07.04.20
00:00
Culture
Cirque Du Soleil arrived in Moscow with an Ice Show
Ice and acrobatics in one show. The world-famous Canadian Cirque du Soleil has arrived in Moscow with another show. This time it is the first ice show of this circus named "Crystal" staged two years ago. Ice arena opened new unexpected circus opportunities. Not only for acrobats who are not used to working on a slippery surface, but also for figure skaters.
Natalya Romanova, Cirque du Soleil Director General in Russia: "The main thing and difference is that nothing like that has ever been seen on ice before. Cirque du Soleil uses ice surface, investigates its possibilities in respect of breaking physical laws, sliding, color projecting, still saving all the palette of genres present in all other shows by Cirque du Soleil."
Janie Mallet, Publicist, the CRYSTAL Show (Canada): "We investigated possibilities of ice with specialists for a year. We never used to work on ice, it is a new territory for us. We studied ice. After we understood what can be done on ice theoretically, we organized this show for three months."
The Crystal show includes synchronous figure skating, freestyle, and air acrobatics. Athletes doing extreme downhill ice racing are also engaged in play. Some of them not only work in circus, but also constantly participate in competitions.
Rob Tannion, Artistic Director, the CRYSTAL Show (Canada): "The show was not easy to create. The Crystal turned into a real experiment for the team that worked on it. We had to think over the things that did not exist before. We designed costumes made of special fabrics which do not constrict movements. Whatever element we took, we had to invent it again".
Designers of the show decided to create hydrophobic costumes for figure skaters. And for gymnasts, they invented special shoulder straps and gloves to protect them from being cut by skate edges while performing lifts and stunts. Sensors are built in all costumes; their signal is caught by the special cameras mounted over the ice arena. This signal is transmitted to the computer which automates the management of light equipment. That is how figure skaters and gymnasts always appear in beams of searchlights throughout the show. The wardrobe department made for acrobats handcrafted special spiked footwear so that they could show stunts remaining on ice.
Janie Mallet, Publicist, the CRYSTAL Show (Canada): "This is the sole of acrobat shoes. These special spikes are located on this sole in a certain way, in a certain order to help acrobats walk, slide, run and do other things, apparently impossible on ice. In general, this project was a real scientific research. Because in different areas these sole spikes are located at different intervals from each other, making different patterns. Each shoe has 90 spikes."
The show is named after the main character – a teenage girl Chrystal. The show revolves around her adventures. Just like all kids of her age, she feels misunderstood and offended in the world of adults.
Danica Plamondon, Artist, the CRYSTAL Show (Canada): "I am one of impersonators of the main character Crystal. In my act, no one understands Crystal. In the beginning, all members of her family sit in one room, watch TV, and they need nothing more. The girl feels misunderstood and lonely. In my performance, I do flying trapeze – "head in the clouds" in my thoughts, and in my imagination I look at the world from above."
The performance begins with the girl’s escape from home. Having stepped on ice, she falls into a bizarre world of magic and her own imagination where she should meet different characters. 43 performers are engaged in the show: 20 acrobats, 19 figure skaters, 3 musicians, and one clown. In total, about 100 people of 25 nationalities work on the show.
Dmitry Semykin, Artist, the CRYSTAL Show (Canada): "It is always interesting to communicate with people from different countries, with different culture. All guys are quite friendly. On the contrary, it helps to work in better alignment. There has never been any inconvenience or conflicts."
Figure skater Dmitry Semykin is one of four Russian participants of the show. He started his sports career in single skating, then turned to pair. In the Soviet Union he and his partner were included in the top ten duets. Having left sport, he worked in a Russian ice circus. Then he was invited to Latin America, 5 years later he moved to the USA. Dmitri has been in the Crystal team from the day of its creation.
Dmitry Semykin, Artist, the CRYSTAL Show (Canada): "I have worked in many companies, but for me the, Cirque du Soleil is the best by all standards. The difference is that in the USSR you were trained without emotion. They wanted result. It was a work for result. Here they also want to see your result. But they do not squeeze this result out of you, but make you achieve this result by yourself. This is the difference. I mean, you want to do it by yourself."
Dmitry visits his hometown Yekaterinburg very seldom. Because he is on tour with circus for several months in a row, visiting different countries. During the Russian Crystal tour, Dmitri will meet parents at last. The company will go from Moscow to Yekaterinburg.
