the-moment information on Cirque's whereabouts, please visit Cirque's website.

OUTREACH UPDATES FROM CIRQUE'S SOCIAL WIDGETS NEWSLETTER

WELCOME TO OUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT!

A few weeks ago we launched our Instagram page. Subscribe today to keep abreast of our talent scouts' activities through the beautiful world of images. These audition and scouting event images captured on the spot is our way of bringing you with us – so feel the moment as if you were part of the action… or the next best thing.

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CANADIAN GYMNASTS WIN GOLD

Congratulations to Maria Kitkarska and her Canadian teammates for finishing first in the rhythmic gymnastics team all-around event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. We are proud to have been able to support Maria over the past five years, through the Cirque du Soleil bursary program, which has provided young athletes with financial assistance over the past decade.

INTERVIEW WITH ACROBATIC GYMNASTS

Our talent scout Dmitry Belyaykov interviewed two acrobatic gymnastics duos who have recently joined Cirque du Soleil. Watch these world champions discuss their career transition.

ARTISTS AND COACHES: A RELATIONSHIP BASED ON TEAMWORK

Even though we may master certain skills, we all need a little guidance from time to time. This is why every Cirque du Soleil artist works with highly qualified coaches every day. Go behind the scenes of a training session to see how this teamwork helps artists truly excel.

INTERVIEW WITH ACROBATIC GYMNASTSIsabelle Fink, who supervises the makeup team at Cirque du Soleil, presents a few techniques you can use to stand out at Halloween or any other opportunity to dress up. Brushes at the ready!

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiUPCOMING AUDITIONS

January 2015 Paris, France

Circus Performers

February 2015 Mexico City, Mexico Instrumentalist

Singers

March 2015 Amsterdam, Netherlands

Clowns Dancers

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FASCINATION! FEATURES

AT 10The Original

Creator's Notebook

PHOTO: Eric Jamison © Cirque du Soleil COSTUMES: Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt

The following entries are excerpts given to us by an anonymous Cirquester from the KÀ Creators’ Notebook, and they feature some very interesting behind-the-scenes notes regarding the creation of the MGM Grand show. Picking up just following the official press conference on September 15, 2004, we hear from Anh-Dao Bui (the Assistant to the Production Manager), Céciles Vignes (Internal Communications Advisor), and Stéphane Mongeau (Production Manager) as milestones in the show’s creation are reached – including living through a “Lion’s Den” performance!

By: Ricky Russo Atlanta, Georgia (USA)

PHOTO: Eric Jamison © Cirque du Soleil COSTUMES: Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt

Anh-Dao BuiAssistant to the

Production Manager

The artists are standing by for a scene that comes about 12 minutes from the end of the show. Everyone is tired, but at the same time, the tension

from earlier in the day is gone. The end is in sight, and the jokes have begun flying thick and fast.

10:35 PM

Céciles VignesInternal Communications

Advisor

Robert Lepage is in Las Vegas and we’re concentrating our team efforts on the staging by providing him with as many of the show conditions as much as possible (sound, EFX, lighting, video, costumes, etc). We also showed him the work that’s been done during the last two weeks to get his artistic input. Robert’s goal for this week is to prepare this Sunday’s run-through, at which Guy Laliberté and Lyn Heward will be present. He also wants to work on the show content. One of our biggest challenges is telling this epic tale to the audience without words. In order to achieve this, we must focus on the artists’ acting skills (body language, gesture, posture, facial expression) and on the interaction between all the characters during the show. The acrobatic performances (“Wheel of Death,” “Wushu,” etc.) are in good shape. In terms of acting and linking everything to support the storyline, we still have some work to do.

We’re also trying out new EFX and props objects (retractable spears, body arrows, flash devices, etc), and integrating them into the staging. The devices were tested during their manufacturing, but we are now testing them with the artists during rehearsal

time. The cueing work continues. We’re trying more and more to respect the transition time between the scenes. The more we practice, the more efficient we’ll become. The pre-set time will get shorter and the show run-through will get smoother. Also, backstage and in the dressing room at each rehearsal, we’re asking the artists to act as though they were actually performing for an audience in terms of how quickly they change their costumes and do their make-up.

