Le Chant du Dindon by Compagnie Rasposo - MCC 2011

This is going to be a tough show to write about. Mostly because words fail. What can I possible say? And yet I'm sure I run the risk of rambling on and on because there is just so much to say about this show. So I will start with the most important thing. That way, if I get a little long winded and you give up on this post, you'll at least surf away with what, for me, is the most telling point.

I have not felt this way about a show since I first saw Loft by les 7 doigts de la main back in 2003. And that was when it was all the original cast and the show was all shiny and new. Until that time, the only circus I had ever seen was Cirque du Soleil. And my reaction to Loft was "Eff Soleil. This is what circus can be."

I'm a little older now, and without the strong and snooty ideas of a student, so there was no telling anyone to 'eff off' this time around. But my ideas of circus were definitely challenged and my perspective on circus turned on its head. I feel like I'm a student again, and a very humbled one at that. I don't want to say that a brand new side of circus has magically appeared, but it's definitely a side I forgot existed. Or forgot that it could exist. At any rate, Le Chant du Dindon has left me feeling inspired, elated, and like I have a long, long way to go on my journey as an artist.

There is definitely a very strong family atmosphere at Rasposo, as well there should be. Five members of the troupe, including the director and writers of the show, are family. There's even the family dog(s)! Combining the theatre background of the parents with the circus prowess of the kids has resulted in a seamless blend of two art forms and a more powerful piece as a result.

Simply put, this show is magic. Le Chant du Dindon is a contemporary circus show with a traditional feel. It begins as the public enters, and from the moment you step into the tent, you feel that you are being invited and welcomed into the home of these artists. Ever so slowly, the circus element weaves its way in, and the audience is invited to share the experience with those in the ring.

Everything in the show is presented in a fun and clever way, and nothing is ever presented as is. Every act has a unique touch that elevates it from a technical display to something more. I don't want to say 'art'. That just seems pretentious. It would be more fair to say that, depending on the scene, it becomes a battle, the expression of a dream, an outburst, or a party. And I can't even begin to explain how cleverly the acts are incorporated into the show. Especially the Russian swing at the end. I've now spoiled that surprise for you, but I can assure you, you still won't see it coming.

This may seem a rather uninteresting point to make, but it needs to be made as it's something that makes a huge difference in a show. The transitions, the pacing and the placement. These things may all fall under the category of 'theatre technique', but if you're going to make a more theatrical circus show, it's something that needs to be addressed. And sadly, this is often neglected or poorly executed in many contemporary circus shows. And only once you've seen it very well done do you realize what effect its absence has on a show. So credit really must be given where credit is due.

For me, Marie Molliens was the star of the show. A powerful presence on stage, she brought some real weight to the piece. An excellent flyer in both hand to hand and aerial cradle, she also performed wonderfully on tight wire. This is the kind of multi-talented circus artist that makes you doubt yourself as an artist. And if you've read this entry, then you know that a strong female artist will be tops with me every time.

 

Marie Molliens

Marie was wonderfully countered by Bruno Lussier, Julien Scholl, Jan Oving, and the very charming Luca Forte. Katell Le Brenn, the other female acrobat, seemed a little young and inexperienced compared to her colleagues, specifically with her interpretation skills.Of course, these slightly weaker moments are to be expected. Especially when the strong points are as strong as strong as they are in Dindon .

Vincent Molliens, the 'clown' in the show, seemed a little out of place as far as character goes. His interpretation seemed a little 1st degree or inexperienced in the sense of his clown not being mature. Though it must be said that as a skills clown (meaning a clown who performs acrobatics in a comedic way), he was phenomenal. He really was. While I may not have always enjoyed his clown when he was strictly performing clown, his cloud swing act was definitely a highlight of the show. And that's only one of the many circus skills he performed wonderfully.

Marie and Vincent Molliens

I question the inclusion of the magic act. Vincent Mignot, the magician, seemed completely out of place. I don't know that his act was really necessary, and his character seemed very rigid compared to the rest of the troupe. Though it should be said that the lead in to his act was well thought out (there were many references to rope tricks preceding his act), so at least he didn't come completely out of left field.

