The show creates a fantastical world that explores the whirlwind of city life, with characters dancing with each other, entering and exiting the stage and contributing to the frenzy. 'Saltimbanco,' from the Italian 'saltare in banco,' which means, 'to jump on a bench,' is Cirque's longest running touring show, having travelled to Europe, North and South America, Australia, Japan and New Zealand and now South Africa since 1992. Huge demandĬirque du Soleil is a Montreal-based travelling circus with more than 1,200 artists who have performed in almost 300 cities across the world. 'Especially in Africa, we don't have much variety in terms of circus and when there is, it's normally focused on animals,' Helberg said. 'You always hear about all these shows and we've seen them in other countries, but it's fantastic to have them here.'Ĭhristian Helberg, who works in technology, said the show was 'out of your mind' and 'long overdue.' 'It was brilliant,' Marianne Sutherland, a Johannesburg native, said after the show.

Cirque chartered another plane to transport the artists' more than 2,500 costume pieces and 250 shoes, all handmade in Montreal.

'Everywhere we go here, people say, wow, finally, this is cool,' Charbonneau said.Īfter 19 shows in Istanbul, 94 crewmembers and artists boarded a plane for South Africa, some making their first trip to the continent, Charbonneau said. In the past year the show has been performed in Budapest, Hungary and Croatia, all new countries for the company.Īfter the success of the World Cup, Cirque organizers knew it was possible to bring the circus to South Africa too, Charbonneau said.

'Performing with Cirque is an absolute dream,' said Daniel Buckland, its only South African performer, who joined the company in January, and has since performed in France, Germany, Turkey and now his home country of South Africa.Ĭirque du Soleil, renowned for creating surreal atmospheres and showing captivating and awe-inspiring stunts, is reaching out to new audiences worldwide, said the company's spokesman Maxime Charbonneau. Cirque du Soleil's opening performance of Saltimbanco in Johannesburg Wednesday marked the Montreal-based company's first-ever performance in Africa.

Cirque du soleol new orleans