New Cirque du Soleil Videos, A World Record and More Cirque

I produced a number of new Cirque du Soleil videos in the past few weeks, but did not get around until now to write another post.

I found some parts of the special Cirque performance titled "Reflections in Blue" (Réflexions de bleu), which was performed as part of the opening ceremonies for the XI. World Aquatics Championships FINA in Montreal, Canada on June 15, 2005.

I found recordings of two of the seven or eight parts (I am not sure about the actual number), the acts "The Mermaid" (La sirène) with Bolormaa Zorigtkhuyag that is similar to the water bowl contortion act in the Las Vegas Cirque show “Zumanity” and the act titled "Midnight Dancer" (Danseur de la nuit) with Anatoly Zalievsky, a very acrobatic act to the timeless music by Yanni.


Backup link to video at YouTube

Here are some interesting quick stats for this one-time performance:

• The venue was three times the size of the KÀ theatre.
• The swimming pool was made to look like the sea by lining it with a giant blue sheet that covered the bottom and the perimeter of the pool.
• The projection screen at the back of the pool was 18 m (60') wide by 7 m (24') tall.
• Over 200 volunteer performers took part in the show.
• Three quarters of the participants were women.
• The performers ranged in age from under 10 years old to over 50 years old.
• Twenty-three cameras were used to shoot the performance for television.
• Spectators played a role in the show by launching paper birds.
• For the bungee (flying fish) act, a 53-metre (175-foot) crane extended out over the basin.
• Some of the music for the show was taken from We Reinvent the Circus, Nouvelle Expérience, Alegría, La Nouba and "O".

Some Credits for the Creators and Featured Performers:

• Director: Guy Caron and Fernand Rainville
• Creator and Director of Creation: Lyn Heward
• Costume Designer: François Barbeau
• Set Designer: Jean-François Bouchard
• Acrobatic Rigging Designer: Jacque Paquin
• Music Composers: René Dupéré, Benoît Jutras, Violaine Corradi, Martin Lord Ferguson, Ella, Créations Méandres
• Musical Directors: Martin Lord Ferguson and Ella
• Choerographers: Denise Sauvé, Debbie Brown and Catherine Archambault
• Projections Designer: Erick Villeneuve
• Lighting Designer: Alain Lortie
• Puppeteer: Michael Curry
• Makeup Designer: Eleni Uarnis
• Props Designer: Patricia Ruel
• Featured performers : Sébastien Allard, Sam Alvarez, Zorigtkhuyag Bolormaa, Eliane Bonin, Mason Davis, Dessy Di Lauro, Sébastien Duval, Chantale Gallant, Akian Gaudette, Manon Gauthier, Charlyne Guay, Reda Guérinik, Ronnie le Grand, Isabelle Michon-Campbell, Isabela Moraes, Carolina Moraes, Patrick Paquette, Didier Pasquette, Laurence Racine-Choinière, Karl Sanft, Stéphane Verdie, Anatoly Zalievsky

I am currently searching for video recordings of the missing parts to create a video with the whole performance as I did in the past for several other special event performances by the Cirque. If you happen to know anybody who has a recording, please let me know.

Another Special Performance

I also found some snippets of the Cirque’s special performance on August 28, 2007 for the opening ceremony of the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in Macau, China by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation (Sheldon Adelson), which will be the home of a new Cirque show later this year.

The Grand Opening for this new Cirque Du Soleil with the working title "Cosmos" or “Macau I” is scheduled for August 29, 2008. Here is an one minute clip of the performance.

Macao Special Performance 1 minute snippet.


Backup link to video at YouTube

The Cirque at the 2008 Grammy's

Cirque du Soleil's tribute to The Beatles "A Day In The Life" and Carol Wood and Timmy Mitchum (from "Across the Universe") performed "Let It Be" at the 50th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California on February 10th, 2008.

The performance includes music and artists from the popular Cirque du Soleil show The Beatles "Love", which is currently running at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
You can see the whole video recording of the performance here.

Grammy Awards 2008 performance video.


Backup link to video at YouTube

World Record by Teenage Kooza Performers

And last but not least the Guinness World Record™ for the Highest Circus Act ever performed.

Natasha Patterson, Julie Bergez and Dasha Sovik, the tree teenage contortion artist of Cirque du Soleil's latest touring show "Kooza" set in September, 2007 a new Guinness World Record for the Highest Circus Act ever performed. I created a special video for that, which includes the performance by the three girls.


Backup link to video at YouTube

That's it for now, enough videos already. Four videos might cause already a problem for the browser of one or the other reader of this post.
Make sure that you check out my fresh updated Cirque du Soleil Primer with even more videos and other goodies.

Cheers!
Carsten aka Roy/SAC