This gives us a good idea of the amount of time required for them to go from one scene to the other. And speaking of make-up, Nathalie Gagné (Make-up Designer) has started to teach the artists how to do their own make-up. As she said: “Until they memorize the technique, we might see some Picasso artwork running around!” So far, though, it hasn’t been so bad: not too many Picassos have been seen backstage! Last Monday, we also presented the flame and pyro effects to Robert Lepage and to the Clark County Fire Department (CCFD). This process is still in progress since the CCFD needs to make sure that all effects are safe for the cast, crew and audience.

The entire KÀ team is on alert. Creative team, department heads, Guy Laliberté, naturally, Robert Lepage, Guy Caron, and many, many more are here. In just two minutes we’ll start the very first run-through: a start-to-finish rehearsal of the whole show. This will be the first assessment of the transitions, including recent costume changes. That means the

artists must behave exactly as they would during a real performance. The idea is to go as fast as possible, but safety must not be jeopardized in any way. In Guy Caron’s words, the run-through is a testing phase. No one knows yet whether there will be changes, but with six and a half weeks until the premiere it’s likely, so it’s important to be very receptive.

After more than two hours of performance, we’re about 22 minutes into the show, according to the script. After every scene, the whole technical crew and the dressers go into high gear preparing for the next step. Technology is a prime component in KÀ and a considerable number of

operations are involved in preparing for a scene. It’s also the first time these operations have been conducted in a “real life” situation. This is another important objective of the run-through: to assess the feasibility and duration of the transitions.

We’ve broken for dinner, to everyone’s relief. The artists have an hour ahead of them to recharge their batteries and rest. The sofas in the green room will serve as makeshift beds for some while others change to go out to eat

(costumes are not allowed outside the theatre!). Meanwhile, the technical crew works on, using this break to make some headway on a l o n g e r - t h a n - a v e r a g e transition.

6:30 PM2:

28 P

M4:

45 P

M

October 3, 2004

The run-through continues. As the artists take their turns on “stage” and the technical crews go about their business below, above, or right in the middle of the equipment, some lucky souls get to sit in the theatre and act like an audience. These are the KÀ

team members who aren’t directly involved in the performance. Everyone’s heavy workloads notwithstanding, they shuttle between their offices and the theatre, trying to take full advantage of this unique opportunity.

It’s over! The longest day is now officially a thing of the past. The house lights have come up revealing smiles on every face. Guy Caron announces that there will be few changes: Guy Laliberté was extremely pleased with what he saw and the remaining work will primarily be a matter of polishing what’s already there. He thanks all the artists for

their patience and praises the quality of their performance. After the smiles of relief this good news brings, the next announcement prompts unanimous jubilation: they’re all invited to a very special party in early November, organized in their honour – a present from Guy Laliberté!

8:10 PM11:20 PM

October 10, 2004

PHOTO: Jerry Metellus © Cirque du Soleil COSTUMES: Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt

There was a first run-through on Sunday for all the designers, the production crew, the team from the Montreal Costume Shop, Robert Lepage, and Guy Laliberté). The run-through came six and a half weeks before the première. It was a long day, with pitfalls galore, but we got through it in seven hours. The reactions were very positive. For the team, this was a perfect opportunity to get a unified view of what everyone is doing and imagine the full effect when all this potential is realized.

The day after the run-through, there was a production meeting with Robert and the thirty-odd members of his team. We still have a long road ahead of us and we’re in the process of combining all of the show’s ingredients so we can do a second run-through on October 24, when Robert comes back.

In Guy Laliberté’s words, “The horse is still wild.” It’s a highly technical show, but it’s also very complex in terms of the various

performance disciplines. So it’s really exciting to finally see the framework of the show emerging, and above all, to see what was a theoretical design now bearing fruit and full of potential.

This week was marred by a minor mechanical breakdown affecting our stage machinery (gantry crane), which resulted in some schedule changes. But every cloud has a silver lining: this breakdown gave us a better idea of the system’s limitations and prompted us to establish stricter protocols to ensure the system is reliable in the long term. We must remain vigilant and be ready to respond to any glitches in the system. What’s important is that everything remains under control and safe.

Bill Close, who designed and invented the harp in the lobby, is here to teach the musicians how to play the instrument. The effect and the music will be extraordinary. A lot more is happening, but that’s the basic picture for now.

