Le Cirque Mecanique: engineers create magic behind the scenes of Canada's Cirque du Soleil

摘要

Flying acrobats, dazzling pyrotechnics, brilliant costumes, stunning sets: watching a Cirque du Soleil performance, it's impossible not to wonder "How do they do that?" The short answer is Cirque du Soleil "does that" through a lot of dreaming, planning and hard work - and many more kinds of engineering than one might think. The international phenomenon began in Baie-Saint-Paul, a small town near Quebec City, in the early '80s. A band of colourful street performers entertained residents and visitors with stilt walking, juggling, dance, music and fire. In 1984, they became Cirque du Soleil. Over the years, Cirque has gradually transformed from a small group of 25 performers into a worldwide entertainment phenomenon - and one of the largest draws ever to grace the Las Vegas strip. Currently, the company produces 14 different shows, each one expected to run for at least ten years, and employs 3,500 people, including 900 performers.