(BATON ROUGE, La.) March 30 - The English translation is "Circus of the Sun", but the world has come to know it by its French name "Cirque du Soleil" Now, for the first time, one of the troupe's traveling shows, "Saltimbanco", is making its way to our Gulf Coast!
You know the feeling...To be half awake from an amazing dream... still trying to convince yourself that it's real. But how could it be.
It was too fantastic... To impossible... To unbelievable to be real. But this is no dream... This is Saltimbanco!
Saltimbanco is the longest running touring show of the Canadian entertainment troupe Cirque du Soliel. But how do they make that magic happen?
To find out, I've traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a stop on the Saltimbanco tour. But first, just what is...
"It actually comes from Italian, which means literally to jump up on a bench," Cirque de Soleil Coach Michael Ocampo said, "However, it kind of translates as well into a street performer. Because back in the day, that's what street performers would do. They'd jump up on a bench and do their little performance so people could see them better."
Ocampo is the head coach of the acrobats that makes the dream that is Saltimbanco come to life.
"There's no real illusion. All of the acrobatics they're doing, they're doing those acrobatics."
As you might expect, these athletes have to concentrate intently on what they're doing. That's why we're not using any lights right now, because it would distract them. And you may notice some wires on some of these performers. That's just to catch them should they fall. It doesn't help them in any way with their next move. In fact, some of the moves are done without any safety wires at all!
Ocampo says the bulk of these performers are high level athletes, former members of national and world championship acrobatic teams with 10 to 20 years experience. And many have competed in the Olympics. There strength and control is no more evident than while climbing the Chinese polls using only their arms. But it takes more than strength to perform a show like Saltimbanco.
"Here, if you are not passionate, you're not going to stay," Alean, the group's production manager says, "At Cirque, if you're not passionate, you're not going to stay."
Alean is a Montreal native who has worked with Cirque du Soliel "on and off" as he tells it, for nearly 20 years.
"We never feel we're at work. We always feel we're part of something that's gonna put a little sunshine in everybody's life."
Presenting a dream that is very real. A dream that never fades. Even for those who dream it.
"You can come to Saltimbanco, you can come to any Cirque du Soliel show several times, and every time you came you would see something new!"
Cirque du Soleil's "Saltimbanco" comes to the Mitchell Center in Mobile for seven performances from Thursday through Sunday.
Tickets are available at the Mitchell Center box office or Ticketmaster... with adult prices starting at 35 dollars.
Be sure to watch "Here's Darwin" Tuesday on NBC 15 News at 5.
Darwin introduces us to one of the performers of "Saltimbanco".
