Speech: Cirque Du Soleil

It was a cold January evening in Las Vegas, Nevada. I was just fourteen with my eighteen social class old brother and parents on vacation and celebrating the New Year. My father decided to surprise the family with tickets to a marvellous acrobatic show that was based around the legendary band The Beatles. The show was mesmerizing and absolutely stunning, it in captured my heart and changed me forever. This show was called Love (CHANGE SLIDE) and was run by Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment. Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, (CHANGE SLIDE) and find in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Gaspe, in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy Laliberte and Gilles Ste-Croix. ab initio named Les Echassiers, (CHANGE SLIDE) they toured Quebec in 1980 as a performing troupe and encountered financial hardship. Their financial troubles were relieved by a grant fro m their government as part of the 450th anniversary celebrations of Jacques Cartiers discovery of Canada. CHANGE SLIDE) Le Grand go du Cirque du Soleil was a success, and after securing a second year of funding, Laliberte hired Guy Caron from the National genus Circus School to re-create it as a proper circus. Its theatrical, character-driven approach and the absence of performing animals helped ascertain Cirque du Soleil as the contemporary circus that it remains to be today. Cirque du Soleil traveled throughout Quebec in 1984, appearing in ten cities and playing to audiences of 800 at for each one performance.The following year, the troupe took its first steps outside its home province and began performing in neighboring Ontario. The audiences feedback was so official that it gave Cirque du Soleil even more reason to begin expanding. By 1986, the seating capacity of Cirque du Soleils big top tent had been expanded to 1,500, and Cirque du Soleil began to receive national and international attention. The company performed at Vancouver, British Columbias Childrens Festival and at Expo 86, the Worlds median(a) hosted by Vancouver.Internationally, Cirque du Soleil earned nominations and awards at several competitions and festivals held By the end of 1986, Cirque du Soleil officials were convinced of the thoughts broad-based appeal. Two years after its birth in the small town of Gaspe, Cirque du Soleils unique expression of entertainment was ready to make it large. Cirque expanded rapidly through the mid-nineties and 2000s, going from one show to 19 shows in over 271 cities on every continent save Antarctica. Some of these shows include(CHANGE SLIDE) The O in Las Vegas, (CHANGE SLIDE) La Nouba in Orlando, Florida and, of course, (CHANGE SLIDE) Las Vegass LOVE. CHANGE SLIDE) Cirque du Soleil employs round 4,000 people from over 40 countries and receives estimated annual revenue of more than 810 million dollars. The multiple permanent Las Vegas shows solo play to more than 9,000 people a night, 5% of the citys visitors, adding to the 90 million people who have undergo Cirque worldwide. In 2000, Laliberte bought out Gauthier, and with 95% ownership, has continued to expand the brand. In 2008, Laliberte split 20% of his make do equally between two investment groups in Dubai.In partnership with these two groups, Cirque planned to defecate a residency show in the United Arab Emirates by 2012. However, since Dubais financial problems in 2008s global recession, it has been stated by Laliberte it may be looking for another financial partner to continue the companys rising plans. Several more shows are in development around the world, along with a television deal, womens vestments line and the possible venture into other mediums such as spas, restaurants and nightclubs. Aside from Cirque du Soleils a success story, Cirque du Soleil is far from an easy job. CHANGE SLIDE) Although, the halls are BURSTING with art and colors that the per formers create on the side, it takes a lot of time and dedication to be a performer or set technician. A day in the life of a typical Cirque du Soleil performer is a 2-hour rehearsal, 2-hours of doing make up, on your self and than 2 performances. These talented performers will do 8-12 shows 6 days a week. It gets quite repetitive scarce imagine how exciting it would be to perform for such a large audience every day If you are under the age 16, you have the same schedule as the other performers but you are also privately tutored in school.The non-performers live a similarly difficult schedule. Long hours of rift down, setting up and readjusting props six times a week. The shoes are hand crafted and repayable to so much wear have to constantly be remade. The wigs are designed to fit each performers head perfectly and are fit on to molds of each of them. There is a lot of puke the scenes work that makes each second of the magic in a Cirque du Soleil performance. (CHANGE SLIDE) I hope that I have educated you about Cirque du Soleil, thank you.