The fascinating history of Cirque du Soleil

Who is Guy Laliberté ? - At the age of 18, the young Quebec man dreamed of an international career. He left his family home and decided to move to Europe and work as a travelling musician.
In November of 2010, he became the third person from Quebec to have their name engraved on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

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Laliberté, the fire breather - While travelling in Europe, Guy Laliberté learned the craft of fire-breathing. In 1979, he returned to Canada and briefly worked in a power plant before dedicating himself fully to street art.

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The first troupe: Les Échassiers - In 1979, he helped organize a festival in his hometown.

Wanting to highlight his talents and projects, together with artists from Sainte-Croix he walked 90 km on stilts.

The street troupe of Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul received funding from the government and the small company became the basis for Cirque.

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Laliberté finds inspiration in Hawaii - Despite the early success, the young troupe found itself not doing too well financially. Laliberté spent a winter in Hawaii. His partner, Ste-Croix, remained in Quebec to develop a non-profit organization, Le Club des Talons Hauts (The High Heels Club).

The following summer, the troupe embarked on a new tour, and the financials were better.

Le Club des Talons Hauts then presented a show of stilts on ice skates during half-time at a hockey game. Their first summer festival was held in 1982 in Baie-Saint-Paul.

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A festival inspired by Europe - The festival was called The Funfair. Its atmosphere was inspired by European medieval festivals. It was a great success.

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René Lévesque offers $1.5 million CAD - Taking advantage of the good press and the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the arrival of Jacques Cartier in Quebec, Le Club des Talons Hauts asked for government funds to create a new circus. The province provided $1.5 million to carry out their project.

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1984: the birth of Cirque du Soleil - Cirque du Soleil is born in 1984. Guy Laliberté came up with the name of the troupe and the logo after watching a sunset in Hawaii, which he saw as a symbol of the energy of youth.

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32 shows - Cirque du Soleil has created a total of 32 shows, 18 of which are currently being performed around the world.

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A circus without animals - What makes Cirque du Soleil unique is its staging, its magical scenery, its enchanting costumes, and the absence of animals.

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The 74th Academy Awards in 2002 - Cirque performed at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002.

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Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour - Cirque du Soleil also has shows in residence around the world. In 2011, choreographer Jamie King staged 'The Immortal World Tour,' a show in tribute to Michael Jackson. It was showcased in Las Vegas and then replaced by a new show entitled 'Michael Jackson One.'

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The Beatles' 'Love' since 2006 - Continuing with the theme of shows that pay tribute to musicians, 'Love' is about The Beatles and is also performed in Las Vegas.

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Their own orchestra - Cirque du Soleil delivers world-class music. Not only does it have original and unique shows, the company has its own orchestra and its own musical productions.

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Their own label - Nâga Productions was the company's music label. 'Fanfafonie 45,' a vinyl record with two songs, came out in 1985. In 1992, they signed a contract with label RCA Victor. They finally created their own musical brand called Cirque du Soleil Records/Musique in 2002, and then created their own label in 2004.

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Cinematography - Cirque du Soleil is a big production company. They produced movies of their performances, first on VHS, then on DVD, and today Cirque also has three films designed for IMAX theatres.

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Cirque's catalogue - Sony wasn't able to resist the talents of the Quebec company either. In 1999, Cirque du Soleil signed a partnership deal with Sony Home Entertainment, which made its entire catalogue available.

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International awards - Several Cirque du Soleil productions have also been awarded international prizes. In 1989, the troupe received an Emmy Award and a CableAce Award.

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Cirque du Soleil... media - In 2012, Cirque created a joint venture with Canadian giant Bell Media. It is called Cirque du Soleil Media.

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James Cameron - James Cameron produced the company's first 3D feature film.

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Circus of the world - In 1995, Cirque du Soleil launched a social circus program for youth. It aims to introduce the circus to the poorest countries in the world. Classes are taught by circus employees in locations including Rio de Janeiro.

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A theme park in Mexico - In 2014, Cirque du Soleil made plans to open a theme park in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico called Cirque du Soleil Theme Park Resort. The opening is scheduled for mid-2019. It will be divided into two areas: the Village of the Sun and the Village of the Moon. Of course, an evening outdoor show is planned, as is a water park.

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'La Nouba' ends - 'La Nouba,' Cirque du Soleil's show in residence at Disney World for almost 20 years, ended its run on December 31, 2017.

In residence since 1998, there were more than 8,500 performances of the show.

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Back to 1984 - Cirque du Soleil was founded in 1984 by performance artists Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix.

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Baie-Saint-Paul - Guy Laliberté is from Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, situated in the region of Charlevoix. This is where Cirque du Soleil was founded.

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