All in all, the acrobats are incredibly skilled, the actors spot on, and the whole of the piece a wonder not to be missed.

I realize this post comes off as somewhat academic, which is exactly the opposite of the feeling you get while watching the show. The only way I can think to explain that is through a sentiment expressed by many of my colleagues after seeing they show: they didn't want to see it a second time, they didn't want to buy the music, they simply wanted to keep that perfect feeling of wonder, awe, and merriment in their hearts, and keep it there untarnished by any over-thinking a second exposure might cause. So I ran through this post as quickly as I could so that I could relay my thoughts without having to give up too much of those rare and glorious feelings.

As such, I'm going to stop here. But before I go, I will answer the one question I'm sure is burning in your mind: Yes. There is indeed a turkey!

source

Slips Inside by OKIDOK - MCC 2011

Oh, OKIDOK... I first saw these two tremendously gifted clowns six years ago or so, when they performed their show HAHAHA at the Tohu. While I may not remember too many details about the show itself, I definitely remember how I felt afterward: smitten. Absolutely smitten.

So when I saw that they would be back in Montreal for the festival, their show immediately went onto the list of 'must see' events.

I was not disappointed.

Slips Inside is a completely different show from HAHAHA. That may seem like a strange statement to make, but I can think of a few companies who basically create the same show over and over again. If I loved them before, their obvious abundance of creativity, skill, presence, and timing has only rooted them more deeply in the little Chapiteau in my heart.

Xavier Bouvier and Benoît Devos, who have worked together for 23 years, make up this hilarious duo. And believe me, they are laugh-out-loud funny. And while they do have a number of gags that are quite large and clownesque in the over-the-top sense of things (the karate moment, for example), the greatest testament to their skill lies in the more subtle and simple moments. Running gags, simple hand gestures, and whip fast integration of the unexpected outbursts of a live audience, the clowns of OKIDOK remind us that clown is indeed an art. And if you don't believe that clown is an art, it's probably because you've never seen OKIDOK.

I did find that the show started rather abruptly. This is something that I experienced more than once at the festival. It took a moment to find my footing in the Universe they were trying to create. And my one genuine criticism is that there were a few too many penis jokes for my taste. Though to be fair, they were never crude or gratuitous. They were more of the eight-year-old boy variety.

And while the show may have started abruptly, it had the most delicious non-end ending I have ever seen. The audience had started to leave, and many had already left, when  Benoît and Xavier came back on stage, still in character, to clean up. It was the live performance equivalent of a bonus reel during the credits of a major motion picture. The show was already good. But this knocked it out of the park.

It's very difficult to write about this show. Like anytime you try and tell a friend about a funny thing that happened to you, the story never does the experience justice. You just had to be there. So much of what makes this show great are small details, simple gestures, a shared look between the two clowns, or the tone of their voice.

Without question, Slips Inside was one of the best shows at the festival. But don't feel too badly if you missed it. This must-see Belgian duo will be back at the Tohu as of December 20th for a return run of HAHAHA. If that isn't advance warning, I don't know what is. So don't miss it!

Festival Must Sees

Unfortunate circumstances meant having to leave Montreal right as the festival got underway. But I'm back and have managed to get a couple of shows in before the festival ends this Sunday. I won't have a chance to write about the shows I've been able to see until Monday, but I do need to at least give you this information before it's too late:

If you can see only one show between now and Sunday, make it Le Chant du Dindon by Compagnie Rasposo. It is the best show I've seen in years, has left me completely inspired, and like the first time I saw Loft by les 7 doigts de la main, Le Chant du Dindon has completely changed my ideas of what circus can be.

If you can see two shows, go see Slips Inside by OKIDOK. Their last show is tonight, so see that first, and Rasposo tomorrow. If you like clown, and even if you don't, these are the guys to see. They execute their work beautifully, have incredible timing, clever material, wonderful presence, know how to work in the unpredictability of an audience and are, quite frankly, hilarious.