October 15, 2004

Stéphane MongeauProduction Manager

KÀ

Incredible, but true: this week in Las Vegas, the weather was grey and depressing, and it even rained for a few days! We’re almost ready to compete with Montreal weather… Electricity is in the air, and we’re preparing for the next run-through, taking place on October 24. That date is also when Robert Lepage returns to Las Vegas. Over the last two weeks, Nino D’Introna, Neilson Vignola and Jacques Heim have worked night and day to create, invent and tighten things up based on Robert’s directives. The goal is to present everything to him during the run-through.

October 24 is a crucial moment for the production, because the Clark County fire department will by visiting us to give its final approval for the fire and pyrotechnic effects. A team specializing in radio frequencies will also be coming by to analyze our radio frequencies and make sure they are not in conflict with one another. At the same time, this is when some of our creators, including René Dupéré, Martin Lord Ferguson, Jonathan Deans, Luc Lafortune and Holger Förterer, will reveal a major part of their work. Five weeks before the premiere… anxiety and stress levels are rising within the team. We need to tame the beast!

October 22, 2004

Anh-Dao BuiAssistant to the

Production Manager

We’d been long anticipating this date, and we expected a long workday. It began an hour late. The fire department inspectors, present at the event, were asking us detailed questions. The radio-frequency verifiers, also in the house, had serious looks on their faces. We managed to do the run-through in just over three and a half hours. Quite an improvement compared to the October 10 run-through! That one lasted almost seven hours! Around 6:00, as a pleasant surprise, we announced to the artists that the day was over and they had Monday and Tuesday off. In addition, the fire department gave us the appropriate certificates and permits for our fire and pyrotechnical effects. The day was a productive one!

This week was also marked by the return of Robert Lepage. Michael Curry (Puppet Designer) and Joe DePaul (comic acts) are also back in town. This is the beginning of the final sprint! Robert and his partners in crime (Guy Caron, Nino d’Introna, Neilson Vignola, Joe DePaul, Jacques Heim and Yung Biau Lin) met to discuss the show’s content and to review their plan of action for the coming weeks. Another intense week is on the horizon: the presentation of the first Lions’ Den (on November 5) for an audience made up of the artists, technicians and employees of Cirque du Soleil’s other Las Vegas shows.

October 24, 2004

Anh-Dao BuiAssistant to the

Production Manager

PHOTO: Norman Jean Roy © Cirque du Soleil COSTUMES: Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt

The tension is mounting, and soon it’ll be time to make some decisions. The first lions’ den takes place today (Friday, November 5), but the premiere is still three weeks away.

The last run-through lasted three and a half hours. We hope to pull off the lions’ den in a maximum of three hours. The show’s approximately 150 technicians are in the process of polishing the technical transitions. The creators are programming the special effects and the lighting, sound, music and video effects. Robert Lepage and his team are concentrating

on the last dramatic and artistic adjustments. The Props and Costumes workshops are moving heaven and earth to finish up the last details. After this first lions’ den, Robert Lepage, Guy Laliberté, the creators and the production team will take the time to reflect on the show and prepare a plan of action for November 26 (the public premiere) and February 3 (the premiere gala).

Also taking place this week: various magazines (Time, Total Production and others) will be interviewing show creation and production personnel.

November 5, 2004

Anh-Dao BuiAssistant to the

Production Manager

Our first lions’ den was held on November 6. For a big part of the day, the team was busy with last-minute preparations, and a whole battery of tests (sound, lighting, etc.) was conducted. Just around 2:10 p.m., the theatre doors opened. Based on what little they knew of the show, our colleagues from the other Las Vegas shows (Mystère, “O” and Zumanity) and offices were more than eager to discover what KÀ had to offer. At 2:30, the show got underway. The run-through progressed nicely, with everything going smoothly. The crowd reacted with gasps of admiration and warm applause. What a change it was for all of us to have an audience in the theatre, especially after all these long months of training and rehearsals in a nearly empty room!

At the halfway mark, everyone had to take a first break because of a technical problem related to lighting. There were to be two other breaks by the time the lions’ den ended. The audience understood: they knew that the technological and

acrobatic challenges facing KÀ were enormous. At about 5:35, the show was over. We came close to meeting our goal of pulling off this lions’ den in less than three hours. The spectators’ comments after the performance were very positive. They will be invited back on November 20 for the third lions’ den, giving them a chance to see how much progress has been made over the preceding two weeks.

