Friday, February 13, 2009

Cirque Du Soleil: Dralion

Late January Jason and I were lucky enough to go to our second Cirque Du Soleil in 6 months. Dralion was on in Perth and Jason's parents gave us tickets for Christmas.

Cirque has set up a massive tent in the middle of langley park (on the edge of the swan river). They even laid concrete down on the park!!! Pretty serious infrastructure for it really.

Dralion
is the fusion of ancient Chinese circus tradition and the avant-garde approach of Cirque du Soleil. The show's name is drawn from its two main symbols: the dragon, representing the East, and the lion, representing the West. Dralion derives much of its inspiration from Eastern philosophy with its perpetual quest for harmony between humankind and nature. Suspended in time between the past and the future, Dralion is a celebration of life and the four elements that maintain the natural order: air, water, fire and earth.
The music, colours and tricks were all amazing. I think this on was far better than the one that we saw in Vancouver. In the Bamboo Poles, scene (below) six men manoeuvre long poles symbolising fire. The artists demonstrate a keen sense of precision and synchronisation as they keep the poles 'in flight' overhead while performing acrobatic feats on the ground.
Here is the dralion itself. A blend of the traditional Chinese dragon and lion. In a dynamic and energetic tumbling sequence, the artists come on stage on wooden balls which they roll under their feet and on which they perform somersaults. Five dralions perform acrobatics around them.
This girl below was AMAZING, this single hand balancing act is performed by a young girl who, although slight and fragile in appearance, astounds with her strength and agility. She balances herself on a cane on one hand for an improbably long time, constantly changing positions. Only rarely does she touch the ground.
From the moment he steps on stage, the juggler (below) captures the audience's attention. To a stylised choreography that makes the most of his incredible flexibility, he incorporates a fast-moving juggling act with hints of modern dance. His incredible precision and mastery of juggling are evident as he juggles up to seven balls at the same time.
A couple, intertwined, flies over the stage in a long band of blue cloth. Within the cloth, they perform various acrobatic figures that demand great feats of strength and flexibility.
Skipping is a children's game familiar to everyone, but the skipping rope takes on a new dimension in Dralion. As long skipping ropes beat time, the artists between them perform flips, make pyramids and even form a three-person-high column.
Defying the rules of gravity, fearless aerialists bounce off trampolines using the futuristic backdrop both as a diving board and landing pad. They cascade perilously through the air performing spectacular stunts at a dizzying pace.
All in all an amazing night!! A totally awesome Christmas present.

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