"Because our days are filled with the rational, practical and expected, Cirque du Soleil exists to bring us that which has never existed. And makes us feel things we’ve never felt. Life needs folly, life needs cirque" -Cirque du Soleil
The highlight of our family trip to DC was attending Cirque du Soleil Echo. The show was in the nearby town of Tysons, Virginia. Getting there on the Metro was part of the fun. The train stopped right next to the show sight. This particular show takes place under a huge big top, which gave us the feeling we were at the circus.
The grounds of Cirque du Soleil Echo.
There was a lot to see and do while we waited for the show to begin. Of course there were things to buy...souvenirs, drinks and food. And lots of photo op places.
Our seats are the red dots on this seating photo. We Loved being up close seeing the expressions on the actors.
Our first look at the stage.
The set revolves around the mysterious CUBE that is as tall as a 2-story apartment building. At different points during the show it is dismantled, stripped, and rebuilt, scaled by animals, swung from by artists, and used as a mesmerizing projection surface. Surrounding the cube is the stage that resembles water in a lake, every interaction with the CUBE creates a unique effect that ripples into the future.
Echo a story about connection, collaboration and the power of intention. The ability to have a strong vision and put all your energy into it to make that idea come to life. The main protagonist Future is a young girl who represents the youth of today and the awareness that the youth have for what’s going on in the world. At the beginning of the show she discovers how the world is changing and the effects this change has on the world, negative or positive and then at one specific moment something happens which changes everything for her. She makes this big decision and she brings everyone together, animals and humans, to work together to rebuild our world.
Future and her companion Ewai.
The opening act blew us away. The actors were so close and it was aww inspiring.
Watching the kid's faces was just as entertaining for me.
These two were the clowns for the show. Entertaining during set changes. We truly enjoyed them.
Icarian Games...a very popular acrobatic circus act that is described as human foot juggling.
Hair Suspension Duo. The hair hang is an aerial circus act where performers are suspended by their hair, performing acrobatic poses and manipulation.
Banquine/Korean Cradle entertained us with a dizzying array of stunts. At one point we actually thought they might land on us.
The largest puppet I've ever seen. There were people inside helping it to move.
Slackwire duo. It's an acrobatic circus act that involves balancing and moving along a flexible, thin wire suspended in the air.
This flying poles act features a first-of-its-kind pole apparatus named Chrysalid that is semi-attached to the stage floor. This groundbreaking performance requires exceptional strength.
The Contortion. This act left us wondering just how he could move the way he did and left my joints aching.
The Teeterboard Act was fun to watch as they flew high in the air.
The cube filled with all the actors. It was beautiful.
More Fun Facts:
- Cirque du Soleil ECHO is the 20th Big Top creation from Cirque du Soleil and its 51st overall.
- It takes 10 projectors to cover the entire stage and the rotating CUBE–the most ever for a Cirque du Soleil Big Top show.
- At one of the most surprising points in the show, one of the CUBE’s walls supports 40 artists.
- The roof of the CUBE contains a light box with 1.68 miles of LED strips.
Dinner after the show at Founding Farmers.
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