Le Chant du Dindon runs tonight and tomorrow (July 23 and 24) at 8pm under their big top, in front of the Tohu.

Slips Inside has its last show tonight (July 23rd) at 8:30pm on the Tohu main stage.

Get going before they're gone!

Women in Circus and the Women of Wunderkammer

I know I already wrote about C!RCA's contribution to this year's edition of Montreal Completement Cirque. And I wrote quite a lot, at that. But this particular point deserved its own post.

If there's one thing I am proud of when it comes to circus, it's the role of women. While there are definitely gender roles in circus, some disciplines are considered more masculine and others more feminine, it's not at all uncommon to see those roles reversed and broken. Moreover, women have typically always held the same place as men, especially in traditional circus. After all, man or woman, you've got to bust your ass to learn those skills and that earns you respect. A woman in circus is just as strong as her male counterpart.

 Antoinette Concello, known as the greatest woman flyer of all time

and the first woman to do a triple somersault on the flying trapeze.

And yet somehow, I feel that I see more and more shows that consist of a bunch of guys and “the girl”. Or that during a group act, the men will do the majority of the tricks, and the girl will do the one that involves the splits. Or worse still, big strong men and flaky damsels in distress…

Sigh…

I’m sure that existed in traditional circus as well. But now that circus is more theatrical, the skills and theatre as so intimately linked that you can’t always see the female acrobat’s prowess behind the acting.

The example of this that always comes to mind is the Cyr wheel act in Corteo. I saw Corteo when it premiered in Montreal a million years ago, so maybe its changed, but at the time, the act was presented as two guys playing around on these big wheels. Then a girl comes in and to tease her, they place her on the wheel and start spinning her around. They even do double Cyr wheel at one point. The woman acrobat screamed the whole time. Now clearly, she’s a skilled artist. But the fact that she is a competent acrobat took a back seat to the image of a scared little girl.

Then there are the women of C!RCA. I’m not sure who deserves more applause, the badass lady acrobats or director Yaron Lifschitz for having the vision to showcase the badassery of his very strong and skilled female artists.

This is no small feat. It’s not hard for a strong, powerful woman on stage to come off as masculine. This can very quickly turn into tomboyishness, and that, into caricature. The talented ladies of C!RCA manage to balance that strength with femininity. And even though the characters they portray make no excuses for their sexuality, they remain in complete control of that sexuality and are no way objectified by it.

Like I said, no small feat.

And that’s just the ‘acting’ component!

These women are just as likely to be the porter of a figure as they are to be the one tossed into the air. It’s not often that you see a man standing on a woman’s head. And it should be made clear that this isn't the "girl ports one trick" equivalent of "girl's only trick is the splits". These woman play a huge role in all the group hand-to-hand acts. They catch, they  fly, they port. These are acrobats cut from a very fine cloth, indeed.

Ladies of C!RCA, as a woman who does a circus discipline typically regarded as male, I tip my hat to you.

A View From the Festival

A young girl tries out Cirque Carpe Diem's flying trapeze rig at the Old Port, the Cirque du Soleil Big Top looms in the background. Truly a sight to make any circus lover's heart swell.

Minutes Completement Cirque

Every night during the festival, the streets of the Latin Quarter will come alive thanks to Les Minutes Completement Cirque. Be it in alley ways or on balconies, the streets or on roof tops, festival goers will be treated with two free shows every evening!

Events take place either at Place Émilie-Gamelin, or along St-Denis. Shows take place at various times (no earlier than 17h30 and no later than 21h30) and locations, so be sure to check the schedule here.

At a cost of $0 for high level circus, you really can't go wrong. So don't miss out!

Les Minutiennes

Les Minutiennes rehearsing...

Image from the MCC Facebook page.

Stars and Stripes Forever

Ladies and gents, some unfortunate timing paired with even more unfortunate events means that I'll be heading out of Monteal until further notice.

If you wish to remain updated on the goings on at the Monteal Compelement Cirque festival, I recommend that you head over to their Facebook page. There are constant updates on events, show information, links to newspaper articles (usually in French), photos, and more.

