Circus of the sun shines

Saltimbanco is Cirque du Soleil's longest running show on the road and it will add to that record with extended performances in Shanghai. Provided to China Daily

Canada's Cirque du Soleil is so popular in Shanghai the troupe is extending its stay. Zhang Kun has the story.

The circus is in town, and it intends to stay another week. Cirque du Soleil has added seven more shows of Saltimbanco in Shanghai, encouraged by the enthusiastic response to its original seven shows.

Four weeks after the company announced its plan to stage Saltimbanco in the city, 60 percent of the tickets were sold out. The show features more than 50 performers and musicians from 20 countries.

People in Shanghai first became acquainted with the Cirque from 2007 tour with Quidam. Saltimbanco is the Cirque's longest touring show, having been on the road since 1992. Shanghai is its only China stop.

"It is a classic that has not been afraid to evolve with the times. As such, it continues to be fresh and inspire generations of fans," says Neelanthi Vadivel, Saltimbanco's artistic director. "I've always felt the Chinese audience appreciates joyous, colorful, high-energy productions. Saltimbanco is a prime example of all three." More than 12 million people worldwide have seen it. The name "Saltimbanco" is drawn from the "Saltare in banco", which literally means "to jump on a bench".

Cirque du Soleil is famous for choreographing acrobatic stunts connected through emotional and narrative storylines, but Saltimbanco is an exception. Cirque du Soleil describes it as a "celebration of life".

"The open themes of the show allow the viewer to develop their own personal interior dialogue," according to Vadivel. "Each person's interpretation of the show is different and, as a result, reaches a very large audience."

Saltimbanco features kaleidoscopic feats, one of which, the Chinese Poles, showcases seemingly impossible balancing, jumping and spinning although the "Chinese" in the name does not necessarily mean that it is performed by Chinese artistes.

During the segment, acrobats leap from one 7-meter-high pole to another, a colorful metaphor for modern people's busy life in the skyscrapers.

Russian Swing shows acrobats catapulted up to 12 meters in the air and then execute breathtaking aerial jumps before falling on their feet, on the shoulders of their partners or atop a human pyramid.

Guiding audiences through the world of Saltimbanco, is the Baron, an imposing figure in a black-and-white striped cape, long red gloves and a top hat perched on a pile of serpentine locks.

Cirque du Soleil also has 10 other shows performing around the world, including Zaia in Macao and O in Las Vegas, but there are no plans yet to bring these to the Chinese mainland.

You can contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn.