The world of Cirque du Soleil is an unforgettable one. ‘Quidam’ — anonymous pedestrians in an unknown town, giant with umbrella wandering in the street corner, clown with lost child, spirit who refuses to leave its functioning body… all these in an astonishing stage unfolding the flying trapeze and fire-loop jumping.
The first Asia-based Cirque du Soleil programme is ‘ZAiA’, a strangely familiar romantic story. The word ‘ZAiA’ is derived from Greek, which means ‘life’, also self awareness and energy. It resembles another word ‘GAiA’, referring to the never-ending, conscious spirit of the Mother Earth. A young girl named Zaia dreams of traveling the space and by that rediscovers the world. ‘ZAiA’ is the infinite imagination human being holds for the universe. Dance, variety entertainers performing in the air, the show represents human’s desire to fly across the space in search of righteousness and beauty.
The crew of ‘ZAiA’ consists of over two hundred people, from twenty-two different countries. A mini United Nation may be — there are separate operations from the stage, training, rehearsal, styling, maintenance, laundry to entertainment. The chef, ever so professional, remembers culinary preference of certain members too. An original score, ‘ZAiA’ exists in a fantasy nation, in which our language (as we know it) does not exist. Apart from ‘Noi’ being in Italian, the rest of the songs are written in a self-created ‘language’ of a dream world.
Text: THINK SILLY | Translation: dilettante
Photo Courtesy: Cirque du Soleil
Update: 15 Aug 2009
