Stilt-Walkers Gather Globally For 25th Anniversary Of CIRQUE DU SOLEIL 6/16
Five years after setting the first Guinness world record for the most people simultaneously walking on stilts, Cirque du Soleil is inviting the people of Fortaleza (Brazil), Las Vegas (U.S.A.), Lisbon (Portugal), Macau (China), Montreal (Canada), Nagoya (Japan), New York (U.S.A.), Orlando (U.S.A.) and Tokyo (Japan), as well as the population of Moscow (Russia), to gather on stilts in their respective city on June 16, 2009 and help it reclaim the title.
The June 16th challenge will be a worldwide celebration of 25 years of Cirque du Soleil! Cirque has decided to mark its 25th anniversary by organizing stilt events with its employees in various cities as a symbol of its origins in the streets in the days of the Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul.
The 2004 record and beyond
In 2004, to mark its 20th anniversary in a slightly eccentric way, Cirque du Soleil set the first Guinness world record for stilt-walking with 544 employees from its International Headquarters in Montreal taking part. In 2006, a group of Japanese people beat Cirque's record with 614 stilt-walkers and, in 2008, 625 young people from Brandford, Ontario (Canada), took the title from the Japanese!
May the dream to continue...
The company is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009. From the 20 or so performers the company featured when it all began in 1984, Quebec-based Cirque du Soleil has become a leading provider of quality entertainment with 4,000 employees, including 1,000 artists who hail from some 40 different countries.
Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to almost 90 million spectators in over 200 cities on five continents. In 2009, Cirque du Soleil will be presenting 20 shows simultaneously throughout the world. Cirque du Soleil International Headquarters are based in Montreal, Canada. Cirque du Soleil has been the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Emmy, Drama Desk, Bambi, ACE, Gémeaux, Félix and Rose d'Or de Montreux.
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Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey Guild Festival Theatre (8/06-8/23) |
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Mouthpiece County Stage (7/17-8/08) |
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Mt. Joy RBC Amphitheatre (9/21-9/21) |
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Othello Stratford Festival (5/22-9/27) PHOTOS |
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Swan Lake by International Ballet Stars in London, ON Centennial Hall (3/25-3/25) |
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Shinedown & Coheed and Cambria Coca-Cola Coliseum (7/13-7/13) |
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SpongeBob the Musical Randolph Theatre (8/22-9/20) |
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The Audition Comedy Bar (9/04-9/18) |
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Sisters of '78 Theatre Aquarius (9/30-10/17) |
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SYMPHONY UNDER THE STARS Memorial Park (7/17-7/17) |