For all show information (dates, times, locations, prices) head to the official Montreal Completement Cirque website.

I have a few light posts scheduled, but I can't say when anything else will be posted beyond that. Hopefully I will be back before the end of the festival. If not, please take in all the circus you can for me. It's a hell of a line-up and it would be a shame to miss out.

Wunderkammer by C!RCA - MCC 2011

Due to some stroke of luck, I managed to score a front row seat to C!RCA's Wunderkammer last night at 50% off.

I first saw C!RCA perform during CINARS last December. They were (and continue to be) a very strong troupe technically. My only real criticism at the time was that, as an audience member, I felt that the artists weren't projecting enough emotionally and that I had a very hard time connecting with them. I was curious to see if that was a result of the the CINARS presentation being a series of excerpts from a bigger show. The verdict? I'll get to that later...

First, the show.

C!RCA describes itself as a blend of athleticism, contemporary dance, burlesque, cabaret, poetry and humour.I cannot stress how important it is to know that going in. I can only speak for myself, but I think I've started to take the structure and esthetic of contemporary circus for granted. I go into a show expecting a certain thing and typically, that's what I get.

And certainly, there are many elements of Wunderkammer that fit squarely within that notion of contemporary circus. But they weren't joking when they included burlesque and cabaret in the roster. Between the nipple pasties, stripping, light domination, allusion to pony play and a lot of bare tush, you definitely get a healthy (and usually tasteful) dose of raunch. And if you ignore that reality going in, and it's something that doesn't interest you, well... you might just find your panties in a bunch.

And I admit, there were moments when I was a little uncomfortable. The nipple pasties came in at the very beginning and I'm not sure the audience was immersed in the show enough for that to make sense and be embraced. But then, that might have been the point. Flesh can still shock. And there were many moments in the show where I was surprised by just how little attention was paid to the way the artists would use each others bodies (the breast jiggling moment comes to mind), but then I wondered if that wasn't the point? Not the idea of surprise, but to take the human body and say "There's nothing shameful here. There's nothing shocking. We're all like this, let's have some fun!"

But I'm getting ahead of myself. What of the show itself?

Wunderkammer is inspired by, and takes it's name from something called a "cabinet of curiosities". It's defined by wikipedia as "[...] an encyclopedic collection in Renaissance Europe of types of objects whose categorical boundaries were yet to be defined. They were also known by various names such as Cabinet of Wonder, and in German Kunstkammer or Wunderkammer (wonder-room)."

I only read this as the lights began to go down and it didn't really have a chance to sink in. I wish I had read it earlier because it was only mid-way through the show that I remembered, and it was only then that things started to make any sense.

You see, Wunderkammer is pretty spastic. The show begins with a hula-hoops act. The artist remains completely neutral in expression throughout, though the act itself is performed with urgency. The lighting is stark and the music is sparse. It definitely sets the tone. Then comes a moment where a balloon is inhaled through the nose until it comes out the mouth. Then an acro-dance piece. Then the nipple pasties and a reverse striptease. And then... and then... and then...

 

The entire beginning of the show happens so fast. There is seemingly no connection between each tableau, and really, there aren't any transitions either. The rhythm remains virtually the same as well, and while I suspect of that stems from the idea of "a collection of curiosities", it was exhausting to watch. It was only with the introduction of the rope act that I could finally breathe.

From there on out, the pacing was much better and certainly more varied. There were many wonderful moments in the show, both of the poetic and absurd varieties. Personal favourites include the popping of a sheet of bubble-wrap, the impressive singing of the "Countries of the World" song from Animaniacs, the many group hand-to-hand moments, and a solo-acro moment by one of the male artists. I have the names of the artists, but I don’t know who is who so I can’t credit it.

There was also a moment of audience participation…

I’m not going to lie. I really hate it when I go to a show and one of the clowns or some other character divides the audience into sections in order to create a mini “orchestra” by simply clapping out some rhythm. I hate it. It’s almost always the same rhythm used (clap clap, clap clap clap, clap clap clap clap, clap clap) and has been done to death.

