Cirque du Soleil returns to Dubai

Cirque du Soleil is set to return to the UAE in February to perform “Dralion” for ten nights at the Dubai World Trade Center, reported a local newspaper.

Cirque du Soleil’s last visit to Dubai four years ago saw a cast of 500 perform the spectacular show “Alegria.” The company performed more than 80 shows over two months.

The event proved to be extremely popular, leading to speculation of the circus gaining a permanent home on the Dubai Palm Jumeirah.

“Dralion,” a performance based on Eastern philosophy and the never ending quest for harmony between humans and nature, fuses the 3,000 year-old tradition of Chinese acrobatic arts with an atmosphere of enchantment.

The performance title, Dralion is derived from the dragon which symbolizes the East and the lion which symbolizes the West. It is part of Cirque du Soleil’s 12th touring production which kicked off in Canada in 1999.

Gulf News reported that Aneka Rao, a spokeswoman for Cirque du Soleil, said that “Dralion is the first Cirque du Soleil show to visit Dubai since Algeria in 2009 and Quidam in 2007.”

“Both of those were under a Big Top, so this will be our first time in Dubai in an arena,” she added.

The event organizer, Alchemy Project’s, managing director Mac S. Far said that “we are very excited to bring the biggest entertainment show in the world to Dubai, I advise the fans to buy the tickets as early as possible to avoid disappointment since this will be a sellout.”

Rao said that “every show is unique and Dralion is no exception. Audiences will feel like they are entering a distinct universe, a magical bubble where amazing things are happening all around them.”

“It’s how everything, including costumes, make-up, music, acrobatics and dance, comes together that makes a Cirque du Soleil show so awe-inspiring,” she added.

Dralion has been experienced by more than seven million people worldwide, which Rao says does not surprise her.

“Every time I see Dralion, I am blown away. There are so many details which fit together seamlessly, and there’s always something new to discover no matter how many times you see a show. One time you might notice the acrobatics, another time you might notice the costumes or the make-up, another time you’ll appreciate the dancing. There’s so much going on,” she said.

News of Cirque du Soleil returning to Dubai comes weeks after the premier of the company’s first feature film “Cirque du Soleil: World’s Away 3D” at the 9th annual Dubai International Film Festival. The film was directed by Guy Caron and produced by James Cameron best known for his work on award winning movie Avatar.

Although the film has Eastern influences Rao says that the movie was a separate project.

The company will arrive in Dubai early next month with group of more than a 100 people which includes performers, technical crew, a wardrobe team, chefs and more.