Dralion

A photo from a Vienna Dralion show.

Dralion (pronounced Drah-lee-on) is a touring production of Cirque du Soleil. Its setting is more Eastern in nature. Its theme is the clash between the east and west. The name combines two popular characters in the Eastern world: the dragon representing the east, and the lion, representing the west.

Touring Information Dralion is currently in Japan until June 2008. They will then be traveling to Australia stopping in Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne. Performances begin in Sydney in July 2008 under the Grand Chapiteau.

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

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.

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 celing 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

• Single Handbalancing -- Watch the act

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.

• Juggling Watch it on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zi-tRSge2M

An act representative of earth, a man takes to the stage, performing a juggling act infused with break dancing and acrobatics. The act is comprised of 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)

• Teeterboard

An act representative of water, a team of 20 or so women take to the stage. Two women propel other members of the group into the air, sometimes alone, sometimes onto towers of others, creating towers of up to five. One tower even involves stilts.

• Duo Trapeze(Watch it on You Tube) [1]

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.

• Aerial Pas Des Deux

As the spirits exit, a man and a woman 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.

• Skipping Ropes

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

• Aerial Hoop

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.

Past Acts

• Contortion with Bowls
• Foot Juggling
• Les Voila!

Music

The music is a fusion of sounds from East and West and acoustic and electric, with rhythmic and lyrical motifs. 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.

Below are the tracks, in order as they appear on the CD. Listed after each track title is the performance associated with the track.

1. Stella Errans (Single Hand-balancing)
2. Ombra (Foot Juggling / Contortion with Bowls, acts in rotation)
3. Spiritual Spiral (Interlude)
4. Miracula Æternitatis (Spirits)
5. Bamboo (Bamboo Poles)
6. Ballare (Aerial pas de deux)
7. Ravendhi (Teeter-board)
8. Ninkou Latora (Double Trapeze)
9. Aborigenes Jam (Hoop Diving)
10. Hinkò (Ballet on Lightbulbs)
11. Kamandé (Skipping Rope)

Music by Violaine Corradi

External links

• Information at Cirque du Soleil's web site