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Dancing on Air – Acro Dancing Takes Flight
By Neil Peterson | November 14, 2009
‘To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful.’
- Agnes De Mille
In all likelihood, Ms. De Mille didn’t have the subject of today’s post on her mind when she spoke her now oft-repeated quote – but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t agree wholeheartedly that when it comes to dance, there are fewer things more profoundly affecting to witness than the choreographed, acrobatic precision of ‘acro dance‘. Combining classical dance technique and gymnastic elements with rigorous athleticism, acro (as it’s called by dancers) has enjoyed a renewed popularity in recent years – but today’s iteration is a far cry from the genre’s beginnings on the vaudeville stage.
Beginning in the early 1900′s, North American vaudeville audiences were brought to their feet by the extraordinary athleticism and grace of acrobatic dancers. Though lacking the smooth transitions and balletic overtones of the dance’s current form, performers still incorporated the gravity-defying aerial maneuvers and tricks that distinguish the art form today. The genre was so popular that several of the leading performers of the day adopted the style, creating crowd-drawing troupes to tour the world. Using elements of jazz, lyrical and ballet styles in partnership with gymnastic moves, the form was a marked departure from the staid couple dances of the era. And though the genre was nearly lost in the ensuing decades, a Canadian ensemble has renewed interest in the style – to a watching, applauding global audience of millions.
Founded in 1984 by dancer Guy Laliberté, Montréal-based Cirque du Soleil (translated from the French as Circus of the Sun) has performed productions in over 271 cities to an audience of over 90 million people. Encompassing continuous live music, props, outrageous costumes and thematic story lines, Cirque shows feature some of the world’s most technically-challenging (and jaw-dropping) maneuvers. Typically, the tricks associated with the style can be performed independently (hand stands, front and back flips), as a partnership (swizzles, double cartwheels) or as a group (triple cartwheels, pyramids). Contributing to their reputation as a ‘nouveau cirque’ (contemporary circus), Cirque also incorporates trampolines, flying trapezes, and high wire stunts into their shows.
Cirque du Soleil Alegria High-Wire
In addition to creating touring exhibitions, Cirque du Soleil has also established several permanent shows in Las Vegas, enjoyed by over 9,000 people each night. Each show-in-residence requires months of choreography, training, and the high costs of reconstructing each theatre to meet the needs of the production. (It has been reported that in designing the elements used for ‘Love‘, the Cirque show-in-residence at the Mirage hotel since 2006, over $100 million was spent to build one of the world’s most unique visual effects and sound systems.)
Acro dance may be enjoyed by audiences around the globe, but for those who would like to learn the art form, the opportunities for training are limited. Dancers must not only study classical dance technique, but undergo rigorous acrobatic coaching as well, a combination that most dance schools are unable to offer their students. Given the extraordinary physical demands, it is unlikely that acro dance will become a fixture in night clubs – but that is probably for the best. In certain things, it’s best to leave the show to the professionals.
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