Story By Erin Gutzwiller
Acrobats, dancers, and musicians are all a part of the contemporary circus known as Cirque du Soleil. This entertainment domain was founded in 1984 in Baie-Saint-Paul by two street performers and has grown rapidly throughout the world.
Cirque du Soleil Saltimbanco is in Charlottesville through Saturday night as it continues a year-long tour of North America.
I had a chance to meet with members of the troupe earlier this week, including Ryan Stephenson, a 22-year-old member who has been with Cirque since November. Originally from Canada, Stephenson has been involved in power tumbling since the age of 8 and always dreamed of touring with Cirque Du Soleil.
He was recruited from Team Canada by scouts and joined the group.
Stephenson says that the hardest part of touring is constantly “living out of a suitcase,” but he has no regrets about joining the company.
To purchase tickets to Cirque Du Soleil shows visit the company’s website at www.cirquedusoleil.com.
Erin Gutzwiller is an intern at Augusta Free Press.
