The new circus in town: Corteo

 

Cirque Du Soleil’s Corteo will be heading to the WFCU centre in Windsor on May 15.

At the dawn of the 1980s, a group of performers took to the streets of Baie-Saint-Paul, a small village on the shores of the St. Laurent River near Quebec City. Known to the public as Les Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul, the small group soon took the world by storm and formed the core of which would soon be known as the famous Cirque Du Soleil.

 

Originating in July of 1984, this small group of dancers, acrobats and gymnasts started performing on a larger scale, eventually coming one of the best known and biggest theatrical productions in the world. The Canadian group has brought wonder and delight to more than 180 million spectators with productions taking place in over 450 cities and 60 countries.

 

On Jan. 10, Cirque Du Soleil brought their 2005 musical Corteo to the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The performance showcased death defying stunts, acrobats and dances from more than a dozen performers from 18 different countries.

 

One of those performers is Erin Cervantes, an aerialist from Las Vegas. Cervante’s journey performing with the circus 10 years ago. Before she found her love for circus acting, she lived in Los Angeles doing contemporary dancing and acting. It was not until a friend of hers was training at a local circus school that she found an interest in it.

 

“I thought it was weird at first that she was doing circus school for fun but I decided to give it a chance. After doing it for a while I found a real passion and love for it and I loved the workout I got while doing it,” said Cervantes.

 

Cervantes has been with the Cirque Du Soleil production company for about a year, and Corteo is her first show. “I started with Cirque Du Soleil in Oct. 2018. It’s an amazing job but I will say the hardest thing is traveling. Keeping a steady balance of how to stay happy in your own creative life,” she said.

 

Cervantes said the audience is in store for a real show when it comes to telling the story of Corteo.

 

Corteo is the story of Mauro the Clown who pictures his own funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by quietly caring angels. According to the Cirque Du Soleil website,Juxtapose the large with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic and the magic of perfection with the charm of imperfection, the show highlights the strength and fragility of the clown, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the portion of humanity that is within each of us.

While the audience see the stars of the show onstage, the performers rely heavily on the talents of many people who work backstage. There are at least over a dozen backstage workers doing lights, contraptions and wardrobe.

 

“I’ve been working for 11 years in fashion designing but this is my sixth year working with Cirque Du Soleil, it’s really a family here and I love what I do,” said wardrobe specialist Catherine Duval.

 

Duval said her wardrobe picks for the show are wacky and free and with the Cirque Du Soleil Company she has freedom to be as creative as she wants.

 

“It’s an interesting way that we do it,” said Duval. “Myself and a few other designers come up with the wardrobe layout for the show and what the costumes will look like. We send out designs and plans to the head designers in Montreal and that’s where the magic happens.”  

 

For more information on how to get tickets, visit cirquedusoleil.com.