Cirque Du Soleil Biography
After deciding college wasn’t for him, the soon-to-be founder of the Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberte, set off from Canada to Europe to perform on the streets as a folk musician and fire breather. In 1979, he went back home to Canada. There he met Daniel Gautheir and Gille Ste-Croix, with whom Laliberte helped organize a summer fair. While running Le Balcon Vert, Gautheir and Gille Ste-Croix decided they wanted to turn the performers living there (for it was a performing youth hostel) into a full-time touring troupe.
more In order to get the attention of the Qubec government, Ste-Croix walked fifty-six miles to Quebec City on stilts. The publicity stunt worked and the government gave them money to get started on their project. Their first show in 1980, Les Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul, was a financial failure despite good reviews from critics. In 1981, the show finally broke even and the men were then inspired to create a summer fair in their hometown that included workshops to teach the public circus arts. In 1982, La Fete Foraine became a mild success. In honor of Jacques Cartier’s discovery of Canada and thus Quebec’s 450th anniversary the government gave the men over one million dollars to put together a celebration performance. The show was named Le Grand Tour du Cirque du Soleil and it’s still a touring success today.
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