Cirque du Soleil DRALION in Chicago Area January 26-30
About 10 years ago I saw one
of my first Cirque du Soleil shows….
Dralion.
Fusing the 3000 year-old tradition of Chinese acrobatic arts with the multidisciplinary approach of Cirque du Soleil, Dralion draws its inspiration from Eastern philosophy and its never-ending quest for harmony between humans and nature. The show’s name is derived from its two emblematic creatures: the dragon, symbolizing the East, and the lion, symbolizing the West.
In Dralion, the four elements that govern the natural order take on a human form. Thus embodied, each element is represented by its own evocative colour: air is blue; water is green; fire is red; earth is ochre. In the world of Dralion, cultures blend, Man and Nature are one, and balance is achieved.
I own it on DVD and watched it the other night – I forgot just how fabulous it was!
Pas de deux is a languorous aerial dance. A couple, intertwined, flies over the stage in a long band of blue cloth. Within the cloth, they perform various acrobatic figures that demand great feats of strength and flexibility. The man is beautiful and so muscular and a feast for the eyes.
And there is an AMAZING male juggler.
With stylized choreography that makes the most of his incredible flexibility, the artist incorporates a fast-paced performance with hints of modern dance.
His incredible precision and mastery of his art are evident as he juggles up to seven balls simultaneously.
The blend of juggling mixed with balance against his body is truly wonderful to watch.
And then the music! The voices of Cirque du Soleil – Dralion sing an invented language to which only Cirque du Soleil holds the key. Their mysterious accents echo down through time: L’Âme-Force symbolises ultimate harmony between the four elements.
If you’ve seen any of the now-numerous Cirque du Soleil shows, you’re well aware that these modern-day circuses offer an engaging display of color, lights, acrobatics and in no small part, music. It’s the haunting music, in fact, that has always served to set the mood and theme of each Cirque show.
Violaine Corradi is largely responsible for the music. She says, ““At Cirque du Soleil, music offers a window to the spectator that opens on the multiple dimensions of the narrative framework of the show. The emotional fabric that the music conveys makes the audience feel the range of the acrobatic movement more intensively.”
DRALION will be back in the Chicago area, January 26-30th!
at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates
Get tickets now online !