In just about a week the bulk of our Cirque Du Soleil troupe will be moving from our rehearsal location in Montreal, Canada to Macau, China to open Cirque’s first resident show in China at the Sands Venetian on the Cotai Strip.
Below you’ll find an article about the transition for artists from nomads to regular jobbers with a home. Most of us are used to being on the road and traveling a lot. And because of the nature of being in entertainment – we tend to move from town to town a lot too. We do a run til it’s dry or until a better gig comes along – then we graze on greener pastures.
Our show is a “resident show” – we don’t travel from city to city. So for the first time in many of our lives we’re able to build a home and keep a semi regular schedule which is new. I’ve had the benefit of always flying on my road gigs – so it was pretty rare I had to be in a bus or do long road trips. So I’m a little spoiled. And my last two years before this gig were in a small community that definitely had strong roots that felt like “home”.
We’re all excited about picking out our new places to live – and looking forward to having a regular long term gig. That’s a little rare for an artist. Usually we get on a gig that has a “run” for a while – but the run ends. Most shows can only sell so many seats. And even when I played with name artists or other shows it was always feast or famine. There were great months and then there were months where you didn’t know where your food was coming from.
You get used to it I guess. After a while you just get used to finding work – sometimes more successful than others.
For most of us, working for Cirque Du Soleil is our dream – we feel that we are part of something very powerful. Something that cannot be put into words. Something that crosses cultural and belief divides. Many of us were “touched” by the fire when we saw our first Cirque show performed live – I know I was.
Another change is that we’re able to focus all our energy and passion on one thing. Most of us are used to juggling many jobs at the same time – usually in different genres. For me, I would be rehearsing one show while getting ready to open another, then picking up a casual gig, then working on music for church service, then working on a side album project or audio production. So….well….. it’s strange.
Most people get to pursue that little side thing that makes them happy – like crochet, or gardening, or stamp collecting…..silly things we like to do. I’ve never really had that before. A beautiful thing to have a little taste of a “normal” life I’ve always heard about but never quite had.
From the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Original Article
Pre-departure session on intercultural effectiveness for Cirque du Soleil artists
Cirque du Soleil needs no introduction.
From the Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul troupe in 1980 and the very first performance by Cirque du Soleil in Quebec City in 1984 on the 450th anniversary of the discovery of Canada, to Macau and Tokyo coming up in 2008, this organization has come a long way.
The number of people working for Le Cirque has increased from 73 in 1984, to 3,800 in 2007 worldwide, representing 40 nationalities and at least 25 different languages!
The Big Top has travelled to close to 100 cities the world over staging Le Cirque’s touring shows. Some shows have taken up residence for extended periods in some American cities, including Las Vegas, Orlando, and more recently, New York. Le Cirque will face its newest challenge in 2008: establishing resident shows in Macau and Tokyo for some 10 consecutive years. Why does this constitute a challenge? Because Le Cirque’s artists are by their very nature nomads: they perform and then move on. And while they are appearing somewhere, the people with Le Cirque are one big family whose daily needs are looked after by the organization.
With Le Cirque in one place for 10 years, it falls more to the individuals themselves to look after their needs. For most, this means transitioning from a nomadic to a sedentary state in cultural settings that are totally different from their places of origin.
Le Cirque has turned to the Centre for Intercultural Learning to help its personnel make the transition to this new way of life in Macau. On November 16 and 17, 2007, some 60 artists leaving to work in Macau took part in a two-day session during which they were introduced to the specific nature of life in Macau. What significant historical events can offer an understanding of present-day Macau? Is there any vestige of the Portuguese era? Is life in Macau different from life in Mainland China? How do I understand and make myself understood respectfully and effectively? And in a city that is on its way to becoming the world casino capital, what remains of the original culture and the language?
And how do I create a life plan, a professional plan and a family plan and still retain my identity?
For the facilitators of the Centre for Intercultural Learning, the challenge—and the great satisfaction—was addressing a group of artists from some 30 different countries with their own experiences and their vision of life and their relations with others coloured by their respective cultures.
For Cirque du Soleil artists and facilitators alike, exploring how to prepare for this experience of living together and continuing their personal and professional growth in Macau over the next 10 years was an incredibly stimulating experience.