But this time, oh this time… For the first time ever I witnessed an audience sound out stripper music while one of the artists stripped and ripped off bandages, throwing them into the crowd (of course). It was funny, and silly, and even a little sexy. I admit I had to eat my hat a little bit.

There was definitely a lack of variety as far as the disciplines go, however. The entire group was very skilled in hand-to-hand and utilized those skills with several wonderful group choreographies. There was a handstand act that was not at all up to the level of the show (the handbalancer could barely hold her one-arms) and seems to have been added as an after thought, as though they realized they needed something other than group hand-to-hand numbers.

I do question a number of choices made by the director. While his use of silence was wonderful (and the artists filled it well), the lack of transitions, the shaky rhythm and, at times, the direction of the artists often left the show incomplete. Often times, a scene would end and the artists would just walk off. One of the basic rules of theatre is that you’re not off-stage until you’re well into the wings. It often felt as though the artists broke ‘character’ as soon as they turned to leave.

Moreover, the way the artists carried themselves seemed far too neutral. And so, once again, I felt that I couldn’t connect with the people on stage. But only sometimes. Usually, if only one person was on stage, they managed to create a connection with the audience. And a good one, at that. But as a group… not so much. And I wonder if it was a choice made by the director, or if the director was unable to bring that out of his artists.

There was one artist in particular that I found quite frustrating. She had a wonderful presence. As soon as she came on-stage, your attention went straight to her. And yet somehow, even though your eye was to drawn to her, she seemed completely disconnected to the point of being disinterested! I’ve never seen anything like it!

Overall, it was an enjoyable, if not disjointed, show. If you’re looking for something a little different, it’s worth checking out. But I would stick to the more affordable seats and save treating yourself to the best seats in the house for a different show.

 Wunderkammer runs until July 16th. For more information and tickets, go here.

Impro Cirque, a Festival Classic

Considering Impro Cirque has only existed for just over a year, and the Montreal Completement Cirque circus festival is only in its second season, referring to either of these events as 'classic' may be somewhat presumptuous. But you know what? I stand by my statement. Impro Cirque is a festival classic. And I suspect that as the festival continues to grow, Impro Cirque will not only be at its heart, but will also be one of the unique elements that truly makes the entire festival shine.

At least it will be if the organizers are worth their sawdust.

But we're not here to discuss the future. We're here to discuss the very recent past!

Friday and Saturday night saw this year's installments of Impro Cirque at MCC. Unlike last year, the teams were virtually the same each night. As such, I don't feel quite as bad about having missed Friday's match.

One of the wonderful things about Impro Cirque is that the fine folks of Les Improduits continue to develop and refine the event with each edition. New touches include showing a photo of each artist along with a blurb as they are being introduced, as well as displaying each round's parameters on screen during the improvisation, the latter being a particularly smooth move on their part.

Both teams were excellent panicked bunnies of the roue Cyr

Sadly, there was also a great loss to Impro Cirque this time around. Philippe Trepanier, Impro Cirque co-founder and head referee, is currently performing with Cirque du Soleil's Zarkana and was therefore unavailable to referee during the festival. Replacement Roberto Sierra may have gotten the job done, and I mean no disrespect to him, but he's no Philippe. As referee, Phil not only managed what was going on on-stage, but he also embodied a character specific to the Impro Cirque universe. He was the villain of the piece, the dastardly referee who both audience and artist could rally against. He somehow managed to elevate a simple improv match into something more. Of course I applaud and congratulate him on his move to Cirque du Soleil, but I must say, his absence was definitely felt tonight.

 
Phil is to Impro Cirque as Chairman Kaga is to Iron Chef. 

Is that more clear?

Seeing as this is already incredibly long, perhaps I should move on to the actual event...

Competing tonight!

