Cirque du Soleil in Istanbul
World-famous Canadian circus entertainment company Cirque du Soleil will come to Istanbul for 10 shows in February to perform ‘Saltimbanco, one of the company’s most famous and longest running productions.
With a fascinating combination of modern dance and acrobatics, Cirque du Soleil will meet Istanbul audience in February.
“We will host Cirque du Soleil, which has been traveling the world for 30 years, in Istanbul soon. It is a legendary company with unique music, dances and stage shows. It has an extraordinary performance challenging gravity,” Akbank Deputy General Director Hakan Binbaşgil said at a press conference last week to promote the show.
Organized by Pozitif under the main sponsorship of Akbank, the legendary Canadian group will be on stage at Istanbul’s Abdi İpekçi Arena between Feb. 19 and March 4 for 10 shows.
With a fascinating combination of modern dance and acrobatics, Cirque du Soleil has reached millions of viewers on five continents in a number of major performance halls and at a number of events, including the Academy Awards.
For the Istanbul dates, the company will perform “Saltimbanco,” one of its most famous and longest-running shows. Saltimbanco -from the Italian “saltare in banco”, which literally means “to jump on a bench”-explores the urban experience in all its myriad forms: the people who live there, their idiosyncrasies and likenesses, families and groups, the hustle and bustle of the street and the towering heights of skyscrapers. Between whirlwind and lull, prowess and poetry, Saltimbanco takes spectators on an allegorical and acrobatic journey into the heart of the city.
Saltimbanco is a Cirque du Soleil signature show inspired by the urban fabric of the metropolis and its colorful inhabitants. Decidedly baroque in its visual vocabulary, the show’s eclectic cast of characters draws spectators into a fanciful, dreamlike world, an imaginary city where diversity is a cause for hope.
Cirque Du Soleil creator Guy Laliberte defines Saltimbanco as “the celebration of life itself.” The show has eight creative forces, namely acrobatic performances, acting, art forms from around the world, the imaginary world, dance, daring, dexterity and grace.
With a cast of 50 high-caliber artists hailing from 20 different countries, Saltimbanco features breathtaking acrobatics and unbelievable athleticism during solo spotlights and epic ensembles. Technical expertise and extravagant design are woven together by uplifting, spectacular costumes, amazing lighting, humor and enchanting music and magic.
Pozitif Executive Board Chairman Cem Yegül said they had been trying to bring the company to Turkey for a long time and had finally succeeded in doing so.
Ticket prices for the show range between 50 and 150 Turkish Liras while there is a 20 percent reduction for the first 1,000 tickets bought with an Akbank credit card. Tickets are available at Biletix.
