Amaluna

Amaluna
Company	Cirque du Soleil
Genre	Contemporary circus
Show type	Touring show
Date of premiere	April 19, 2012
Creative team
Director of creation	Fernand Rainville
Director	Diane Paulus
Set and props designer	Scott Pask
Costume designer	Mérédith Caron
Composers	Guy Dubuc Marc Lessard
Sound designer	Jacques Boucher
Lighting designer	Matthieu Larivée
Choreographers	Karole Armitage Debra Brown
Acrobatic choreographer	Caitlan Maggs
Acrobatic and rigging designer	Fred Gérard
Props designer	Patricia Ruel
Makeup designer	Eleni Uranis
Dramaturge	Randy Weiner
Other information
Preceded by	Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour (2011)
Succeeded by	TBA
Official website

Amaluna is a touring show by Cirque du Soleil which premiered in Montréal, Canada, on April 19, 2012. It is created and directed by Diane Paulus.^[1][2] The story takes place on an island governed by goddesses. During a storm, a group of men are washed up on shore. The queen's daughter falls for one of the young men, and the trials of their love are the elements composing this production.^[3]

The title, Amaluna, is the combination of two separate words. "Ama" which refers to mother in many languages, and "luna" which means moon. The moon is a symbol of femininity, which is part of the reason it was chosen for this production.^[4]

Set and technical information

Scott Pask created a set that was inspired by nature; utilizing branches resembling bamboo that both frame and the set and reach out to the audience. The set is open yet immersive at the same time. This is attributed to the towering trees near the edge of the center stage and the lower, more dense flora further upstage. The trees themselves were not treated to look like actual wood, yet are natural and remain hand-crafted while still evoking the natural sense of nature.^[5]

Color is a strong component seen throughout the stage. The primary colors of this motif are those found in peacock feathers. Lighting is used to create a sense of danger and heightened awareness. This is done by the use of various lighting styles and using the set to cast shadows.^[5]

The center stage in Amaluna has a mechanism allowing it to revolve. Similarly, the carousel suspended above the stage has this capability as well. The set design has very few moving parts, other than those previously stated, and has no visual effects. This decision allows for greater attention to the performers.^[5]

• There are 174 branches in 534 sections (90 in the canopy and 84 upstage) making a total of 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi).
• There are three models of branches in the canopy and 35 in the upstage.
• The 25-foot (7.6 m) diameter carousel weighs 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg).
• The grid weighs 8,600 pounds (3,900 kg) and includes three acrobatic winches, each able to lift loads up to 400 pounds (180 kg) at 10 feet (3.0 m) per second.
• The acrobatic winch in the centre of the carousel can lift up to 1,000 pounds (450 kg) at 10 feet (3.0 m) per second.
• The waterbowl is 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) tall, 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m) in diameter, and weighs 5,500 pounds (2,500 kg) when filled with water.

Music

The overall sound of the music in Amaluna is contemporary, which can be seen with the use of guitars. Bass, drums, cello, vocals, keyboards, and percussion support the guitars in delivering a direct music without embellishment. Amaluna is the first Cirque du Soleil show with an all-female group of musicians.^[6]

Tour

Amaluna begins its grand chapiteau tour in North America.^[7][8]

The following colorboxes indicate the region of each performance:   EU   Europe   NA   North America

Grand Chapiteau tour

2012 schedule

References

External links

• Official site