On the red team:

• Claudel 'Mademois'Hell' Doucet
• Alexandre 'El Diablo' Lane
• Lisa 'Creeps' Eckert
• Ryan 'Hadouken' Shinji Murray
• Kaelyn 'Special K' Schmitt

On the blue team:

• Joseph 'ChingChong' Pinzon
• Ethan 'The' Law
• Anny 'The Plant' Laplante
• Richard 'Richie Rich' Maguire
• Émi 'Votez' Vauthey

Where to begin? The vibe was definitely very different from previous Impro Cirques I've been to. I suspect that a lot of that had to do with the vast majority of the audience never having been to an Impro Cirque before! Also, I think the artists were a little tired from the previous night. You could feel them losing steam a little bit mid-way though the second half.


As with anything, there were a couple of low points during the night. The two improvs I found least successful were “Earthquake” and “Hangover”.

In my opinion, the Earthquake improvisation (performed on a portable tight wire) didn’t work for two reasons. The first being that with only a minute and a half, the artists were virtually out of time before they even set up the pretext for the improv, or set foot on the wire. The second is that I don’t think any of the artists really do tight wire. Though in fairness, Anny did attempt a full turn.

  

As for the Hangover improv… well… the discipline was ballet and was obviously chosen so that Émi could show off her pointe shoe skills. And I feel that that’s basically what she did. While her counterpart tried to act hungover, she just danced like a perfectly sober ballerina. Moreover, she went over to the opposing team to discuss the improvisation before it started! I have never seen that done before and was under the impression that part of the challenge of theatre improv/circus improv is that you don’t know what the other side will bring to the table. And even with the pre-planning, it was only at the very end of the improv that they seemed to find some kind of stride, and by that point it was too late.

Then of course, there are the high points...

For the first time in my experience at Impro Cirque (I've missed a lot of them) there was an improvisation in the category of "Rewind". Basically, each team picks one discipline, tonight it was either trapeze, hoop or hand to hand. The first team will do an improv on their chosen apparatus and then the second team will replicate that improv, only backwards. Then the second team will do its own improv on the apparatus they chose, which the first team will have to recreate, again, in reverse.

Not only was this format incredibly interesting, but it showcased some of the most impressive skills of the night, notably by Joseph Pinzon on dance trapeze.

 This was after a one arm chin-up

Replicate this, jerks.

But the hands-down best improv of the night was with Joseph and Claudel.

Two artists. One tissu. And a healthy dose of glam. The category was Lip Sync, and the song was Don't Stop Believin' by the cast of Glee. As soon as the music came on, I knew Claudel didn't stand a chance. And while Joseph did win the point for the blue team by a landslide, there's no doubt that the improv was as good as it was because there were two Divas, not just one.

Rachel Barry, eat your heart out.

All in all, the one thing that really separated this night of Impro Cirque from others that I've seen is the way the teams worked together. Even though they were technically competing against one another, any time both teams were up at the same time, you'd kind of forget that and really believed you were watching a single, unified troupe. It was actually really nice.

If you didn't have a chance to catch Impro Cirque this time around, you're sure to have another chance. Might I suggest liking them on Facebook so that you can keep up to date on their comings and goings? They went to Argentina, so you never know when they may come near you!

For more pics and to find out who wins, check out after the jump!

Circus Picnics - an MCC Event!

A new addition to the Montreal Completement Cirque line-up this summer is Les Pique-niques COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE. Every Sunday during the festival, from 13h30 to 15h30, MCC will host what is essentially a discipline specific jam at Place Émilie Gamelin!

If you're an artist and would like to take part, get in touch with folks at MCC on their Facebook event page.

Event dates and disciplines are as follows:

- Juggling and Object Manipulation Pique-nique: Sunday July 10th from 13 h 30 to 15 h 30

- Acro Pique-nique: Sunday July 17th from 13 h 30 to 15 h 30.

- Wheel Pique-nique (German, Cyr and Uni/Bicycle): Sunday July 24th from 13 h 30 to 15 h 30.

Whether you're an artist or a just a lover of circus, get your basket of goodies ready and head over to Place Émilie Gamelin (metro Berri, Ste-Catherine exit) for an afternoon of circus fun! I hope to make it out on the 24th, but I'll be coming from pretty far and am not too sure whether or not I'll be able to manage with my wheel.

Let the circus summer fun begin!

