Without net, Now streaming on Prime Videotakes us behind the scenes of OhCirque du Soleil’s permanent show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. In 2020, the pandemic shut down production entirely and Cirque du Soleil itself filed for bankruptcy. But 400 days later, it was time for the COVID “intermission” to end and Without net Follow the performers and technical staff at O’s as they prepare for the return of the relaunched show on a packed eight-week schedule. A troupe of nearly 100 people (dancers, pers, swimmers, acrobats, clowns) and hundreds of employees (2,000 costumes to clean) hone their craft in a purpose-built theater complete with a million-gallon water tank. Oh, and lots of people flying all over the place on wires. What could possibly go wrong?
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL – WITHOUT NETWORKSTREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The essence: Everyone has been buying crazy stuff during the pandemic, but for Cirque du Soleil aerialist Emma Garrovillo, buying a lollipop-shaped lyra and setting up the aerial practice device in her living room was the only way to stay sane. Without net It profiles Cirque artists such as Garrovillo, acrobat Amber Basgall, artistic swimmer Bill May and dancer Rob Knowles. Oh In 2021, activity will resume, moving from a standstill to full dress rehearsals in a matter of weeks. Their skills need warming up, in practice their coaches urge them to refocus on the required mindset, and there is always the sense of inherent risk. “Sometimes I have to stop and realise that what you’re doing is actually very dangerous,” says Basgall as she trains for an elaborate, high-flying acrobatic routine involving a boat swinging in space above their heads. Oh“It’s a huge water setting. But I love it. It’s zen to me.”
There is no narration here, no interviews with talking heads or experts on modern circus shows. Without net The documentary moves along at a steady pace, presenting the stories of the performers featured in it, many of whom were competitive athletes recruited into the ranks of Cirque du Soleil, and featuring them both at home, in their personal lives, and in the theater, where practice sessions are often as rewarding as they are tense. (The company’s chief artistic director emerges as something of a villain in the documentary, perpetually unhappy with the clarity of the company’s highly precise movements. Watch him scold a clown for improvising a new sequence.) Wearing athletic gear instead of their colorful stage makeup and elaborate costumes, it becomes clear what kind of crazy things these people do for a living — flying through the air for a partner to catch, or holding their breath underwater while pulling another swimmer out of a large tank, all with specifically timed cues.
“Please, places for the clowns, human kites, musicians and fluid effects. Emma is on the trapeze.” On the night of the show’s big return, there are nerves aplenty and determined faces under carefully applied makeup. Will the selection point for Garrovillo’s personally designed trapeze trick be effective? Will the boat crew work out their representation of a sailing boat with just the right amount of momentum required to execute her inverted leap from one pair of hands to the other? “Aquatics, send the pers to their places.” Everyone either practiced enough or they didn’t. Either way, it’s time to perform in the circus.
What movies will it remind you of? In fact, Prime Video has a full suite of Cirque du Soleil programming. Without net Unions Flowa 2023 documentary in tribute to the artists of Ohand there are also full Cirque shows available to stream, such as Worlds apart since 2012.
Performance worth watching: “Shit, I didn’t think I had it in me!” The artists profiled in Without net They tend to be humble when it comes to their craft, quietly dedicated to always improving. And then you see acrobat Amber Basgall, seated, ascend a rope in about three seconds, with her legs at ninety degrees the entire time. The levels of strength and technical skills on display throughout the documentary are astonishing.
Memorable dialogue: With just a week to go until the show’s return, senior artistic director Pierre Parisien is still unhappy with the cast’s rehearsals. “We’re now at the phase where we need to execute it. Is it at the level it should be? No, not yet. Because for me, it’s not organic yet. And for that, they need to do that.”
Sex and skin: Not really. Artistic swimmers in their suits, acrobats in tight-fitting outfits, shirtless fire dancers… Without net frames artists at work with an appreciation of the human form.
Our opinion: It’s Summer Olympic season, so inpidual competitions at the world level are once again the topic of conversation. And elite performance is also on display. Without neta documentary that is at its best when spending quality time with Cirque du Soleil performers as they strive to reach ever higher levels of precision, power and grace. In an interview, one per explains how his discipline comes relatively easy to him after having practiced it thousands upon thousands of times. But that doesn’t diminish how crazy it is to watch him drop like a bullet from the top of the rafters of the Bellagio’s O Theatre and pierce the surface of the million-gallon tank below. It might as well be an Olympic event, and he does it twice a night in front of thousands of people. But since our anticipation is not tied to whether or not the performer will win a medal, we can enjoy such feats in Without net From a more personal perspective. We’re not just watching the moment of the competition. We saw all the sweat and effort it took to put on the performance. We’re interested in how a Cirque acrobat will land well, because she’s already shown us the X-rays from her eight surgeries. “Injuries from my trade.” In the end, Without net It’s inspiring, because who among us doesn’t worry about achieving a successful landing every day?
Our calling: PASS IT ON. Cirque du Soleil: Without a Net It’s a post-pandemic story that has brought us many benefits after a difficult time for everyone. And with the level of access to the work of these artists and performers, it sometimes feels like we’re the ones who are about to grab that trapeze or fly unrestricted through the air.
Johnny Loftus (@glennganges) is a freelance writer and editor based in Chicago. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.
