Canadian acrobatic troupe Cirque du Soleil, created in 1984 and now performing in all corners of the world, is celebrating its silver anniversary with the launch of its 25th show "Ovo," about insects.
Launched in April under its iconic blue and yellow big top in the Old Port neighbourhood of Montreal, this latest Cirque creation delves into a world "teeming with insects," and shaken by the sudden arrival of a mysterious egg.
It is to move to Quebec City next month, then to Toronto in September, followed by dates abroad.
The circus company, with 19 travelling and permanent shows now playing, sold 11 million tickets worldwide last year and has brought wonder and delight to almost 90 million spectators in over 200 cities on five continents since 1984.
What started as a ragtag group of 20 street performers has blossomed into a global entertainment empire with an estimated net worth of three billion dollars and 4,000 employees in 40 countries.
Founded by former fire-eater Guy Laliberte, whose idea to transform circus acrobatics into sensational, plot-driven theatre has revolutionized this sector of the entertainment industry, it has however always remained true to its roots.
In "Ovo," 53 acrobats mimic for an hour and a half the colourful and strange arthropods in this day-in-the-life-of-bugs story that sees a love affair unfold between a "gawky, quirky insect" and a ladybug.
Costume designer Liz Vandal relied on her childhood experiences, petting caterpillars, letting butterflies into her parents' house, and sneaking up on insects under rocks in the yard, for inspiration.
Throughout, beetles dance on trapezes, jugglers imitate the march of ants, and acrobats hang from ceiling ropes, depicting one spider courting another.
"We stayed as close as possible to the insect theme in our choice of performances, recoveries, contortions, longitudes and repetitions," Chantal Tremblay, the show's creator, said.
Directed by Brazilian choreographer Deborah Colker, the new show moves at a steady pace, set by the drum beats of Samba ballroom dancing and jazzy Bossa Nova.
The performers originate from no less than 13 countries - a nod to Cirque du Soleil's tireless worldwide search for talent. Chinese, Russian, American, Canadian or Belgian - 40 nationalities in all are represented among the Montreal-based company's total 1,000 artists.
Performers travel with physiotherapists, masseuses, and even school teachers for the youngest acrobats to ensure they get an education between somersaults and high-wire acts.
"We stay at nice hotels now instead of sleeping in our caravans," Tremblay commented. "But we maintained our original street performer attitude."
From Auckland to Zurich, Cirque du Soleil has travelled the world over, setting up its big tops in vacant city lots for weeks at a time, as well as permanent installations in Las Vegas, Florida's Walt Disney World, and next year in Dubai.
In the same way the biggest clothing labels have set up shops in the greatest cities to market their wares, Cirque du Soleil has set up permanent shows in most major entertainment hotspots. This strategy is what helped make Cirque's Laliberte a billionaire, according to Laurent Lapierre, a professor at Montreal's HEC business school.