ASTANA – The world-famous Cirque du Soleil has prepared the exclusive REFLEKT show based on nomadic culture for EXPO 2017. A seven-minute portion, created by the team 45 DEGREES of Cirque du Soleil, was presented to journalists.
The mythical story reflects the idea of renewable energy sources and the desire of humankind for the future. The main character is Arman, an archaeologist who reveals the miracles of the seven elements of Kazakh culture: happiness and fortune, wisdom and prosperity, speed, growth and blessing. This role is based on the image of the Golden Man. Arman means “a dream” in Kazakh.
“We have developed a cultural and entertainment programme to demonstrate the diversity of Kazakhstan’s culture. Our orchestras, creative groups and our pop singers are thoroughly represented,” said Astana EXPO 2017 national company’s director of content and event organisation Marat Omarov.
Cirque du Soleil is including elements of Kazakh culture in its performance for the first time. The programme contains national ornaments tied to costumes, national dance choreography and a national instrument.
“The dombra will also be in musical accompaniment along with classical instruments. All the costumes of the artists will feature Kazakh ornaments. The Golden Man, archaeologist and golden eagle are the main characters. We are going to demonstrate the biggest show-jump with 38 participants. It is one of the interesting parts of the show and lasts seven minutes,” said REFLEKT general director Bernard Poyry.
According to Cirque du Soleil representatives, REFLEKT will only be presented in Kazakhstan. Nearly two years were devoted to the design of the programme and its numbers have not yet been presented to the public. Noiseless motorcycles also will be used for the first time.
The organisation of the show involves approximately 120 people, but only about 80 individuals will be performing for three months. The specially-created 75-minute performance will be shown 71 times from June 16-Sept. 9 in a separate circus pavilion on the expo grounds.
Cirque du Soleil, the largest theatrical entertainment producer in the world, was founded in Canada in 1984 by former street performers Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix. Each show, with its own central theme and storyline, is a synthesis of circus styles from around the world.