Right after the performance, the entire KÀ team was brought together in the theatre. Guy Laliberté, Guy Caron and Stéphane Mongeau wanted to thank them all and to encourage them to continue their great work and stay calm and collected because there is still a lot left to do from now to November 26, the date of the premiere.

This week was another very busy week in which we had to prepare the second lions’ den, scheduled for today. The countdown continues, with only two left weeks until the premiere!

November 12, 2004

Anh-Dao BuiAssistant to the Production Manager

Our second lions’ den took place on November 12. During the first one, the show stopped three times and lasted just over three hours. But this second lions’ den left us all with smiles on our faces. Just before the audience entered the theatre, Lyn Heward found 25 cents: “It’s our lucky quarter,” she said.

“Each cent represents a minute that we’re cutting off the show!” And while I’m not really superstitious, wouldn’t you know it—the show went off without a hitch and with no interruptions. This was the first time we managed to perform the whole show without stopping! And the length? An hour and 45 minutes total! The artists, creators, production people, operations team, technicians—everyone was overjoyed. We applauded ourselves and shook one another’s hands. The energy was beautiful and intense. And the public? Thrilled. Some people even compared the first and second lions’ dens: “During

the first lions’ den, from the opening scenes, we were immediately wowed by the acrobatic and technical prowess. We didn’t want it to end! But every time the show stopped, we had to be patient and wait for it to start again. It was totally not the same the second time around! Truly amazing!”

Now, we are now barely a week away from the premiere—and we’re starting to feel it. Some of the production tables that were in the middle of the theatre have been removed and replaced by seats. Soon, the last tables will be replaced. This week, we’ve been preparing for the last lions’ den. Next, we’ll prepare for the three dress rehearsals, to which the MGM and suppliers’ employees will be invited. Next, the premiere…

November 19, 2004

Anh-Dao BuiAssistant to the Production Manager

PHOTO: Eric Jamison © Cirque du Soleil COSTUMES: Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt

We have been waiting for this day for such a long time. Due to the five-month delay, the project required most of us from Montreal to spend 9 to 12 months here in Las Vegas. Now, we are only a few hours, only a few minutes from the premiere. For some of us, it is a time of anxiety and last-minute preparations. For others, it is a time of relief. No matter what each of us is feeling all our energy is focused on our joint effort to make the premiere a success. We all hope that this show will live up to expectations. Working in the theatre day after day, we know the show inside-out and we become its most demanding critics. We often lack

perspective, which is immediately obvious when we hear the reactions of members of the public and Cirque colleagues who enter the theatre for the first time.

November 26 will be a decisive step for the production team. That’s the day when we hand the reins over to the operation team. Our work is not finished, however. Robert Lepage and most of the creators will remain in Las Vegas until December 3. The opening gala (for the media) is scheduled for February. In the meantime, they’ll be working on stabilizing the show. In short, there is a lot left to be done, but at least the premiere will be behind us.

November 26, 2004

Anh-Dao BuiAssistant to the

Production Manager

Anh-Dao BuiAssistant to the

Production Manager

It’s already been a month and a half since the launch, and we’re already at our 51st show! In the last few weeks, the operations team has gotten the show rolling with a masterful hand, while preparing backups for various roles in case one of the main characters is unable to appear in a performance. This week, Robert Lepage is back in Las Vegas, along with certain members of the creation and production team. One of their

goals is to examine our priorities and plan what we want to accomplish by February 3, the date of the official premiere gala. Some see this date as being all about the big party, but for us, it’s mainly about stabilizing the work. We are currently in the stabilization phase; we can always make changes to the show later, but they will need to be minor, since the creation phase will be over.

January 7, 2005

February 4, 2005

A few days before the premiere, Charline Boulerice, Assistant to the Costume Designer, explained to us that they were still making changes to the Forest People costumes, with the aim of making them as visible as possible.

The scene’s original lighting was blue against a blue set, and the entire costume, including the headpiece and make-up, was blue with white highlights. Just before the show opened in November, the Costume people decided that the headpiece and makeup would be yellow instead. A few days before the premiere, final touch-ups were made. Amber accents were added to the primary-color yellow to create texture and add sophistication to the entire look. The make-up was also adjusted as a result, with added shading in the same colors. The costume’s paler parts are now yellow, and they fade from yellow to green to blue with the characters’ movements. The shoulders are now yellow, too. So Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt redesigned the costumes, the Textile Design team created a new pattern and reprinted the cloth, and all the Forest People’s costumes were remade!

