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Published on: 9/18/2002
Last Visited: 9/18/2002
Michel Rousseau, founder of Cirque Eos.
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Instead, Rousseau has conjured up something fantastical in Cirque Eos, the latest offering from the incredible circus schools of Quebec, which has just begun its North American tour here.
"It is an evolution of the circus," he says modestly of the show in which performers soar above the audience like birds or unravel on wisps of fabric until they jerk to a stop moments before they hit the floor.
While Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the self proclaimed Greatest Show on Earth, is currently featuring T.M.The Gator Guy, who "puts his entire head into the toothsome mouth of a 10-foot alligator!"Cirque Eos is offering an imaginary world where people appear to defy gravity.
This is what the modern circus is all about: balance, strength, grace -- and imagination.
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In 1988 Rousseau had begun teaching circus arts.At first he was just tutoring the children of friends.That evolved into École de cirque de Québec, a circus school that soon began producing some phenomenal talent.
"Year after year we saw the kids grow up and become better and better and move on," he said.
Many of his graduates went on to join Cirque du Soleil, the now globally famous circus that is so successful it seldom performs in Canada, outside of its home base in Quebec.
Reflecting after his accident in 1992, Rousseau began to imagine taking to the road with his best pupils instead of shipping them off to Cirque du Soleil.He thought he could succeed with a small troupe that explored the outer reaches of modern circus and that provided an intimacy that Cirque du Soleil had lost in producing its stunningly lavish shows.
So Cirque Eos was born, as a modest alternative to Cirque du Soleil -- and as a way for him to get back on tour.
In 1998 the troupe began performing in small venues, appearing at the Vancouver Children's Festival and other similar events.It was a stripped-down performance, with humble costumes and little in the way of props -- but it was big on talent and had a raw energy that left audiences cheering.
Two years ago, Cirque Eos put on a more creatively ambitious show in Seattle that got rave reviews.
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We were ready," Rousseau said.
This summer, Cirque Eos premiered its show in Montreal, home of the formidable Cirque du Soleil.
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"We are different, but the same," says Rousseau in acknowledging the influence of Cirque du Soleil, which also uses a storyline approach and an invented language that, for some reason, makes sense even though you can't understand a word.
Cirque du Soleil is famous for the mood it creates and the visual scenes it conjures up.Cirque Eos is less polished and not as elaborate.But it succeeds, in no small part because of the innocent joy and unconstrained energy of its young performers, whose average age is 23.
Rousseau said his circus is traditional in one sense: It strives for an intimate connection with its audience.
"Cirque Eos is a smaller troupe.We want to stay small, too ... this allows us to be more creative ...We have our own personality," he said.
After watching Cirque Eos stun the audience on opening night, one wonders what it is about Quebec that generates such great circuses.Rousseau gives much of the credit to Cirque du Soleil, which he said inspired a whole new generation of performers by showing them there was a huge audience out there for a creative show that broke with traditional circus routines.Some circuses might still cling to animal acts, but those at the forefront of the current renaissance have more artistic aspirations.
Rousseau said the aim of Cirque Eos is to "create a dream in the mind of the people," -- and judging by the response the show has been getting in Vancouver, it's working.
mhume@van.nationalpost.com
© Copyright 2002 National Post
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