Ovo (Cirque du Soleil)
Encyclopedia
Ovo is a touring circus production by Cirque du Soleil
which premiered in Montréal
, Canada
, in 2009. Ovos creator and director, Deborah Colker
, took inspiration from the world of insect
s. The idea for Ovo was not to be about the acts, nor dancing, nor insects, but about movement. The movement of life permeates the entire show with creatures flying, leaping, bounding, and crawling. Composer Berna Ceppas brought additional life to Ovo with a score inspired by the music of Brazil
. Ovo means egg in Portuguese
and represents the underlying thread through the show. Graphically, inside the logo of Ovo, is an insect. The two O's represent the eyes and the V forms the nose.
. The Ohio River
began flooding due to heavy rains over the period of a few days. The team had been running pumps, adjusted parking, as well as the show's layout, but finally did have to cancel multiple performances (April 22 - May 1, 2011).
Ovo has the largest flying act yet undertaken by Cirque du Soleil, as of 2010. To support the act there are 80 cables which have to be installed during the performance; this requires the assistance of upwards of 40 performers and technicians. The trapeze
net itself is 3 metres (9.8 ft) off the ground and spans 30 metres (98.4 ft) in length and 15 metres (49.2 ft) in width.
The crickets have detachable legs, which are removed for the powertrack act, to give the sense of an insect with six legs. The legs also provide the illusion the cricket is oversized, aiding the spectator's illusion of being the size of an insect in this world.
Due to the rigidity of some of the costumes, most characters have two versions of their costume. The first is more lightweight and functional for their acrobatic performance. The second, on the other hand, is more richly detailed and heavier, and worn while not performing their act.
ian genres such as samba
; both the creator and music director are Brazillian. Additional texture is added by the use of sounds of insects throughout the soundtrack.
Below is a list of the tracks featured on the CD, which was released on April 13, 2010.
The following colorboxes indicate the region of each performance: North America
Québec, QC - From 30 July 2009 to 23 August 2009
Toronto, ON - From 3 September 2009 to 1 November 2009
San Francisco, CA - From 27 November 2009 to 24 January 2010
San Jose, CA - From 4 February 2010 to 21 March 2010
New York, NY - From 9 April 2010 to 6 June 2010
Hartford, CT - From 17 June 2010 to 11 July 2010
Boston, MA - From 22 July 2010 to 29 August 2010
Washington, DC - From 9 September 2010 to 24 October 2010
Atlanta, GA - From 4 November 2010 to 2 January 2011
Houston, TX - From 10 March 2011 to 10 April 2011
Cincinnati, OH - From 21 April 2011 to 15 May 2011
Minneapolis, MN - From 26 May 2011 to 19 June 2011
Chicago, IL - From 29 June 2011 to 21 August 2011
Calgary, AB - From 7 September 2011 to 9 October 2011
Mexico City, MX - From 30 October 2011 to 1 January 2012
Portland, OR - From 5 April 2012 to 13 May 2012
Brisbane, AU - Coming soon
Sydney, AU - Coming soon
Melbourne, AU - Coming soon
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
which premiered in Montréal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in 2009. Ovos creator and director, Deborah Colker
Deborah Colker
Deborah Colker is a worldwide famous Brazilian writer dancer and choreographer. She received the Lawrence Oliver Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 2001 for her choreography work on the show 'Mix'. In 2009, she directed the Cirque du Soleil production, OVO.-External links:* *...
, took inspiration from the world of insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s. The idea for Ovo was not to be about the acts, nor dancing, nor insects, but about movement. The movement of life permeates the entire show with creatures flying, leaping, bounding, and crawling. Composer Berna Ceppas brought additional life to Ovo with a score inspired by the music of Brazil
Music of Brazil
The music of Brazil encompasses various regional music styles influenced by African, European and Amerindian forms. After 500 years of history, Brazilian music developed some unique and original styles such as samba, zouk-lambada, lambada, choro, bossa nova, frevo, maracatu, MPB, sertanejo,...
. Ovo means egg in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
and represents the underlying thread through the show. Graphically, inside the logo of Ovo, is an insect. The two O's represent the eyes and the V forms the nose.
History
During late April 2011, Ovo had to cancel performances in Ohio due to flooding at Coney IslandConey Island, Cincinnati, Ohio
Coney Island is a small amusement park and waterpark located in the California neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio and Anderson Township, on the banks of the Ohio River east of Downtown Cincinnati...
. The Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
began flooding due to heavy rains over the period of a few days. The team had been running pumps, adjusted parking, as well as the show's layout, but finally did have to cancel multiple performances (April 22 - May 1, 2011).
