Cultural Experiences

Cirque du Soleil: Montréal's Hometown Circus

The whimsical, talented band of artists that became Cirque du Soleil began as street performers in Baie-St-Paul, a river town an hour north of Québec City. These stilt walkers, fire breathers, and musicians had one pure intention: to entertain. The troupe formally founded as Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun) in 1984 and celebrated its 25th year in 2009. It has matured into a spectacle like no other. Using human-size gyroscopes, trampoline beds, trapezes suspended from massive chandeliers, and the like (but no animals), Cirque creates worlds that are spooky, sensual, otherworldly, and beautifully ambiguous. More than 1,000 of the company's acrobats, contortionists, jugglers, clowns, and dancers tour the world. There are resident shows in Las Vegas, Macau, New York, Orlando, and Tokyo. The company's offices are in Montréal in the Saint-Michel district, not far beyond the Mile End neighborhood.

And they're not just offices. Cirque has been developing a small campus of buildings in this industrial zone since 1997. All new artists come here to train for a few weeks to a few months and live in residences on-site. The complex has acrobatic training rooms, a dance studio, workshops in which the elaborate costumes and props are made, and a space large enough to erect a circus tent indoors. Some 1,800 people are employed at the Montréal facility, including more than 400 who work on costumes alone. The company doesn't have regular performances in Montréal, alas. For information about when they're coming to town and where else in the world you can find a show, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.