It is official. The term "circus" has developed a whole new meaning in the past few years and continues to gain steam. One more example of the rise of contemporary circus or "nouveau cirque" is the company Cirque Eloize, which just premiered its newest show iD at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theater Tuesday, May 10.
Cirque Eloize is a contemporary circus arts company (much like the world-famous Cirque du Soleil) based in Montreal, Quebec. The company has grown in prestige since its inception in 1993 and now has 7 shows to its credit. Additionally, the company has received several awards and honors, including recognition for Cirque Eloize co-founder Daniel Cyr's invention of the Cyr Wheel in 2003, which has become a well-recognized new circus discipline.
iD focuses on the urban lifestyle. Set in a futuristic city, the show depicts the clash between two gangs who both do battle and form alliances. Hip hop and breakdance blends with classic and nouveau circus arts in this West Side Story-esque spectacle.
Show Stoppers
What I admired most about iD was its ability to engage and draw in the audience. It is because of this indescribable and infectious atmosphere that each act in the show became larger than life. Many times I have seen artists who demonstrate a remarkable level of skill, yet garner little "wow" from their audience. This occurs in tiny, underground performance spaces as well as high-scale Cirque productions. I did not experience this problem with iD.
Notable acts include the opening hand-to-hand routine, which may have been one of the best I'd ever seen. Dmytro Bogodist and Alona Burlachenko mesmerized the audience with flawless choreography, dramatic drops and lifts, and impressive contortion. In general, all of the contortionists in iD were spectacular, especially Emi Vauthey, whose flexibility was often met with dumbfounded gazes.
Finally, Thibaut Philippe thoroughly amazed the audience with his trial biking skills. Philippe owned the stage, hopping from platform to platform and over obstacles including fellow performers and a member of the audience!
What I Didn't Expect
The choreography of the show was certainly a highlight. Being a show about an inner-city, it seemed appropriate for the dance style to be hip-hop. What was especially impressive was that all of the performers took part in these high-energy dance routines. Though some of the performers specialized in break dance, all of the artists were able to follow along with the choreography.
And though the performance was impressive for what it was, I was expecting more character and plot development than what was offered in iD. There were clear characters, rivalries, and relationships; however, none of them seemed to heighten or change over the course of the performance.
That Night
In speaking with some of the cast and crew of iD, I found that the show has gone through a number of changes since its creation. Among these changes was unexpected, yet mandatory revision which occurred following the injury of one of the show's performers. As with any circus production (or any stage production for that matter), there is a danger of losing a performer due to injury. And particularly in circus shows such as iD, each artist brings such a unique set of skills that hiring a replacement is often very challenging.
Despite the revisions, iD was spectacular to witness. The opening night was met with excitement, awe, and two standing ovations.
Final Thoughts
The new wave of circus production has begun and is well underway. With companies like Cirque Eloize bringing top-notch circus productions to the public eye, you can expect to see even more impressive productions coming to theaters in the near future.
Until that time, iD will continue its run at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theater until May 15th. Tickets are available at the Citi Performing Arts Center website and the Cirque Eloize website. You can also find more information about iD and other Cirque Eloize productions at cirque-eloize.com.
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