Set and technical information
The stage and set for Ovo were designed by Gringo Cardio and utilize irregular shapes throughout. The rear wall is 19 metres (62.3 ft) wide by 8 metres (26.2 ft) high and is only supported at the sides, thus allowing the trampolines for the final act to slide into place. Inset in the wall are 24 "firefly eggs"; these are moulded fibreglass bulbs fitted with LED bulbs which can produce a full color spectrum of light. The "membranes" seen throughout the performance are quite large in scale, the largest being 24 metres (78.7 ft) wide by 17 metres (55.8 ft) high. The egg seen at the beginning of the show is inflated to the size of 8.5 metres (27.9 ft) wide by 7 metres (23 ft) high.Ovo has the largest flying act yet undertaken by Cirque du Soleil, as of 2010. To support the act there are 80 cables which have to be installed during the performance; this requires the assistance of upwards of 40 performers and technicians. The trapeze
Trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances...
net itself is 3 metres (9.8 ft) off the ground and spans 30 metres (98.4 ft) in length and 15 metres (49.2 ft) in width.
Cast
Many characters are seen throughout Ovo, three of which are the main characters. The cast of Ovo, as of its premiere, included 53 performing artists from 13 different countries.- Master Flipo: The principal character, Master Flipo, keeps everything in this chaotic world in order.
- Foreigner: The Foreigner, another principal character, is a fly from a far-away land who brings with him the mysterious ovo.
- Ladybug: The Ladybug is the third principal who brings life and joy to the world of insects, and also ends up falling for the Foreigner.
- Dragonfly: The dragonfly flits throughout the entire performance and performs the hand balancing act.
- Spiders: Four spiders provide mystery and caution throughout the show. Their acts include contortionContortionthumb|upright|Contortionist performingContortion is an unusual form of physical display which involves the dramatic bending and flexing of the human body. Contortion is often part of acrobatics and circus acts...
and slackwireSlackliningSlacklining is a practice in balance that typically uses 1 inch nylon webbing tensioned between two anchor points. Slacklining is distinct from tightrope walking in that the line is not held rigidly taut ; it is instead dynamic, stretching and bouncing like a long and narrow trampoline...
. - Fleas: Five spry fleas jump about with flashes of red and yellow as they perform acrosport.
- Ants: The ants carry kiwi and corn with them on their journey as they perform foot jugglingEquilibristicsEquilibristics is a blanket term for a number of circus skills which involve balancing or maintaining equilibrium. The term applies equally to acts in which the performer balances on a prop, and acts in which the performer balances or spins a prop....
. - Butterflies: The duo butterflies fly through the air in a Spanish webSpanish webThe Spanish web is an aerial circus skill, similar in appearance and style to corde lisse. The name refers to both the apparatus and the performance....
duo. - Firefly: The firefly flits about performing with diaboloDiaboloThe diabolo is a juggling prop consisting of a spool which is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks held one in each hand. A huge variety of tricks are possible using the sticks, string, and various body parts...
s. - Mosquito: The mosquito adds character to the performance while also being part of the powertrack, trampolineTrampoliningTrampolining is a competitive Olympic sport in which gymnasts perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. These can include simple jumps in the pike, tuck or straddle position to more complex combinations of forward or backward somersaults and twists....
, and wall act. - Scarabs: The 12 strong scarabs fly through the air twisting and spinning in the flying trapezeFlying TrapezeThe flying trapeze is a specific form of the trapeze in which a performer jumps from a platform with the trapeze so that gravity makes the trapeze swing....
act. - Crickets: The 10 crickets jump and leap about in green streaks as they do power track, trampoline, and wall.
- Creatura: A mysterious Creatura brings life to the party with his dancing.
- Cockroaches: The 9 cockroaches are seen singing and playing music throughout the entire performance.
Acts
Ovo has ten acrobatic-related acts, whereas the rest are dancing or supplemental to the storyline.- Opening
- Hand balancingHandstandA handstand is the act of supporting the body in a stable, inverted vertical position by balancing on the hands. In a basic handstand the body is held straight with arms and legs fully extended, with hands spaced approximately shoulder-width apart...
(Dragonfly) - Foot juggling and Icarian games (Ants)
- Spanish web duo (Butterflies)
- DiaboloDiaboloThe diabolo is a juggling prop consisting of a spool which is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks held one in each hand. A huge variety of tricks are possible using the sticks, string, and various body parts...
s (Firefly) - Creatura dancing (Creatura)
- Flying trapezeFlying TrapezeThe flying trapeze is a specific form of the trapeze in which a performer jumps from a platform with the trapeze so that gravity makes the trapeze swing....