Impro Cirque - MCC 2011

Lovers of Impro Cirque, rejoice! L'IC is back in action during the Montreal Completement Cirque festival!

Shows are tonight and tomorrow (July 8th and 9th). And while I feel a little bad about being so late with this info, I have a little surprise to make up for it!

According to the Montreal Completement Cirque Facebook page, you can get your tickets at 50% off! Offer available by phoning this number: (514) 285-9175

Get 'em while they're hot and maybe I'll see you tomorrow!

The Circus is in Town! or, The Understatement of the Century

Ladies and gentlemen, forget what I just said. The circus is not in town. This town is in the circus!

While the official start to the Montreal Completement Cirque international circus festival may be tomorrow, things are already underway! Earlier this evening at place Émilie-Gamelin (a hub for the festival this summer) the stage was set for the circus' three week takeover of Montreal.

 
Beginning with the cast of Minutes Completement Cirque, spectators were treated to an assault of street performance. Juggling, acrobatic bicycle, contortion, acrobatics...50 artists flaunted their skills to trumpet the arrival of the MCC Roulotte.

For the first few minutes, it was indeed an impressive sight. But the chaos quickly gave way to a sense of "Look at me! Look at me!" while artists performed random skills all over the place. The many reporters, camera operators and photographers running amok and blocking the view didn't help. The installation of the Roulotte took quite some time and for a moment, the entire event seemed to sour. Chaos and dead air...

Fortunately, director of the Minutes Completement Cirque Anthony Venisse soon stepped in to have his artists move on to Act II.

Though still a little messy and at times a little too simple, there were some lovely moments. Already, the sheer number of artists in the space created a lovely tableau, and their black and white costumes (with red high tops) contrasted beautifully with the blue 'stage'.

Highlights would definitely have been slackrope performed with the help of human anchors and the use of nearby rooftops.

I realize that I can sometimes be jaded and quite picky. But I feel that, overall, the animation was a little dull. I don't feel that I saw anything new or exciting. One artist spent the entire time running around with a big red ribbon asking if anyone had scissors. It took only a fraction of a second to deduce that, this being an opening, she was setting up for the ribbon cutting ceremony. It was cute, but for a circus event of this kind, one generally hopes for some surprises with a little 'ooo' and 'ahh' thrown in.

And that's when the boys of Cirque Alfonse stepped in to save the day.

Cirque Alfonse, one of the many home grown troupes to grace the festival this year, treated spectators with a preview of their show, Timber! , which can really only be described one way: Lumberjack circus.

Let me just say that again...

Lumberjack circus!

Accompanied by live musicians and a decor of three tree stumps, these burly acrobats kicked off the festival with a fun, clever, and technically exciting performance. Performing all the skills on the tree stumps not only created atmosphere, but also elevated the level of technical skills into something truly exciting. And if I may, did you get a load of those beards? Outstanding!

And so my problem just got worse. With such an exciting line up of shows and such a limited budget, what will I go see? And with so much to take in, how will I make it until the 24th without succumbing to exhaustion?

Kickin' It Off

Tomorrow will be the big kick-off of the second edition of the Montreal Completement Cirque international circus festival! This year, festival-goers will be able to visit the MCC Caravan at place Émilie-Gamelin located in the Quartier des spectacles.

 I strongly suspect it will not look like this.

The message given by MCC is to join them at 18h15 and that there will be a parade to launch the festival starting at 18h. Clearly there's something a little off there, so I would say be there for 18h.

Show-wise, the festival doesn't start until the 7th. First up on the showbill are Cirque Carpe Diem (free), one man show Patinoire by 7 fingers co-founder Patrick Leonard, Cirque du Soeil's Totem and C!RCA's Wunderkammer.

I'm not familiar with Cirque Carpe Diem, but with a price tag of $0 and a run that sees the full length of the festival, there's really no excuse not to see them.

I'm very excited about Patinoire. Pat is a wonderful and extremely (maybe even mindbogglingly so) versatile artist. He's funny, clever, and a man with great soul. Moreover, one of my favourite directors, Nicolas Cantin, collaborated on the project with him. The show only runs until the 16th so don't wait too long to get your ticket!

