Flying Through the Air

I just turned on the TV to get a little down time this evening, and what is on but Wall-E, one of my favorite recent Disney/Pixar flicks. I simply adore how Wall-E introduces himself to all of the other robots and slowly "wakes up" the humans on the ship. When he and Eve fly through space, it is like magic, and it makes me so happy :)

This coming weekend, I will get to witness some flying similar to Wall-E's in person, because I am getting to attend my first ever Cirque du Soleil show here in Atlanta!! 

The dress rehearsal for Cirque du Soleil's TOTEM at Atlantic Station, 2012.
Credit: Pouya Dianat/Allied Integrated Marketing/Cirque du Soleil

Here's a little bit about the show, TOTEM:

TOTEM traces the fascinating journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. The characters evolve on a stage evoking a giant turtle, the symbol of origin for many ancient civilizations.

Inspired by many founding myths, TOTEM illustrates, through a visual and acrobatic language, the evolutionary progress of species. Somewhere between science and legend TOTEM explores the ties that bind Man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential.

Fun! I have heard that the Cirque du Soleil shows are always a creative experience, and it sounds like this one will be no exception. This show world-premiered in Montreal in 2010, and has been traveling the world ever since. This TOTEM “hybrid show” is the first Cirque du Soleil Big Top show to be created in such a way that it can be adapted to the reality of arenas and other venues from the very outset.

Anyone driving by Atlantic Station when Cirque du Soleil is in town can't help but notice the show site off to the right of the stores. Their mobile village includes the distinguishable blue and yellow Grand Chapiteau (or Big Top, which can seat 2,600!), an artistic tent, box office, kitchen, school, offices, warehouses and more. Completely self-sufficient for electrical power, the site relies only on a local water supply and telecommunication facilities to support its infrastructure.

The dress rehearsal for Cirque du Soleil's TOTEM at Atlantic Station, 2012.
Credit: Pouya Dianat/Allied Integrated Marketing/Cirque du Soleil

Every time Cirque du Soleil has come to Atlanta in the past, I seem to miss it. One thing leads to another, time flies past and their big yellow and blue tents at Atlantic Station come down before I know it. This year, that isn't going to happen! We are having a special date night out on Friday before the busy holiday season begins and I can barely wait.

You, too, can check out the show this year, which will be in town until Sunday, December 30, 2012. What's more, due to popular demand, six performances have been added to the Atlanta engagement; 8 pm performances on December 19, 20, 26 and 27 as well as 4 pm performances on December 21 and 28.

I will be back next week with a bit more about the show, including what we learn on a behind the scenes tour! In the meantime, grab up tickets, if you haven't already, and I will see you under the Big Top!

About Cirque du Soleil
From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 artists from close to 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities in over forty countries on six continents. Cirque du Soleil International Headquarters are in Montreal, Canada. For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

Disclaimer: I have been provided a pair of press tickets for this weekend's show, however, all opinions are my own.