You will either love La Nouba by Cirque Du Soleil, or you will hate it. Since I’ve never seen any of the other productions for Cirque Du Soleil, I have nothing to compare it to. So personally, I loved it! I haven’t been to a circus since I was 5 years old, but let me tell you, this isn’t your ordinary circus. You will find the clowns, the flying trapeze act, the high wire act, cyclist, acrobats and much, much more. But don’t expect to see lions, tigers, elephants and bears. This circus production doesn’t have animals. It’s more like a theatrical production, with extremely talented people performing daring feats and acrobatics, to some of the most haunting and memorable music I’ve ever heard. The combination of music, scenery , lighting and the performances, was mesmerizing and totally captivating.
La Nouba had my attention from beginning to end. It’s funny, it’s breath-taking and it’s fast paced. The auditorium has stadium seating, that forms a semi-circle around the stage. Everyone can see, and won’t have to strain to look over someone’s head. The story line of La Nouba is about the meeting of two worlds. The urbanites and the circus people. During this meeting, you are taken to a world of fantasy, whimsy and comedy. A world filled with amazing acts of strength and balance. A world filled with dazzling lights, fabulous costumes and brilliant music.
The clowns at La Nouba are not your ordinary, Ringling Brothers circus type clowns, but they are still funny, and seem to fit into the flow of the performances, by silently commenting on each of the acts that come on stage. The Flying Trapeze, the HighWire and the Balancing Chairs are standard acts for most circuses, and even though I loved them, there were other acts I loved more. The Aerial Ballet in silk took my breath away. There are men and women twirling in yards and yards of colorful silk, doing their tumbling act. The part I liked most was the man, twirled in silk, flying out over the audience. I’m sure there were a few people wishing it was them up there.
I liked the Bicycle act and all their stunts, and it is fast paced and exciting, but I leaned more toward the German Wheel. Two men, spread eagled in huge wheels. Rolling around the stage, but stopping just short of the edge. The act is beautiful and graceful. Not to mention, colorful. I loved their costumes. The Aerial Cradle is nice, but I was simply amazed by the coordination, balance, syncronization and flexibility of Diabolos (the Chinese Yo-Yo). These girls were tiny and adorable, but knew what they were doing. This is a wonderful act.
Believe it or not, my favorite act in the entire show is the Power Track Trampoline. It’s name means exactly what it implies. Trampolines set in an “x” shaped power track in the floor. This is what my dreams are made of. Jumping and flying high. Tumbling in mid-air, and landing, only to do it again and again. Their coordination was out-of-this-world. It was stunning. It was incredible. There were also huge colored boxes placed around a multi-windowed house, that hide other trampolines. The performers used these to jump up and through the windows of the house. They weren’t smiling, but I bet they were enjoying themselves. It takes a lot of agility, flexibility, strength and balance, and these performers have it all.
La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil, feeds the imagination, with its’ surreal intensity, the magical lighting, live music and riveting acts. It captivates you, and won’t let you go until the very last act. This is something the entire family should experience. Only then will you appreciate what I’m trying to relay. Words can’t really describe the feel and excitement of actually being there. I highly recommend people see La Nouba for themselves, then form their own opinion.
La Nouba was created especially for Walt Disney World, and is one of only a few stationary Cirque du Soleils in the world. They perform Tuesday through Saturday, with a show at 6:00 p.m. and one at 9:00 p.m. There are three price categories, and the price you pay depends on the category you choose. My friends and I sat in the center, second row…and strained our necks looking up at some of the acts. Just a word of caution, the first and second rows aren’t necessarily the best. Also be prepared to pay for children as young as three years old, and try to arrive at least 30 minutes before the show begins. There is usually a 15 minute pre-show act with the clowns, and trust me, unless you really want to be part of their act, by coming in late, you should try to be on time. The performance itself is 90 minutes long. Take a look at the web site in additional resources to see what you’ll be getting.
