Cirque du Soleil is coming to Orlando this winter with its delightfully-imaginative and visually-stunning Big Top production Luzia, a waking dream of Mexico. From March 7 – 31, local audiences are invited for the first time ever under the Cirque du Soleil Big Top at The Florida Mall to escape to an imaginary Mexico – a sumptuous world suspended between dreams and reality.
In a series of grand visual surprises and breathtaking acrobatic performances, Luzia takes audiences on a surrealistic journey through a vibrant world filled with wonders, playfulness and striking artistry. Smoothly passing from an old movie set to the ocean to a smoky dance hall or an arid desert, Luzia cleverly brings to the stage multiple places, faces and sounds of Mexico taken from both tradition and modernity. Rich in awe-inspiring moments, Luzia enchants by incorporating rain into acrobatic and artistic scenes – a first for a Cirque du Soleil touring production.
With mesmerizing and refreshing acrobatic performances, Luzia brings traditional and contemporary circus disciplines to a whole new level. Cyr Wheel artists perform the unprecedented feat of rolling and spinning under the rain, while an aerialist suspended from a Trapeze flies and twirls through pouring showers. Hoop Diving is taken onto gigantic treadmills, expanding exponentially the speed and amount of daring leaps executed. Jaw-dropping highlights include a male contortionist skillfully twisting his body in the world’s most unimaginable positions, a powerful Aerial Straps specialist defying the laws of gravity at the center of a cenote (natural sinkhole), a juggler tossing seven pins at breakneck speed, and two football (soccer) freestylers deftly mixing street dance with mind-blowing ball manipulation.
Since its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil has been presenting traveling Big Top shows all around the world. The overall excitement of going to the circus, the otherworldly atmosphere of the Big Top, as well as its intimate setting elevates the Cirque du Soleil experience. Luzia is the company’s 17th show to be presented under a Big Top.
It was a pleasure to sit down with, Krzysztof Holowenko, one of the gymnasts in “Luzia” for this exclusive Hotspots Interview:
When did you start training as a gymnast?
I started when I was about 13 years old.
What was your first professional gig?
I was still competing and training while I got some offers from simple gigs, like corporate events or Stunt gigs, so it’s hard for me to remember what the first one was.
Do you have any mentors in the gymnastics world?
I wouldn’t name any of the big names that will be known to the public, but I did look up to my older colleagues in the gym. I realized what I wanted to become looking at them and seeing what they were doing. Of course I also look up to my coach, Daryusz Obrebski.
How did you get hired at Cirque and how does it feel working for the iconic Cirque Du Soleil?
I was working in Macae China in a water show in one of the casinos there. The owner of the company I was working for, Dragone Entertainment, used to direct cirque shows. When I found out Cirque was doing a new creation, with a director I loved, I had to audition, and I was so happy I was selected, it’s was and is a great feeling.
What’s the best part of traveling with Cirque?
There are lots of great things about it. I love traveling to places I would never be able to see. In addition, it is great that we get to stay in each place for many weeks, so you get to know a place which you wouldn’t as a tourist.
What’s has been your favorite city on the tour?
There has been a few. I loved Chicago last summer (thank god it wasn’t winter), and Denver and seeing the Rocky Mountains were amazing.
What should the Central Florida Audiences expect from the production of Luzia?
The show is amazing from bottom to the top. It’s a feast for all the senses. It’s beautiful visually, the music is great, and the acrobatics amazing. It really has it all that’s why it caters to all audiences from kids to adults.
Tickets for LUZIA, which begin at only $54, are available online at cirquedusoleil.com/luzia.
