Reinventing the Ringmaster

In 1980, generations after the excitement of the traditional ringmaster-led circus had worn off, a French-Canadian street performer walked 90 kilometres entirely on stilts in an attempt to raise funds for a contemporary interpretation of a circus. More than 30 years later, it is no surprise that these antics were the origins of Cirque du Soleil, the expansive and elaborate series of modern performances that challenge the very foundations of the circus arts.

Today, Cirque du Soleil has no less than 20 unique productions playing all around the globe, ranging from permanent shows in Las Vegas hotels to Zarkana, a new high-concept arena show that tells the story of a magician’s lost love. Saltimbanco, the long-standing tour that marked Cirque’s entrance into storytelling through performance, is making a brief stop in Shanghai this month to offer a one of a kind spectacle.

Named after an Italian phrase that means to jump on a bench, Saltimbanco was one of the first themed productions of Cirque du Soleil. It is billed as a story about the celebration of life and written to reflect the overlapping multicultural state of the world, a theme important to Cirque that echoes throughout many of its shows. After spending an unprecedented 14 years touring the world in the traditional big-top circus tent, Saltimbanco was revived as an arena show, allowing it to travel to more locations than ever before. As the production makes its way to Shanghai on its current global tour, it continues to amaze audiences and has proven itself a success through every leg of its long history.

This isn’t the first time Cirque has graced a Shanghai stage. The first performance wowed the city with its production of Quidam. A huge success, the 70 performances were all sold out. The troupe was back again in 2010 – this time as an integral part of the Canadian Pavilion for the Expo. With both shows well-received by the local audience, the future looks bright for the tumbling entertainers in their upcoming five day run at Mercedes Benz Arena

“In my experience performing in China, I have always felt that the audience appreciates joyous, colourful and high energy productions; Saltimbanco is a prime example of all three,” says the show’s artistic director Neelanthi Vadivel. As a former Cirque du Soleil dancer herself, Vadivel has been a choreographer for Saltimbanco since its European tour began two years ago and is excited to bring the show to China for the first time under her direction.

Following the clown on stilts stunt, the highly motivated founders Guy Laliberté and Daniel Gauthier garnered funds from the Quebec government to put on a touring circus. The show struggled to be profitable until Laliberté was asked to host a production for the 450th anniversary of the French discovery of Canada, marking the first true entry of the franchise. Laliberté brought his grand aspirations to the big top, aiming to remove traditional circus elements, such as animals and the ring stage, and replace them with live musicians and Russian-influenced storytelling.

“Every Cirque du Soleil production is unique,” explains Vadivel. “What unites them is the Cirque spirit, which can be described as the passion that drives us to maintain the highest standards of quality, inspirational energy and boundless creativity.”