Dralion
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Dralion (pronounced Drah-lee-on) is a touring production of Cirque du Soleil meaning "Circus of the Sun" in English. Its setting is more Eastern in nature. Its theme is the clash between the Eastern and Western worlds – the name is a portmanteau of dragon (representing the East) and lion (representing the West).
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[edit] Creators
- Guy Laliberté - Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cirque du Soleil
- Stéphane Roy - Set Designer
- Luc Lafortune - Lighting Designer
- Julia Lachance - Choreographer
- Guy Desrochers - Sound Designer
- Violaine Corradi - Composer
- Guy Caron - Director
- François Barbeau - Costume Designer
[edit] Characters
- Azala (air)
- Azala is the goddess of Air. She is the keeper of the sun and the guardian of immortality. As Azala floats through the world of Dralion, she watches over the heavens and protects all those who take to the skies and is dressed in blue.
- Gaya (earth)
- Gaya is the goddess of Earth. She possesses within her human warmth (fire) and the cool, fresh vitality of life (water). She adorns herself in ochre.
- Oceane (water)
- Oceane is the goddess of Water. With her exotic dance, she has the power to control all the waters of the world. She is graceful and sensual in a world of green.
- Yao (fire)
- The guide to the fiery demons, he commands the rhythm of the show. He symbolizes both good and evil. He sees life in vivid red.
- The vocals (The Âme Force)
- The voices of Dralion sing an invented language to which only Cirque du Soleil holds the key. Their mysterious accents echo down through time: the Âme Force symbolizes ultimate harmony between the four elements.
- Dralions
- These fanciful, mythical creatures seem to spring forth from the depths of our imagination.
- The Clowns
- All is well in the best of worlds. However, these clever clowns manage to push this otherwise harmonious universe just slightly off-kilter.
- Little Buddha
- The Little Buddha is the chosen child. Although it possesses special powers that will allow it to eventually become an Âme-Force, it dreams of being just a regular child.
[edit] Acts
Opening
Little Buddha enters wearing yellow and holding an hourglass through which green liquid flows as he turns in upside down. The four deities take to the stage; Gaya first from a hole in the floor, Azala floats down from the ceiling wrapped in two strips of blue silk, Oceane enters from the back of the stage and Yao somersaults out from the hole in the ground. Each of the deities wear costumes representing the colour of their elements. They dance separately and together in a portrayal of life and the creation of their world.
Permanent
- An act representative of water, a single woman balances on one hand while raised above the stage and accomplishes a variety of poses. She even is able to switch hands while balancing over the stage.
- Bamboo Poles
- An act representative of fire, five men take to the stage, each holding a 25-foot tall bamboo pole. They twirl and throw these poles as Yao comes to the stage with a flag. Three acrobats begin to jump over as he waves it performing an act reiniscent of a traditional Chinese flag dance.
- An act representative of earth, a man takes to the stage, performing a juggling act infused with break dancing and acrobatics. The act includes contact juggling as well as toss juggling with a stack of neck catches and balancing balls at odd moments. The artists starts with one ball and works his way up to seven. (Music not on the soundtrack)
- Defying the rules of gravity, fearless aerialists bounce off trampolines using the futuristic backdrop both as a diving board and landing pad. They cascade perilously through the air performing spectacular stunts at a dizzying pace.
- An act representative of air, two men and two women take to two trapezes hanging from the top of the big top. The women spin, flip, and dive in to the arms of the men. At the end of their act, the two women are released on cables from which ribbons stream. Their performance marks the end of the first act.
- Ballet on Lightbulbs
- As the second act begins, six women appear on a table covered in lightbulbs. They on balance on pointe on light bulbs and perform feats of strength and flexibility, such as one person on one foot with the other straight leg up to their chest and another person standing with a pointe on that flexed foot.
- Dralions
- In an act somewhat like a traditional lion dance, an amazing tumbling takes place between three acrobats and three dralions.
- Spirits
- The theater darkens, and a rather stirring act known as the Spirits takes the stage, Four white clad women take to the air, and four black clad men take the ground. The four couples perform a tender ballet that stirs emotion in even the darkest soul.
- As the spirits exit, Azala and her male counterpart take to two cloths hanging from the top of the big top. They perform a tender and beautiful dance of love.
- Hoop Diving
- As music entirely contrasted from "Ballare" begins, a group of men take to the stage. In front of them, a tower of hoops, sometimes still, sometimes spinning. The men begin to jump through these hoops, and create an act Cirque has never seen before.
- As the show comes to an end, a large group of children take to the stage for a jump rope number. They jump alone, in pyramids, even in towers!
In Rotation
- An awe-inspiring creation of strength and agility, this exotic aerial ballet captures the passion and energy of its signature element, fire. Suspended from a hoop high above the stage, the artist presents an evocative choreography in which the hoop and body become one in a dance of acrobatic precision.
- Delicate and intricate, the performer carefully balances and juggles thin umbrellas upon her legs and arms in various directions and speeds.
Past Acts
- Contortion with Bowls
- Les Voila!
- Teeterboard
[edit] Music
With the company's departure from its original creators, Dralion features the work of a new Cirque composer, French-Canadian composer Violaine Corradi. The music of Dralion aims to be a fusion of sounds from East and West by the use of acoustic and electric instruments. Featuring rhythmic and lyrical motifs, the influences range from Indian melodies to sounds from Andalusia, Africa, Central Europe, and the West. Instruments used in the CD are drums, violin, winds, keyboards, guitar and percussion instructions. Released on the 9th of November 1999, Dralion's soundtrack features the vocals of Basque counter-tenor Érik Karol, and Canadian female vocalist, Agnès Sohier.
Track Listing
- Stella Errans (Single Hand-balancing)
- Ombra (Foot Juggling / Contortion with Bowls, acts in rotation)
- Spiritual Spiral (Interlude)
- Miracula Æternitatis (Spirits)
- Bamboo (Bamboo Poles)
- Ballare (Aerial pas de deux)
- Ravendhi (Teeter-board)
- Ninkou Latora (Double Trapeze)
- Aborigenes Jam (Hoop Diving)
- Hinkò (Ballet on Lightbulbs)
- Kamandé (Skipping Rope)
[edit] External links
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