Cirque du soleil performer suffers head trauma after fall

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Performers take part in the closing act during a Cirque du Soleil OVO pre-opening show for family, friends and members of the media Wednesday, July 29, 2009 in Quebec City. A Cirque du soleil performer was injured after a fall on Friday.

(Jacques Boissinot / THE CANADIAN PRESS) The Canadian Press Date: Friday Oct. 16, 2009 2:34 PM ET MONTREAL — A Cirque du soleil performer was rushed to hospital with head injuries Friday morning after falling off a trampoline. The 24-year-old performer was doing exercises for the world-famous circus when the incident happened.

Emergency-services workers say the man was unconscious when they arrived on the scene, and they rushed him to hospital. The performer’s condition in hospital is not yet known. The incident happened at a Montreal facility where the international troupe rehearses for shows. Cirque du soleil spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.

Violaine Corradi on the Music of Zaia

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This is an interview by Keith Johnson (Seattle, Wa – USA) of “Cirque Fascination” with the music composer of Cirque Du Soleil’s ZAIA show, Violaine Corradi. I hope Keith will not mind me posting the full article here on my blog for three reasons:

  1. I will include a link to his original ezine article here: Corradi Zaia Interview
  2. I am quoted in the article with comments mined from my blog. (Which I think is very cool).
  3. Many people come to my blog here for info on Zaia, and they may also be interested in following Keith’s ezine “Cirque Fascination”. (Follow the article link).

As assistant bandleader for Zaia and in writing the string arrangements for the Hong Kong Symphony on the Zaia album – I’ve had the pleasure of working very closely with composer Corradi. Because of Violaine and Cirque’s influence, terms that are now part of my regular music vocabulary include “organic”, “cosmic”, “evoke”, “provoke”.

Thank you Keith for the wonderfully detailed article. Even being in the middle of all of it, I learned quite a bit from the article! And now for the Cirque music buffs – read and enjoy….

Continue reading “Violaine Corradi on the Music of Zaia” →

Space Odyssey: Clown’s first performance

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cdxpZHYc6I

A Soyuz spacecraft has brought Canadian circus tycoon and space tourist Guy Laliberte to the International Space Station.

The current ISS team welcomed the unusual passenger along with Russian cosmonaut Maxim Suraev and American astronaut Jeffrey Williams.
Laliberte says he is going to create a festive mood in orbit and amuse his crew mates – he even brought along red noses for them.

Guy LaLiberte Clowns Before Space Trip

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Canadian billionaire Quebec-born philanthropist Guy Laliberte, jokes as he puts on a clown nose as he speaks through the glass wall with his family and friends at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

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Panel OK’s 30 Million Loan for Cirque Du Soleil Hollywood

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A five-member committee of the Los Angeles City Council voted this morning to move ahead with a $30- million loan that would bring a decade of Cirque du Soleil performances to the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

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Cirque du Soleil founder steals space show

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aW7IYgpXIE

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — A former stiltwalker and fire-eater stole NASA’s show Thursday, saying he’ll be “like a kid in a candy store” experimenting with zero-gravity tricks on his upcoming tourist trip to the international space station.

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ZAIA takes Bollywood stars on a space journey

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKmB4IOYBAU

June 2009 – Stars of Bollywood and the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” see the ZAIA show by Cirque Du Soleil in Macau, China.

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Cirque du Soleil performs at Bollywood Awards Ceremony

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msyV_GS3IW4

The cast of ZAIA performs at the Bollywood IIFA Awards Ceremony with a specially choreographed 5-minute opening segment on June 13, 2009.

ZAIA is Cirque du Soleils first permanent show in Asia

Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA Band 2009

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The Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA band, June 2009 in Macau, China. A rare moment where all the musicians are together for a photo opp.

In this photo: Eduard Harutyunyan (percussion), Jay Elfenbein (viol, dare I say cello, strings, bass guitar), Darrin Johnson (drummer), Olivier Milchberg (guitar, Turkish banjo, plucked strings), Maria Andersson (singer), Steven Bach (keyboards – bandleader), Rose Winebrenner (vocalist), Racheal Cogan (recorder, EWI)and Conrad Askland (keyboards, assistant bandleader).