The Twins’ costumes were also changed. They are now wearing two very distinct colors: red for the female twin and green for her brother. The entire Imperial Family’s costumes were changed to help the audience better recognize them in the Epilogue scene. The twin sister wore her new costume for the first time this week to get used to moving around in the new garments.

It goes without saying that on the night of a premiere, the entire Las Vegas Marketing team is mobilized! For the past eight months, all 18 members of the team have been busy putting the finishing touches to the logistics surrounding the launch of KÀ. Premiere night is, of course, the culmination of all their efforts. A number of other people also lend a hand for the occasion, including not only the publicists for La Nouba, “O” and Mystère, but also members of the internal Box Office team, the Public Relations team from Montreal, Marketing representatives from Amsterdam and Melbourne, and dozens of MGM Group security guards, as well as a number of other resources called in for reinforcement.

Journalists from all over the world Since the aim of the premiere is to ensure maximum visibility for the show, everything has been scrupulously planned to achieve this goal. The list of guests includes journalists from all over the world, celebrities and numerous business partners. The premiere of KÀ is, without a doubt, an excellent opportunity for us to show off Cirque du Soleil’s talent to all those with whom we do business.

To provide journalists with the best conditions possible, Cirque has set up a special press room where they can write copy, send faxes, connect to Internet, edit videotapes and even transmit images by satellite. But who exactly are the chosen few who have access to these privileges? Of course, they include journalists from the Quebec media (La Presse, Radio-Canada, TQS, Musique Plus, etc.) and local media (Las Vegas Sun, Las Vegas Review-Journal), but they also include international journalists (New York Times, Time Magazine, US Weekly, Le Point, CNN, Algemeen Dagblad, Globe and Mail, El Pais, Wall Street Journal, Telemundo) and specialized media (Kung Fu Magazine, Backstage.com). In all, over 200 media representatives, armed with microphones, cameras and notebooks, accepted our invitation. In addition to backstage access to KÀ, they also get to see “O”, Mystère and Zumanity, allowing us to kill two (or three or four) birds with one stone! Over a period of three days, everything is organized to give them access to as much information as possible.

Of course, there will also be a number of celebrities on hand, with all the usual red-carpet intricacies that entails, as they arrive in their limousines accompanied by armies of bodyguards. All these beautiful people have to be greeted, guided, escorted, photographed and interviewed in the maze of corridors populated by hundreds of potential fans. Several slot machines in the MGM lobby have even had to be temporarily moved to facilitate the comings and goings of the stars between the theatre, the hotel entrance and the site of the party at the MGM Grand Arena, and, of course, to ensure the safety of everyone.

Anh-Dao BuiAssistant to the

Production ManagerPHOTO: Tomas Muscionico © Cirque du Soleil COSTUMES: Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt

LINDSEYBRUCK-AYOTTE

Lindsey Bruck-Ayotte, a gymnast and artist from Syracuse, NY, is currently touring with Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna as one of the Amazon characters and captain of the Uneven Bars team. Lindsey granted TheChapiteau an interview in which she talks about how she started her career in gymnastics, how she ended up in Amaluna, information on the creation process and much more!

You started gymnastics at the age of three. Do y o u c o m e f r o m a b a c k g r o u n d o f gymnasts or is it a common age to start?

Usually young, around 3-5 is the common age. I started because I was flipping around on the couches and my mom was really nervous I was going to get hurt, so she decided to put me in gymnastics. I learned how to tuck my head and roll the proper way. At the age of 5, I think she was ready to pull me out and she saw me do a really good cartwheel and she said, “Well, maybe I’ll leave her in a little longer,” and it kind of just blossomed from there.

How long where you in gymnastics? After that you went over to the University of Michigan gymnastics team?

I did club gymnastics growing up. I traveled to Texas and trained. I ended u p g e t t i n g a f u l l s c h o l a r s h i p t o t h e University of Michigan and I did gymnastics. I ended up doing it for 5 years because I tore my Achilles tendon my senior year, so I stayed a 5th year to complete my eligibility. A n d t h e n , w h e n I graduated, I ended up coaching at the University of New Hampshire for 2 years, thinking I was done performing. Then 2 years of coaching and I kind of realized that I missed performing and I could still do it and I really wanted to continue with it. So I auditioned in Las Vegas for Cirque and ended up making it through the

audition process. I guess it was about 6-7 months after I auditioned, they called me for a workshop for the new creation of uneven bars because Cirque had never done uneven bars before. I did a workshop for a week with some of the other girls and then a couple of days after the workshop I got called for the contract to start the creation of Amaluna.