C!RCA, as you may recall, was here for CINARS in December. Based on what I saw then, I would definitely say the show is a good bet. I'd be very curious to see how things have evolved in the last 7 months. My main issue with the show was an inability to connect with the artists on stage and the transmission of emotion. Technically they were excellent and, something I always appreciate, the women were showcased in strength. Definitely worth a look! They too are only here until the 16th, so there's only so much time to hem and haw about whether or not you want to see it.

And then there's Totem...

Frankly, I am deeply disappointed that this show is even in the festival. I'm sure it looks good for the festival to have a Cirque du Soleil show, but I should think that a company that has over 20 shows in production could have at least committed a different show from last year. That's right, the same Cirque du Soleil show that was part of the festival last year is back again this summer.

BOO!

Seriously, Soleil. And MCC for that matter. That's super lame. And considering that there are so many up-and-coming companies that could have benefited from the exposure at this festival, and that there are so many incredible foreign companies that we never get to see in North America, I think the money and the public would have been better served by something else. Plus, you could probably see at least three other shows in the festival for what it would cost you to see Totem.

Just sayin'...

Circus: A Rope of Sand

Simply magnificent.

Three Days!

Montreal Completement Cirque begins in three days! Admittedly, I have yet to purchase any tickets for any of the shows as I have a very tight budget and have some tough choices to make. The good news is, there are a handful of free shows and events, so even if you're on a budget as tight as mine, you can still take advantage of the circus city in action!

If you're in town from July 7th to the 24th you should definitely make sure to take in a show!

See you there!

Fingers

While in Spain, I was constantly bombarded with questions about my life at the circus and what exactly it is that I do. Fortunately I had an opportunity to give a presentation on the subject. Part of that presentation focused on the finer points of German wheel. For example, I showed this picture of myself on wheel in order to demonstrate what straight-line figures are. 

 

After the presentation, the more astute among the crowd only had one question that absolutely needed asking: “If your hands are closed around the wheel, and the wheel keeps rolling, what happens to your fingers?”

The answer, of course, is that I simply open my hands. The only time you can really run over your fingers is when all your weight is on your hands, so you really are quite secure. By the time the problem of remaining connected to the wheel comes up, you’re already back in a position to close your hands back around the rims.

The question that inevitably follows is, “Have you ever run over your fingers?”

The answer to that is even easier: “Yes. But you only ever do that once.”

Return of the Oatmeal Wagon

 For those who have been following my adventures for a while, you may recall that about a year ago the circus decided to stop bringing its caravans on tour. It was decided that it would be cheaper to just rent caravans on site. Well, apparently that proved to be wrong because not only have the circus caravans returned, the circus just purchased three new ones! And by new, I mean the ginormous luxury type.

The caravans returned in Dijon and I arrived three or four days before everyone else did. I could have easily chosen one of the giant new caravans and given up the bonny wee oatmeal wagon. Especially since there are three new people in the troupe and they would have been none the wiser. Plus I have seniority and blah blah blah… But this caravan is as close to home as I’ve ever known at the circus. I know how it works and how I like to have everything set up. Plus, there’s a working fridge! Besides, if I had a bigger caravan, I’d just make a bigger mess. Not to mention it’s damn near impossible to properly heat the big ones.

Ah, oatmeal wagon. How I missed you. It turns out I made the right choice. The most luxurious of the new caravans has no running water! Admittedly, the oatmeal wagon doesn’t attach directly to a water source, but I do have a jug with a pump. It lasts me about a week and while this may just be me trying to make the best of a less than perfect situation, I like having little tasks like that as a part of everyday life. It makes me feel like I’m really living the circus life. After all, in the glory days of American circus, artists each got two buckets of water a day for all their water needs.

The best part, of course, is that when it comes time to pack up, I can leave as much as I'd like in my caravan. Now she's all packed up for the summer, but it's nice to know that come October, I'll have my home away from home waiting for me.

No Way...

Again?

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