viernes, 18 de julio de 2014

Reflections after a circus show

Corteo, by Cirque du Soleil


The Cirque du Soleil has always attracted me. Several things make me admire how an idea born from a small number of people has grown into becoming a worldwide fenomenon. The show we finally were lucky enough to see in Buenos Aires last saturday with my family is the result of a long teamwork process.  My admiration goes to these people who got together to make their ideas a reality. They let you know this by giving credits to every creative mind who took part in the process. Art Designers, choreographers, writers, composers, coordinators.  I was eager to ask each one of these people how had school prepared them for this, who they got their inspiration from, what is the creative process like?  At the same time as I was watching some girls climbing giant  chandelliers at the begining of the show I ventured that maybe they fancied climbing trees when they were children.  I also regretted having scolded my own children as they were bouncing cheerfully from bed to bed  like the artists in another scene.  
The show also made me reflect on the concept of what we consider appropriate. The name of the show: 'Corteo' (Burial Procession/Cortejo) The opening line: 'Soñe mi propio funeral' (I dreamed  my own funeral) No sad notes, though.  A celebration of fantasy, which made me want to have a funeral like that one, full of angels and memories and music.  Totally appropriate for children, however, we continue ignoring this  topic in our schools curricullums. 
We enjoyed the experience of travelling to a dreamland of clowns, giants and small people, musicians, singers, high rope walkers, jugglers, acrobats and whislers.  But what I sincerelly admire is the capacity of this large group of artists to join forces to achieve a common goal.