Le Géant, which was officially inaugurated on Friday night and is now considered a must-see at the current Montréal Circus Festival, continues to impress just as much.
Every night (except Mondays) Cirque Éloize offers two performances of its show “Ode to Joy” directed by Benoit Landry.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
Unlike last year, when three steel colossuses were erected in different city parks, this year there is a single throne on the esplanade of Place Ville-Marie. A location that is also perfect for this type of family show, with a breathtaking view of Mount Royal and the gigantic ring of Place Ville-Marie.
In the first light of the evening, twelve acrobats from the Quebec circus troupe scale the fifty-foot-tall giant and demonstrate the extent of their talent.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
They climb there, hang on it and launch from its summit, QMI Agency witnessed Tuesday’s first performance of the evening.
The show began about fifteen minutes after the scheduled time to an audience packed with onlookers, scheduled work colleagues and families. The twelve performers first performed with a dynamic introductory dance showcasing their colorful costumes, signed by Liz Vandal.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
Then the floor slipped beneath their feet, revealing a trampoline embedded in the raised stage. Every member of the troupe did at least one pirouette there, some of which was very impressive. While some jump, others continue with balancing and hand-to-hand figures at the foot of the giant.
However, it was mainly the trapeze number that caught the attention of the audience, which elicited the most interested reactions at that moment. A first trapeze artist
(Louis-David Simoneau) appeared there for the first time, hanging by his feet. He was then introduced to his partner (Marie-Christine Fournier), who was lifted at arm’s length by two colleagues. Then the duo rose into the air, up to the waist of the colossus, where the wind swept them both front to back and left to right.
Together, the pair seemed to be one in that group that was both cute to look at and romantic. In the hands of the long-haired trapeze artist, his partner seemed so light, he moved from hand to hand almost effortlessly, climbing, twisting, sliding and clinging around him.
The Géant de l’esplanade PVM was also the scene of the balancing act, the human pyramid and the rope with counterweight on pulleys.
The musical framework consists of well-known classics such as Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”, but also pieces by Bach, Schubert and Beethoven.
Last year, Cirque Éloize performed at the Géant in the Jardins Gamelin. Then it was the 7 Doigts who performed on the PVM Promenade.
The free show “Ode to Joy” will be shown on the Esplanade of Place Ville-Marie every evening except Mondays until July 30 at 6:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
The Montreal circus continues through Sunday.