Cirque du Soleil returns to South Florida with its delightfully imaginative and visually stunning production LUZIA, a waking dream of Mexico. Opening on February 19, audiences are invited under the famed Big Top at Gulfstream Park 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.
It was a pleasure to sit down with former performer and head coach of Luzia, Emerson, for this exclusive Hotspots interview.
At what age did you start performing?
I started performing when I was 18, as I was in a diving competition, and the coach for the US invited me to go to Austria to do a show.
When did you start taking performing seriously?
When I finished diving, I went to university and then when I graduated, I started to do acrobatics and started to take it seriously.
How did you get hired by Cirque Du Soleil and how long have you worked for them?
When I went to do a diving show I was replacing someone who was going to Cirque and that guy convinced me to do a demo and send it to Cirque and from that they hired me. I performed for Cirque for 7 years
How did the transition from performer to head coach come about?
The show I was working on was going to close and they offered me another show. However, I had an injury that I needed to take care of, and it would have been too much for me so I decided to talk to the powers at Cirque and told them I would love to keep working for them and asked if they would make me a coach. They said yes, and here I am..
Is it hard being on the road all the time?
I have been on the road for 25 years, and it is really hard as you miss a lot of your personal life.
Where is home for you?
Brazil
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Passionate, funny, and hard-working.
What do you do for fun?
I love working out, so the gym is my happy place, but I also love the outdoors, so the beach and nature is something I enjoy.
Are you excited about coming to Florida?
Yes, I am looking forward to going to the beach.
Why should our readers expect from Cirque Du Soleil’s Luzia?
The music, the colors, and the high-level acrobatics are mesmerizing. We also have an element of water in the show that is amazing.
For more information on Emerson, you can follow him on Instagram.com/emersoncirque
Tickets for the South Florida performances of LUZIA at Gulfstream Park are available at Cirquedusoleil.com/LUZIA