How long were you an elementary PE teacher?

That was my degree and I did student teaching for it, but I’ve actually never done ‘working’ as a job. Instead of going into teaching right away, I decided to go into the college coaching. So I have my degree in educa t i on , bu t I a c tua l l y haven ’ t used it yet.

Did you want to work with kids? Was that your intention?

I ’ v e a l w a y s loved working with kids and I’ve always liked c o a c h i n g . I knew that an e d u c a t i o n degree would b e a g r e a t degree because I could use it anywhere. So that was the m a i n r e a s o n why I got it, but t h e n t h e opportunity of coaching at the collegiate level came about and t h e r e w e r e opportunities and

I knew I couldn’t pass that up. So that’s why I went into the college c o a c h i n g a n d I actually loved it, it was great! You get to recruit and you get to coach, there’s the business side of it as well. So you get a bunch of different aspects of it, but performing is what I want to do right now. It’s what I love doing, so that’s where I went.

Getting the audience reaction every night because no matter how many times you can do it, just to see their faces and to see the awe and to take them to a place where they can forget about their worries and just enjoy a show, that’s the best part. We feed off the audience and if we’re getting a great reaction from the audience, it gives us more energy to give more.

By: Jose L Perez Austin, Texas (USA)

“ “

You said you auditioned in 2010 in Las Vegas, were you auditioning for a specific show or was it just a general audition? It was a general audition just so they could see who I was and my style and what I had to offer. Then I got put in their database. From there, they did the matchup to see where I would fit into the company.

Correct me if I’m wrong, general formation is when you go to Montreal and you’re there for some time training and doing different disciplines and then they put you in the database? You’re already in the database. If they send you to Montreal for general formation you’re already in the database and you already have something that they like, but they may not have a spot open for you in one of the shows. So you’ll go to general formation in Montreal and train different disciplines, they’ll get to know you a little better, get to know what you’re strengths are a little bit more. A lot of times from there, something will open in a show and you can go to the show. I was very fortunate in the fact that they saw that I was good enough bar worker that I could just be fit right into a show and I never had to do general formation.

I guess it would be cool to actually experience the general formation as well, huh?

It would be and we did get a little bit of that because we did the creation of the show. In general formation you do other disciplines, but you also do acting classes and dance classes, make up classes. It’s not just acrobatics but the other side of it as well that you need to have

when you do a show. And so during our creation, we did have that. We did have the dance classes and the acting classes. We had makeup classes to learn how to do all of our makeup and we had costume fittings and all of that stuff. So we did get a little taste of it, but we also knew specifically what we were training for.

What was the hardest part of the creation process for you?

I would say, when we first started training, we did about 5 hours of bars a day, 5-6 days a week. That was hard just because as a gymnast you’re used to doing a max of maybe 1 1/2 hours a day, so your hands get pretty raw but we got used to it. It was fun because we got to play around and our structure is different because there are 4 different bars and we’re just used to one high-bar one low-bar. We got to help create the act with the other girls in the act, which was really exciting and kind of got to put our own little touch on it.

How many girls are on Uneven Bars?

We have about 7 or 8 of us.

And actually on stage?

7-8

So you don’t have a set amount?

It depends. Right now we’re transitioning and we’re getting an 8th girl. So, it’s kind of nice because the more of us on bars, it looks better and we get to bring more to the audience, which we have fun with.

What does being captain entail?

Having another set of eyes on the act itself, creating the line up, making sure that the girls know what they’re doing in the show that day, making sure that if there is an issue in the act that there is a quick decision moment that we can change it on the slide, and then also being an ear for the girls if they have any issues or any concerns and I can bring it to the coaches or solve the problem myself.

How much freedom do you have as far as implementing new tricks or changing something from the act?

We actually have a good amount of freedom. If you saw the act 4 months ago to when you see it now, there are things that have changed. We still are developing more and more, we’re adding more difficulty, changing things around. So there is a lot of freedom as long as we’re still safe, but if we want to keep playing and keep changing things and add more difficulty, they’re all for it and they love it.