The show will also be shown in Ufa, Kazan and St. Petersburg.
Alexander Kononov, Alexander Yermolaev, TV BRICS.
Natalya Romanova, Cirque du Soleil Director General in Russia: "The main thing and difference is that nothing like that has ever been seen on ice before. Cirque du Soleil uses ice surface, investigates its possibilities in respect of breaking physical laws, sliding, color projecting, still saving all the palette of genres present in all other shows by Cirque du Soleil."
Janie Mallet, Publicist, the CRYSTAL Show (Canada): "We investigated possibilities of ice with specialists for a year. We never used to work on ice, it is a new territory for us. We studied ice. After we understood what can be done on ice theoretically, we organized this show for three months."
The Crystal show includes synchronous figure skating, freestyle, and air acrobatics. Athletes doing extreme downhill ice racing are also engaged in play. Some of them not only work in circus, but also constantly participate in competitions.
Rob Tannion, Artistic Director, the CRYSTAL Show (Canada): "The show was not easy to create. The Crystal turned into a real experiment for the team that worked on it. We had to think over the things that did not exist before. We designed costumes made of special fabrics which do not constrict movements. Whatever element we took, we had to invent it again".
Designers of the show decided to create hydrophobic costumes for figure skaters. And for gymnasts, they invented special shoulder straps and gloves to protect them from being cut by skate edges while performing lifts and stunts. Sensors are built in all costumes; their signal is caught by the special cameras mounted over the ice arena. This signal is transmitted to the computer which automates the management of light equipment. That is how figure skaters and gymnasts always appear in beams of searchlights throughout the show. The wardrobe department made for acrobats handcrafted special spiked footwear so that they could show stunts remaining on ice.
Janie Mallet, Publicist, the CRYSTAL Show (Canada): "This is the sole of acrobat shoes. These special spikes are located on this sole in a certain way, in a certain order to help acrobats walk, slide, run and do other things, apparently impossible on ice. In general, this project was a real scientific research. Because in different areas these sole spikes are located at different intervals from each other, making different patterns. Each shoe has 90 spikes."
The show is named after the main character – a teenage girl Chrystal. The show revolves around her adventures. Just like all kids of her age, she feels misunderstood and offended in the world of adults.
Danica Plamondon, Artist, the CRYSTAL Show (Canada): "I am one of impersonators of the main character Crystal. In my act, no one understands Crystal. In the beginning, all members of her family sit in one room, watch TV, and they need nothing more. The girl feels misunderstood and lonely. In my performance, I do flying trapeze – "head in the clouds" in my thoughts, and in my imagination I look at the world from above."
The performance begins with the girl’s escape from home. Having stepped on ice, she falls into a bizarre world of magic and her own imagination where she should meet different characters. 43 performers are engaged in the show: 20 acrobats, 19 figure skaters, 3 musicians, and one clown. In total, about 100 people of 25 nationalities work on the show.
Dmitry Semykin, Artist, the CRYSTAL Show (Canada): "It is always interesting to communicate with people from different countries, with different culture. All guys are quite friendly. On the contrary, it helps to work in better alignment. There has never been any inconvenience or conflicts."
Figure skater Dmitry Semykin is one of four Russian participants of the show. He started his sports career in single skating, then turned to pair. In the Soviet Union he and his partner were included in the top ten duets. Having left sport, he worked in a Russian ice circus. Then he was invited to Latin America, 5 years later he moved to the USA. Dmitri has been in the Crystal team from the day of its creation.
Dmitry Semykin, Artist, the CRYSTAL Show (Canada): "I have worked in many companies, but for me the, Cirque du Soleil is the best by all standards. The difference is that in the USSR you were trained without emotion. They wanted result. It was a work for result. Here they also want to see your result. But they do not squeeze this result out of you, but make you achieve this result by yourself. This is the difference. I mean, you want to do it by yourself."
Dmitry visits his hometown Yekaterinburg very seldom. Because he is on tour with circus for several months in a row, visiting different countries. During the Russian Crystal tour, Dmitri will meet parents at last. The company will go from Moscow to Yekaterinburg.
The show will also be shown in Ufa, Kazan and St. Petersburg.
Alexander Kononov, Alexander Yermolaev, TV BRICS.