Cirque du Soleil arrives in Shanghai this June, but will a nation so familiar with acrobats be impressed?

As the house lights dim, a headless man appears at the door of a little girl’s room. Minutes after the stranger is invited in, an impatient audience watches in awe as the home’s interiors—and parents—are flown off and suspended in mid-air, making way for the fantastical world that is Cirque Du Soleil’s “Quidam.”

For their first performance in China, Cirque du Soleil chose “Quidam,” one of the most famous shows to ever tour under the company’s Grand Chapiteau, and will raise the curtain on June 28 for Shanghai audiences. Expectations are high and the future endearingly uncertain as this fairly new, overachieving acrobatic show comes face to face with a culture that became acquainted with acrobatics some 2,000 years ago. “’Quidam’ is a wonderful and unique show that we hope will appeal to a large audience in China,” says Pascale Quimet, the show’s publicist. But can a culture seeped in acrobatic feats learn from this international giant?

Cirque du Soleil was founded in 1984 as part of the celebrations surrounding the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's arrival in Montreal, Canada and has been a leader in theatrical performances since its first full-length creation debuted in the late ‘80s. Its popularity has sprouted six touring shows and six resident shows, including the ground-breaking hydraulic masterpiece "O," which still plays out at Las Vegas’ Bellagio hotel. The mix of street art, acrobatic performance, extravagant costumes, imaginative make-up and the dream-like settings defy technology, artistry and laws of physics. "'Quidam’ is like everything in the Cirque du Soleil repertoire: spectacular, artistic and entertaining," says San Diego-based journalist and reviewer Inigo Fiquracion.

Cirque du Soleil’s relationship with China actually started long before the planning of the upcoming Shanghai trip, with Chinese performing in many of the company's resident and touring shows. Such acts like “Diabolos,” featured in “Quidam,” are taken from the once popular “Chinese yo-yo” game and were turned into an art form with the help of talent from institutions such as the Shanghai Circus School.

According to Holly Liu, a former acrobat performer who now manages many top acrobats in China, the presence of Cirque du Soleil “will be a big challenge for the groups here in Shanghai.” Liu continues by saying that the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe and Cirque du Soleil are far from being strangers, if anything, they’re great friends. “Several performers from the Shanghai [Acrobatic] troupe and some of my classmates from the acrobatic school are now members of Cirque. They really enjoy working in the professional environment and enjoy learning new things.”

Shanghai’s local acrobatic show pride, ERA, even employed a former Cirque du Soleil choreographer as creative designer for the show. “Cirque du Soleil has great choreography and design, particularly in technology and this is much better than most, if not all Chinese acrobatic shows,” comments Liu. Nevertheless, most of the acrobatic and act creation was left in the hands of the local masters, who according to Liu, have still got “it.” “The level of Chinese skills in acrobatics is still the best in the world,” declares Liu.

However palpable the artistic exchange and history of cooperation between Cirque du Soleil and the People's Republic is, the expectations for the clashing of these two acrobatic cultures is still uncertain. When asked about their expectations for “Quidam” in China, Cirque du Soleil reps believe “’Quidam’ has proven to be a success since it first debuted in 1996, having performed more than 30,000 times in six different countries,” and they expect nothing less from the Shanghai shows.

On the same token, Liu expects to be able to see an “exchange of ideas and new skills,” while Cirque du Soleil becomes a useful example from which “Chinese acrobats will learn a great deal, particularly the importance of storytelling and production design, raising the interest in acrobatics amongst the general population.”

Quick Facts

Cirque du Soleil has over 3,000 employees today. Their average age is 35. Cirque employees represent over 40 nationalities and speak 25 different languages. Since 1984, Cirque du Soleil’s touring shows have made nearly 250 stops in over 100 cities around the world. Over 50 million spectators have seen a Cirque du Soleil show. Close to 8 million people will see a Cirque du Soleil show in 2007. A permanent team of 150 accompanies the "Quidam" tour, including 52 artists, two physiotherapists, five chefs, two teachers and a multitude of technical and office staff. The cast represents 15 different nationalities. Four cast members are Chinese nationals. As part of the "Quidam's" plot, 282 roses are given away and 1,692 fake shots are fired annually.

Details

Cirque du Soleil's “Quidam” will be at the Cirque Castle, Century Avenue, Pudong Shanghai from June 28-August 26. Tickets are ¥150/360/680/880/2,000 and can be booked by calling 962-288. Check cityweekend.com.cn or www.cirquedusoleil.com for more information.