Cirque Eloize iD - Impressive and Thrilling Circus Dance Acts

Like with all circus acts, there are the usual clowns, trained animals and others... But the critically-acclaimed Cirque Eloize iD, directed by Jeannot Painchaud, stands out by positioning itself at the heart of the renewal of circus acts, away from all these stereotypes. Set against an urban backdrop, the Cirque Eloize iD team is made up of high-energy world-class artists performing a thrilling, jaw-dropping and heart-stopping combination of circus acrobatics, hip hop and street dance.

Be transported through various streets of a typical local neighbourhood with the use of brilliant visual video production backdrops. Get prepared to be entertained through the stories that were narrated with stunts, dances and scintillating facial expressions and body language. A  fantastic 90-minutes performance that keeps the audience at the edge of their seats not to be missed!

While it seems like the story centers around the usual gang rivalry between street kids in a big city, with upbeat electronic music and awesome choreographed dance moves, Cirque Eloize adds melodramatic acts of love such as the affection between a contortionist (Nicole Winter) with a B-Boy and a beautiful story between an aerial silk artist (Nicole Winter) and an inline skater (Jon Larrucea).

Diana Gonzalez did a marvellous performance using the Cyr Wheel. Watch the video below to see how this talented Mexican performer stands inside the Cyr wheel and grasps its rim, causing it to roll and spin gyroscopically while performing acrobatic moves in and around the rotating wheel.

Mastering the trial bike, French-born Thibaut Philippe, is no stranger to performing stunts with it. Having performed in his own shows, municiple sporting events, business openings and on television, watch Thibaut did a skipping rope routine while on his bike, going within the ever-moving skipping rope area with much ease. During this act, watch urban dancers breakdance while going through the whole rope movement. For this routine, the most impressive one would have been the skipping rope jump of a skipping jump of a skipping rope jump.... You have to watch it to know what I mean. But I assure you, that quick act would have been missed with a blink of an eye. So keep your eyes glued to this act!

 

Battling against (and with) gravity, and using sheer strength and techniques, watch Olivier Poitras weaves magic scaling the Chinese pole. Witness him holding steadily like a flag on a flag pole, positioning himself perpendicular to it, using either his hands, or just his ankles!

One act which probably shocked the audience and halt their breathe would have been when one of the performers dived down from a height.... Only to spring upwards, thanks to the trampoline hidden from sight! Following which, various members of the cast tackled the trampowall and did a wonderfully-chereographed act.

I have to applause Robert Massicotte and Alexis Laurence for being able to use just the walls of the stage set to have changing backdrops for different scenes through the use of video images and visual effects. It was interesting how the cast appears and disappears through the cleverly-designed and concealed doors and openings.

Other than watching the actual performance on the Opening night itself, I went to the press event that took place earlier that day. Other than being treated to some of the performances, we got to interview some of the cast, and have some photo opportunities which they gracefully posed and performed for us.

Such as the breakdancing poses...

And just when you thought it's just a normal pose...

Or two...

It simply was not...

Check out Thibaut jumping over Nicole!

Or Thibaut doing gravity-defying stunts with his trial bike!

Overall, it was an entertaining performance put up bu the entire production team. Every person did a great job - Ranging from the music, lighting, design, background assistance, background training, etc. It was certainly a delighting Friday evening watching this act. Catch Cirque Eloize iD this coming Friday to Sunday at the various timings stated below.

CIRQUE ELOIZE ID
Season: 26 February to 06 March 2016
Venue: Sands Theatre, Mastercard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands
Time: Friday (7.30pm), Saturday (2pm & 7.30pm), Sunday (1pm & 6pm)
Price: From SGD45
Purchase method: Online (MBS, Sistic or Base Entertainment websites), Phone (+65 66888826) or at MBS Box Offices.