Cirque du Soleil returns to Europe after the pandemic

Barcelona (Spain), March 17 Light, energy, magic and emotions are what Cirque du Soleil wants to transmit to the public through “Luzia”, the show that the Canadian circus company returns to Europe after the pandemic and which takes place this Thursday in Barcelona. Stéphane Lefebvre, president, told Efe: “Today's premiere is very important for us because it means resuming our trip to Europe after a very difficult period. “Luzia” is a macro-circus show in which more than 100 people of 25 nationalities, including technicians and artists, were created in 2016, but so far they have not been able to reach Spain due to the restrictions of the last two years. Mexico inspires this work, which will take place in Barcelona until May 15, and then travel to Alicante (eastern Spain) and Madrid. The show begins with the sound of a plane fading and a skydiver falling into a field of yellow marigolds surrounding a huge metal key. By turning the key, the traveler embarks on a magical journey that will take him through the jungle, the desert and the movie sets to the ideal Mexico. “It's amazing to see how this show connects to the audience after the pandemic, and I think it's because it's so bright, amazing and innovative,” Lefebre reflected. One of the main innovations is the use of water, which first appears in the number of cyr wheels and trapezium. While two women dance in giant hoops, the trapeze artist sometimes creates amazing figures that only hang on heels. For the ineffectiveness of this problem, Cirque du Soleil built a pond under the stage and a water curtain was created. Produced and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, “Luzia” goes from water to the mirage of the desert, passing through a set that pays tribute to the golden age of Mexican cinema. In this scene, the setting is a ballroom from the movie “Salón Mexico” and three porters, masters of throwing techniques, throw acrobats from high and play pirouettes in the air. “The world of acrobats is like the world of athletes, they surpass themselves every day, and now they are doing things that he could not have imagined just a few years ago.” Lefebvre, who believes that the future of the company lies in increasing these incredible numbers and in strengthening relations with the public. “The pandemic has taught us that connecting with the public via social media is very important,” I added. Cirque du Soleil is already working to provide digital content that complements the show when it was necessary to cancel all tours and artists connected to the public through social media during the pandemic, and showed how they trained at home and the techniques they used to avoid losing technology during lockdown. “It would have been the worst in the company's history,” explains Lefebvre. But fortunately, I was able to solve my financial problems and get back on track.”