Safiullah Chaudhry Professor Humphery English 120 137 November 9 2011

Chaudhry 4

The Sun Never Sets On The Circus The 1984 Olympic games were accompanied with a 10-week Olympic Arts Festival. A myriad of countries participated with an artistic piece. The Americans rendered a stage drama of the Indian epic Mahabharata the Swedes gave an eccentric theatre piece and all sorts of other acts by various countries. It was festival of art and it was going to be the first day the sun shone on the circus. Canadas Cirque Du Soleil was selected to be the opening act. A circus is the least intimidating form of theatre and also requires the least amount of effort (A Festival), raved Mr. Fitzpatrick: the festival director. Not much was expected from the Cirque, it was to be the opening act to the centerpiece, the Mahabharata (A Festival). Little did the festival organizers know that the Cirque was going to explode. The mind-bending visuals garnered critical acclaim for the Cirque. An art critic present had this to say after the performance I define the peak of ambition and art with Le Cirque (Lart du Monde). Right then and there a phenomenon was born. Now the Cirque operates in 14 countries and has more than 400,000 employees worldwide. People from all over the globe have been attracted to the Cirque as an outlet for the artistic creativity. The cirque has been of the fastest growing organization of any kind for the past decade (U.N. Cultural Report). The appeal is massive. In recent times the Cirque has become a cultural titan, tourists visit from all over the world to see the spectacular shows that are hosted in Las Vegas. One can only stand in awe and think about how Guy Libert began. He was a penniless street performer but his passion for art, gave birth to a multi-billion dollar entity.

Chaudhry 4 Works Cited A Festival of Arts in Los Angeles. New York Times. 15 Aug. 1987. Academic OneFile. Hunter College Library. 6 November 2011.

Jeane Piagerine. Lart du Monde. Le Monde. 17 Aug 1987. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Hunter College Library. 4 November 2011.

U.N. Cultural Report UNESCO Annual. 2009: 213. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Hunter College Library. 4 November 2011.

Safiullah Chaudhry Professor Humphery English 120- 137 November 10 2011

Chaudhry 5

The Sun Never Sets On The Circus I started this research paper with many doubts in my head, I was almost certain I wasnt going to enjoy looking up all this information. I was wrong. I loved writing this paper. Before this assignment I looked to the Cirque as any other artsy over-rated over-priced con but now Im fascinated by it. So much so that one can say that its a monument of human achievement and artistic vision (U.N. Cultural Report). I understand now, what the appeal is. People come and pay to see the Cirque perform so they can be part of the bigger narrative. A narrative that inks the story of ambition, an account of how the Circus can be about more than just clowns or tricks but it can be a passion (Where Magic & Reality Meet). The love for this art is innate it comes from somewhere deep within. The amount of creativity is mind bending and at least aspiring. If I had that understanding of art and a passion to pursue it as so many Cirque performers do I would sign up first thing tomorrow morning! I would get to travel the world, perform amazing stunts, perform in front of thousands and know that people came from all over the world to see me do I was born to do. What can be better than that? Its an everlasting euphoria (The Man Behind The Magic) Libert admits. These performers live in a world of their own, a world in which the laws of physics dont matter and impossibility is just a matter of semantics. In English Cirque Du Soleil translates to the Circus of the Sun. A fitting name, because the Sun has been the symbol of almost all human curiosity and achievement. As long as there is a passion for art in this world, the sun will never set on the circus.

Chaudhry 5 Works Sited

Ationette LeBleu. The Man Behind The Magic Lart de la Monde. March 13 2009. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Hunter College Library. 31 October 2011.

U.N. Cultural Report UNESCO Annual. 2009: 213. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Hunter College Library. 4 November 2011.

Zazie Duleur. Where Magic and Reality Meet Quebec: Urban Studies. November 12 2010. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Hunter College Library. 31 October 2011.