The only thing better than a Cirque du Soleil show is watching it through the eyes of a child. While your average adult admires and wows the physical feats and the true talent of the production, children are truly transformed into a place where magic rules the world and anything – absolutely anything is possible. And that’s exactly what Cirque Du Soleil Kurios Vancouver is all about.
When Cirque du Soleil announced their Vancouver show I knew I had to take my daughter. As soon as we entered the grounds we were greeted by a sign that read, “Enter here to exit reality.” and we were officially welcomed into the world of “Kurios” – place where “in order to glimpse the marvels that lie just beneath the surface, we must first learn to close our eyes.” The main character, the “Seeker” was convinced that there exists a “hidden, invisible world, a place where the craziest ideas and the grandest dreams lie waiting.” He and his friends transported us to a different era – a time with steam engines and new flying machines… “where future past a Thomas-Edison meets-jules-verne retro future.”
Butterflies In Our Tummies!
There’s nothing like the feeling of walking into the Grand Chapiteau and getting to see the stage and the set for the first time. It’s all the anxious feelings in all the right ways. I loved my daughter squeezing my hand and my mom looking at me with wide-eyed excitement.
Unveiling Of The Stage
An overload of crooked ideas and things that make you go “hmmm” – the stage was loaded with objects that had us, well, Kurios! What were these things… were they mere props, or part of the show… what did they represent and what was the story that was about to unfold.
11:09
Only a few minutes after we got to our seats, the pre-show started. And while Cirque is well known for their pre-show, they really went above and beyond with Kurios. Informal character introductions, regularly picking on guests, and flying paper aeroplanes (watch out!) kept the kids entertained and helped us all ramp up for the show.
11: 11 – Make A Wish
Do you ever make a wish at 11:11? Well, that’s exactly what the Seeker did and with that, the show had begun. Phones off – all outside responsibilities could wait – it was officially time to do what we came to do – “enter here to escape reality.”
You Won’t Believe Your Eyes
Sound cliche? Well, it’s true. There are performances that make you wonder what you’re seeing and question things you “know” are true, like the fact that gravity exists. Yet act after act Cirque had us on the edge of our seat, my daughter literally hanging over the edge, leaning in and gasping and squealing at every turn.
My Favorite Character
While it’s hard to choose favourites there was one character who really stood out to me. Formally known as the Aviator – James Gonzales showed the balancing skills of an extraordinary performer. What made him stand out so much thought was the size of his smile and his amazing energy. While it was clear that he had to perform his “rola bola” he was oozing with excitement and passion for his art. His smiled and winked at the audience, and his open laughter showed us that he was having as much fun performing as we were watching him.
All the things I won’t tell you…
I won’t tell you about each act divulge every single secret about the show. I really hope you go and see it and experience the wonder of Kurios for yourself… and to make it even better take your child with you… and remember what it’s like to believe in magic all over again! Because at Cirque.. “Reality is relevant…”
Why are the arts important to me as a mother?
Cirque Du Soleil Kurios Vancouver posed the question, “What if – by engaging our imagination and opening our minds – we could unlock the door to an entire world of wonders?”
As a world, we’re facing more challenges than ever – from political unrest to global warming to exploding populations. The future – if faced with trepidation or fear – is beyond comprehension. In order for us to come back together and find solutions for some of these problems, we are going to need to rely on creativity and exploration well beyond the norm. I feel like it will be my daughter’s generation that really embraces this outward thinking and the movement for positive change.
By exposing her to creativity, thinking WAY outside the box, questioning “reality”, and showing her how to embrace change, we can craft progressive leaders of tomorrow. And who better than to push the envelope and show us that anything is possible than the amazing performers and artists from Cirque du Soleil.
How To Get your Own Tickets
To get your own tickets to Kurios visit their website here.
Is this a sponsored post?: While Cirque Du Soleil Kurios Vancouver did invite us to attend their show, this experience and my thoughts are my own. Please note: I did ask Cirque to provide me with the show photos so that I was not breaking their rules and taking pictures during the show! (This is important as its for the safety of the performers!)
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Very well written Jami. Now I must take the kids. Do you think they are old enough? M is
6 D is almost 5.
The show is amazing and definitely caters to kids, and would make the PERFECT Christmas present. I would recommend that you get them daytime show tickets, the 8pm show is quite late for the little ones. I also recommend that you borrow one of the free booster seats that they have for guests, that helps make sure the little ones can see over the adults heads. But yes, this would be amazing!