Corteo Comes to Texas

Cirque du Soleil was in Austin over the weekend with one of their best-loved productions, Corteo! If you missed out in Austin, tickets are still available for multiple dates in Dallas this May. 

Corteo is a “joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown.” It makes for an enthralling and entertaining evening for the entire family! Adults and young ones alike will be delighted by the music, the stage, and of course the amazing performers Cirque du Soleil is so known for. This particular show takes the audience through a range of emotions, as it centers on a clown imagining his own funeral as a festive parade in a carnival atmosphere. 

Audience members will appreciate the unique setup of the stage. Similar to a traditional circus staging, the stage is set in the center of the arena with half of the audience on each side of the stage. No need to worry about feeling as though the performers will have their back to you, every seat in the arena has a great view and won’t miss out on a thing! 

Whether this is your first time seeing Cirque du Soleil or you’ve seen their other shows, this is truly not to be missed. The craftsmanship and dedication on and off the stage is evident, from the grandiose feel that exudes from the intricate, hand painted curtains to the amazing acrobatic feats of the acrobatic artists like David Henderson, Jr. and Joris Kondija. 

To get an idea of what it takes to put together a show like Corteo, performers require months of training for the show, with ongoing training as the show continues on tour. It takes about 6 to 9 months in the studio to prepare the show. For Corteo, the revamp post-pandemic also required 2 months training at the Cirque du Soleil headquarters in Montreal. Then the show went to the first location for 7 weeks prior to premiere night to troubleshoot and make sure everything was ready to go. 

Teeterboard Act rehearsal. Photo by Emeka Anyanwu

Henderson, who has performed with Cirque du Soleil over the last 12 years, was a professional gymnast most of his life. Wanting to continue to use his skills, he submitted a video to Cirque du Soleil and within weeks was brought in for training. He specializes in high bar and is part of the Tournik act, the closing act that includes a group of artists defying gravity in complex patterns across horizontal high bars. Kondija is newer to the tour and has been with Cirque du Soleil for the last year and a half. He also has a professional gymnastics background. It was around the age of 20 that someone asked Kondija if he had considered the possibility of transitioning from gymnastics to being an acrobatic performer, and this led to his own journey of joining Cirque du Soleil. 

Henderson and Kondija shared their thoughts on what it takes to be a part of creating these incredible experiences for audiences around the world with Cirque du Soleil. A gymnastic background would go a long way for someone interested in being an acrobatic artist, but there are other ways to be a part of the show. There’re areas some may not immediately think of like rigging, carpentry, stage management, and clowns. They advise putting in the work and making sure you really love what you do. Make sure you have a skill and work really hard to be very good in that skill. 

While some of the artists likely appreciated the physical break that came with the pandemic, like Kondija, they are likely also enamored with returning to performing on the stage as Henderson noted he is. Henderson’s favorite part of being with Cirque du Soleil is doing what he loves and sharing it with thousands of people, especially amazing people with what comes as second nature to him. Kondija noted a similar feeling, loving the intimate connection he has with the audience as a performer and seeing their reaction to the performances. This love of being on the stage and keeping the audience entertained and on the edge of their seats can be seen within all of the acts and performances and is what makes Corteo such a spectacular and moving show.

About Corteo, Henderson says, “Be ready to go through a whole array of emotions. You’ll be laughing. You’ll be crying…. The acrobatics are just going to be amazing for everybody, possibly mind-blowing…” Kondija says, “It would be hard to capture every single thing in one show. So of course, feel free to come back and watch it again, because every time you come and watch the show you might see different things that you haven’t seen the first time.”

Tickets are currently on sale to see Corteo in Dallas this May.