Today we’re giving away 4 tickets to Cirque du Soleil TORUK- The First Flight (read to the bottom to enter to win), but first I thought I’d share what Cirque means to Rob and I.
When I think back to when The Hubs and I first started “dating”, I often tell friends “We never really dated. We were friends for 2 years, then we realized we were in love and basically started acting like we were married.” It’s true. My husband never really needed to try to “woo” me, to impress me, to make me fall for him hook line and sinker. He had me, from the very moment he told me that he had feelings for me and that I was the one he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with.
While we never traditionally “dated”, one activity that we loved to do with each other, from early on in our relationship, was to attend Cirque du Soleil whenever it came to town. I still remember the feeling of anticipation the first time Rob and I walked, hand in hand, up to the gates of the Grande Chapiteau to see Alegria! We had gotten “front of the line” access for purchasing our tickets through our credit card company and managed to snag second row tickets. I had watched Cirque du Soleil on TV before and had some idea what to expect, but seeing it in person, happening right above your head was mind blowing. I confess that I had tears streaming down my face for the first half of the show. It felt surreal to me to be sitting their in the audience.
After that, Cirque became our thing. All year long, we would wait in anticipation for the announcement of what show was coming to Vancouver next. We would gush to anyone who would listen, about how much we loved Cirque du Soleil and encourage them to do whatever they could to attend a show the next time it came to a city near them. One year we even treated my parents and sister to a show in Seattle for their Christmas present.
Spending an evening, surrounded by such profound creativity inspired us. It left us feeling recharged and like we were a part of something amazing.
I still remember the first Cirque de Soleil show we brought my daughter to. She was 2 years old and sat on my lap. We questioned beforehand if she was old enough to attend, but she was a very well behaved child and we were so excited to share the show with her. We talked to her about it for days in the lead up. Sharing YouTube videos, describing the colors, sites and sounds. As the show was about to begin, the lights dimmed in the Grand Chapiteau, and the audience fell to a hush. You could have heard a pin drop. Suddenly my precious 2 year old daughter shouted “Hooray!”, the audience started laughing, and at that exact moment the stage lights came on and the show began. My husband and I looked into each other’s eyes, beaming that this was an experience we got to share with our daughter.
Later my daughter saw her second Cirque du Soleil show, sitting on her Popa’s lap, sitting right next to the stage. She clapped her hands and laughed out loud, eyes wide with wonder taking in the sights and sounds. I like to think that going to Cirque from such a young age had a small impact on the creative individual that she is today.
Since my son was born, we haven’t attended any more Cirque du Soleil shows. He’s proven to be a bit more of a handful than my daughter, and it didn’t seem fair to leave him out of an experience that is so special to our family. This year is the year though! My family is so excited to be going to see TORUK- The First Flight this December.
Inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar, and narrated by a “Na’vi Storyteller, TORUK- The First Flight is a mythical tale set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film Avatar, before humans ever set foot in Pandora.
Cirque du Soleil has a great way for parents to let their kids experience the magic of Cirque– The Family Four Pack. This ticket option gives you two adult tickets and two children’s tickets and saves you $10 off the price of each ticket.
My kids are so excited to attend. The show looks like it will be spectacular with 40 artists in the cast – 1 actor, 1 singer, 1 percussionist, 1 kite specialist, 1 boomerang specialist, 1 contortionist, 6 puppeteers, and 28 acrobats. The show also uses 16 puppets to represent the creatures of Pandora: six Viperwolves, three Direhorses, three Austrapedes, one Turtapede, two swarms of Woodsprites, and one Toruk. The Toruk has a wingspan of 40 feet and weighs 250 pounds!
All of this magic needs a mighty big stage! The stage for TORUK is a whopping 15000 square feet!
Want to see the show as much as my family does? We’re giving away 4 tickets to see the show in Vancouver! Enter below to win!
Dilara Litonjua says
What made you decide to join Cirque du Soleil? Any regrets?
Andrea D says
I would love to know how long it takes to do their make up!
Maryanne says
How long do you train on a daily basis?
Jennifer P. says
I would love to know at what age they got started in this field, and when they knew this would be a career path they could pursue?
Brandee says
What advice would you give to someone who wants to persue a career as an aerialist? What training did you find most helpful during your journey?
Linda says
How much training do you do a day to keep fit for the shows?
Victoria Ess says
I would ask them how they came to decide that this was the career path for them.
jan says
While they’d always need to be cautious, does it ever get to the point where they are so comfortable with a show that there is zero ‘fear’.
Nicole says
How many hours do you practice / train a day?
Darren Scrubb says
Cool looking event that will be great to check out during the Holidays.