(Scarabs) - ContortionContortionthumb|upright|Contortionist performingContortion is an unusual form of physical display which involves the dramatic bending and flexing of the human body. Contortion is often part of acrobatics and circus acts...
(Spiders) - Acrosport (Fleas)
- SlackwireSlackliningSlacklining is a practice in balance that typically uses 1 inch nylon webbing tensioned between two anchor points. Slacklining is distinct from tightrope walking in that the line is not held rigidly taut ; it is instead dynamic, stretching and bouncing like a long and narrow trampoline...
(Spider) - "Legs"
- PowertrackTumbling (gymnastics)In gymnastics, tumbling, also known as power tumbling is an acrobatic sporting discipline which combines some of the skills of artistic gymnastics on the floor with those of trampolining. It is practised on a 25 metre long spring track...
, TrampolineTrampoliningTrampolining is a competitive Olympic sport in which gymnasts perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. These can include simple jumps in the pike, tuck or straddle position to more complex combinations of forward or backward somersaults and twists....
, Wall (Crickets) - Banquete
Costumes
The costumes of Ovo were designed by Liz Vandal and evoke the appearance of insects. The costumes were created to have areas that appear as sections to replicate the segmented bodies of insects; this was achieved by using permanent pleating, varying finishes, and coloring methods. To also provide the illusion of exoskeletons, a mixture of fabrics were used to create both hard and soft flexible fabrics, thus providing the look of a hard shell without inhibiting the artists' movements.The crickets have detachable legs, which are removed for the powertrack act, to give the sense of an insect with six legs. The legs also provide the illusion the cricket is oversized, aiding the spectator's illusion of being the size of an insect in this world.
Due to the rigidity of some of the costumes, most characters have two versions of their costume. The first is more lightweight and functional for their acrobatic performance. The second, on the other hand, is more richly detailed and heavier, and worn while not performing their act.
Music
The show's musical influences stem primarily from BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian genres such as samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
; both the creator and music director are Brazillian. Additional texture is added by the use of sounds of insects throughout the soundtrack.
Below is a list of the tracks featured on the CD, which was released on April 13, 2010.
- Brisa Do Mar (Pre-show and opening)
- Foreigner (Cricket dance)
- Ants (Foot juggling and Icarian games)
- Cocoon (Interlude into Spanish Web Duo)
- Frevo Zumbido (Diabolos)
- Orvalho (Handbalancing)
- Carimbo da Creatura (Creatura dancing)
- Love Duet (Spanish web duo)
- Scarabee (Flying trapeze)
- Sexy Web (Contortion)
- Legs (Interlude into Power Track, Trampoline, and Wall)
- Flea Girls (Acrosport)
- Super Hero (Slackwire)
- Secret Samba Luv (Clown Act)
- Parede (Power track, trampoline, wall)
- Banquete (Banquet and Bows)
Tour
Ovo started touring in April 2009.The following colorboxes indicate the region of each performance: North America
2010 schedule
Montréal, QC - From 23 April 2009 to 19 July 2009 (show première)Québec, QC - From 30 July 2009 to 23 August 2009
Toronto, ON - From 3 September 2009 to 1 November 2009
San Francisco, CA - From 27 November 2009 to 24 January 2010
San Jose, CA - From 4 February 2010 to 21 March 2010
New York, NY - From 9 April 2010 to 6 June 2010
Hartford, CT - From 17 June 2010 to 11 July 2010
Boston, MA - From 22 July 2010 to 29 August 2010
Washington, DC - From 9 September 2010 to 24 October 2010
Atlanta, GA - From 4 November 2010 to 2 January 2011
2011 schedule
Dallas, TX - From 28 January 2011 to 27 February 2011Houston, TX - From 10 March 2011 to 10 April 2011
Cincinnati, OH - From 21 April 2011 to 15 May 2011
Minneapolis, MN - From 26 May 2011 to 19 June 2011
Chicago, IL - From 29 June 2011 to 21 August 2011
Calgary, AB - From 7 September 2011 to 9 October 2011
Mexico City, MX - From 30 October 2011 to 1 January 2012
2012 schedule
Santa Monica, CA - From 20 January 2012 to 25 March 2012Portland, OR - From 5 April 2012 to 13 May 2012
Brisbane, AU - Coming soon
Sydney, AU - Coming soon
Melbourne, AU - Coming soon