As far as the act itself, is there something you and the rest of the team are trying to portray?

I think we’re mostly trying to portray the women’s strength. A lot of times, our show is different because we’re 70% women and 30% men, which is the opposite of a normal Cirque show. The one thing that we get to show is how strong we are and how fierce we are. That’s kind of what we’re trying to portray to the audience. We try to protect the island that we’re on and we have the boys that are playing on our apparatus, but it’s kind of our playground where we get to have fun and we get to show off.

Do you know if it’s difficult to find so many women artists for the show or to have as backup? Like you said, for the most part you see mostly men in the shows, but Amaluna calls for mostly women.

It depends on the discipline. Obviously, we do uneven bars, so there are more and more gymnasts that have seen the act. They see a different avenue where they can go after graduating college or they’re finishing a gymnastics career b u t t h e y w a n t t o k e e p performing. So they kind of see our act as another avenue of this is kind of a gymnastics professional life, but it is different because in gymnastics you’re the only on the bar. Now you have 7 to 8 girls you have to watch out for, the structure is different, it moves different than a normal set of uneven bars. So it takes training and working with the group, but definitely possible to add more girls and to integrate somebody else into the act, into the show.

For you, what’s the best part of performing in front of a live audience?

Getting the audience reaction every night because no matter how many times you can do it, just to see their faces and to see the awe and to take them to a place where they can forget about their worries and just enjoy a show, that’s the best part. We feed off the audience and if we’re getting a g r e a t r e a c t i o n f r o m t h e audience, it gives us more energy to give more. If we have an audience that’s very quiet, and they like the show but are not giving us a lot back, it is harder for us to give them more. So we do feed a lot off the audience and what they give us, we end up giving a lot more back.

Your daily routine on a show day… From when you wake up, what is usually your normal routine?

It depends a little bit. If it is a one-show day, usually the first day back after a day off, we come in, we have about an hour training on uneven bars, we’ll do a warm up before training, we’ll do a cool down after training, we may have staging or rehearsal to kind of tweak things in the show, and then usually about 2 hours before the show I’ll have dinner. After that I’ll start my makeup. It takes me about 45 minutes or so to do my makeup and then after I do that, I start stretching for the show, then about a half hour before the show starts, p u t t i n g o n m y c o s t u m e , headpiece, taping up for bars, putting everything else on for showtime.

What has been your favorite city so far, if you have one?

That’s a hard question. I really enjoy Quebec City and Denver. I’m from the country in upstate New York so I’m used to farm life. I’m not a big fan of big cities, so Quebec City was really nice because it was a small. We were in the old port of it. And then Denver was beautiful. We weren’t right downtown so we could walk around, we could see green-life, wildlife and all that stuff. So I’d have to say those two, but every c i ty has their own positives of it and being able to see them all is pretty cool.

Have you ever thought about going to another show or do you love Amaluna so much that you would rather stay there for some time?

I’m pretty content staying at Amaluna. Maybe down the road I might want to transfer to a residential show just to have a little bit more stability later in

life, but right now, traveling around and being with Amaluna is home for me. It’s what I’m u s e d t o , i t ’ s w h a t I ’ m comfortable with, so I’m quite content to stay where I am at the moment.

And the great thing, like you said, you travel with your husband…

Yeah, and it’s great. And the girls that I work with are like sisters to me, so it’s a great experience.

Say in the future you’re burnt out or you want a change, what’s something you would w a n t t o d o b e s i d e s p e r f o r m i n g o r a n o t h e r passion that you have?

I really am passionate about coaching, so that is something that I’m also still working toward while I’m here at Cirque. I go to other trainings and learn to coach other disciplines, so that maybe an avenue down the road of when my body is done p e r f o r m i n g , g o i n g i n t o coaching.

And lastly, for those who have not seen Amaluna, what can you say about show? What can you tell them to expect?

Expect a very beautiful show showing women strength, the costumes and the lighting… We have very different music than normal Cirque show, it’s a little bit more Rock and Roll. It’s a very unique show and a very beautiful show. I definitely recommend everybody to go see it.

Photos of Lindsey: Yannick Dery © Cirque du Soleil Uneven Bars Photos: Laurence Labat © Cirque du Soleil Costumes: Mérédith Caron

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