Tokyo Weekender - April 2016

Photo: OSA Images Costumes: Kym Barrett © 2010 Cirque du Soleil
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL | ART & CULTURE | 27
kind of performance skill. As the show
progresses, each act seems to top the one
before, continuing to expand the boundary
of human ability, right up to the climax
of the two-hour journey through the
history of humankind. The breathtaking
performances by the cast, including musicians,
are all “disciplines you’ve never
seen on a Cirque stage before,” proclaims
publicist Francis Jalbert.
Technology plays a pivotal role in the
production of “Totem.” The stage itself
acts as a screen for an overhead video
projection for Argentinean volcanoes,
Icelandic waterfalls, and American
marshes; synchronized performers
“dive” into the screen, just as characters
“swim” through the screen before
crawling out of the stage, a stage that
transforms from a turtle shell into a rocket
halfway through. The music, lights,
and in-air acts all harness high-tech, in
what seems to be a nod towards how
far we have come, and how much we
have evolved, highlighted by the show’s
final “cosmonaut” act that launches us
towards the future.
The family-friendly show engages
audiences even before the lights dim.
Clowns and a modern version of a
“ringmaster” walk among the audience,
throwing popcorn, teasing children with
time-honored pocket gimmicks, and
snapping photos. Drummers and “apes”
Photo: OSA Images Costumes: Kym Barrett © 2010 Cirque du Soleil
make their way into
the crowd during
the show, keeping
the audience on the
edge of their seat
and getting everyone
involved. At times,
it’s hard to stay
focused on just one
character, for fear of
missing out on what
another is doing.
While unmistakably
original
in approach, much
of the show pays
homage to ancient
myths and legends
of Amerindians and
tribes from all corners of the globe. The
turtle-shaped centerpiece is acknowledgement
of several civilizations’ symbol of
origin. Each costume, too, embodies not
any single group, but rather, incorporates
motifs from several peoples and cultures,
from Bollywood to South America. The
inclusion plays to the theme that we all
come from the same place, and have
the same ambition: “to escape Earth’s
gravity.” All of the music is inspired by,
and includes sound bites from, Native
American tribal music, Indian tunes, and
Spanish flamenco melodies.
Considered to be the most ambitious
Cirque du Soleil showcases to date, “Totem”
journeys not just through time and
lands, but talent. The 40-strong troupe is
very much a family—literally. A younger
performer, Nikita Moiseev (seen “flying”
on the Russian Bars), is the son of Russian
Bars coach Alexander Moiseev. Nikita was
born while his parents were on tour with
Cirque du Soleil’s “Alegria” twenty years
ago, and has been in the circus since. “I’ve
been performing for 13 years, and I was
traveling for most of my
life,” says Nikita. Fifty
other family members
join their partners,
parents, and children
around the world on
tour, keeping in line with
the tradition of old-fashioned
images of traveling
circuses.
The large-ensemble
acts, involving monkeys,
the Scientist, and
“present day” man, are
mesmerizing in their
“busy-ness” and colors and enormous set
pieces. Unicyclists have carefully choreographed
their balancing act, tossing soup
bowls stacked on their heads onto their feet,
one by one, before kicking them onto each
others’ heads. Russian Bars performers leap
high into the air, flipping multiple times
before landing smoothly on 10-cm-wide
beams. Yet, perhaps the most mesmerizing
acts are the solos or duets: Trapeze artists
who flip and spin high in the air, climbing
over each other effortlessly, fearlessly. An
exhilarating performance by two roller skaters
upon a two-meter–wide drum, who act
out a “wedding” in a captivating whirlwind.
The “Crystal Lady,” who can juggle four
spinning rugs on her feet while lying down,
the “Strong Man” who can balance on a
single hand, without so much as a tremor,
or the “Love Birds” who can dangle fifty
feet in the air, the woman’s head cradled in
the hand of the man who is hanging just by
his knees—all acts are remarkable in the
feats they achieve, each talent leaving the
audience breathless and in suspension.
“Totem’s” music takes us through the
past, the costumes dazzle us with cultural
We’re trying to tell everybody’s story.
traditions and colors, each act pushes the
limits of human flexibility and strength,
and the technology flies us into the future:
evidence of evolution carries us through
the show, right up to the final bow. The
narrative and the backbone of “Totem” are
the transcendence and importance of love,
supporting one another, and continuing to
grow—together, as humankind.
“Totem” will be on at Odaiba Big Top until
June 26. See totem-jp.com for more details.
Photo: Matt Beard Costumes: Kym Barrett © 2014 Cirque du Soleil
www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016