All images via Cirque du Soleil I've always been a bit wary of the circus. I think I was traumatised by Dumbo, and as everyone knows, nothing is scarier than a clown. So it was with some latent childhood angst that I ventured into the Big Top to see Cirque du Soleil's Dralion. In preparation, the Pom had been quoting Knocked Up all week, talking about giant snails and hotel chairs. Fortunately we avoided the magic mushrooms, settling instead for some carnival staples: beer and nuts.
Given my penchant for getting horribly embarrassed on behalf of and in front of people, I was quaking as the zany Italian clowns did the rounds, warming up the audience. Thankfully, the Pom was on the aisle, so I figured if worst came to worst, he could be the sacrificial lamb. Gratefully he/we were overlooked and could sit back and enjoy the show.
Cirque du Soleil has transformed the circus into mind-boggling avant-garde theatrics. Gone are the scary clowns and sad elephants, replaced by insane acrobatics and snazzy costumes. Dralion is a fusion of East (the dragon) and West (the lion) and a celebration of the elemental world; earth, air, water and fire are our guides for the evening, introducing some truly fantastic (in all senses of the word) performances.
First up was this amazing gymnastic feat, the single handbalance:
This girl could twist herself into some gravity-defying shapes that are absolutely extraordinary to see. The Pom's comment, "She has more core strength than me." You don't say!
His favourite act was the trampoline - or, thanks to The Simpsons, as it shall forever more be known: the tramampoline - which featured five fearless acrobats, twisting and tumbling from impossible heights. This did cause us to ponder our own tramampolining efforts as kids (in the heady pre-safety net days), and needless to say we were found wanting!
I loved the ariel pas de deux, not only for the jaw dropping abilities, but for the love story so beautifully told. If love is all about trust, then these two, dangling from great heights, certainly put it to the test:
Given my penchant for getting horribly embarrassed on behalf of and in front of people, I was quaking as the zany Italian clowns did the rounds, warming up the audience. Thankfully, the Pom was on the aisle, so I figured if worst came to worst, he could be the sacrificial lamb. Gratefully he/we were overlooked and could sit back and enjoy the show.
Cirque du Soleil has transformed the circus into mind-boggling avant-garde theatrics. Gone are the scary clowns and sad elephants, replaced by insane acrobatics and snazzy costumes. Dralion is a fusion of East (the dragon) and West (the lion) and a celebration of the elemental world; earth, air, water and fire are our guides for the evening, introducing some truly fantastic (in all senses of the word) performances.
First up was this amazing gymnastic feat, the single handbalance:
This girl could twist herself into some gravity-defying shapes that are absolutely extraordinary to see. The Pom's comment, "She has more core strength than me." You don't say!
His favourite act was the trampoline - or, thanks to The Simpsons, as it shall forever more be known: the tramampoline - which featured five fearless acrobats, twisting and tumbling from impossible heights. This did cause us to ponder our own tramampolining efforts as kids (in the heady pre-safety net days), and needless to say we were found wanting!
I loved the ariel pas de deux, not only for the jaw dropping abilities, but for the love story so beautifully told. If love is all about trust, then these two, dangling from great heights, certainly put it to the test:
I was also struck by this troupe of gymnasts, who fancied building impossible human pyramids while balancing, on ballet points, on a dias of light bulbs. As you do...
The whole production is astoundingly impressive. The band and the two spectacular singers (singing in an invented language no less) really set the scene for the fairytale land of Dralion.
If Cirque du Soleil is the future of the circus, then perhaps I can at last put Dumbo behind me, though I shall remain forever wary of clowns...
Many many thanks to Chris and Nance for this fabulous and very generous birthday present. As you can see, I loved it! xx
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