From July 22^nd to Sep 5^th 2010, Kooza will wow audiences under the Grand Chapiteau at Concord Place. With a performance that goes back to the roots of Cirque du Soleil highlighting their mastery of clowning and acrobatics, and with an emphasis on the human body and humour, the show will delight the whole family.

The name “Kooza” is inspired by the Sanskrit word “koza” which means “box,” “chest,” or “treasure,” and it was chosen because one of the concepts of the production is a “circus in a box.” Writer and director David Shiner says that “Kooza is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad.” He explains that “The tone is fun and funny, light and open. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s very much about ideas, too. As it evolves we are exploring concepts such as fear, identity, recognition and power.”

The story follows a character called The Innocent as he is led on a journey of discovery by The Trickster. The Innocent comes into contact with a variety of comic characters such as the King, the Heimloss, the Pickpocket, the Obnoxious Tourist, and his Bad Dog. “The show is very, very funny. The audience will be on the edge of their seats the entire show,” says Emilie Nadeau, a representative of Cirque du Soleil. Fifty-six performers from sixteen countries are involved in the production. “The world is on stage here, says Nadeau, “they are the best in the world and they love what they do.”

It takes about two years from the time someone has an idea for a new Cirque show to the time it is ready to be performed. “They draw it out on paper, then look for the talent – it takes time and it’s hard work. We always want to make something completely different than we’ve done before,” explains Nadeau, “I think that’s what makes Cirque du Soleil successful: you can’t say ‘Oh, I’ve seen Cirque” because it’s always different every time.”

Cirque du Soleil began in 1984 in Quebec and has grown from a group of 20 street performers to an internationally renowned entertainment organization. They have 5,000 employees, including over 1,200 artists, from nearly fifty different countries. Almost 100 million people have seen a Cirque show, and in 2010 they will present twenty-one different shows simultaneously throughout the world. Their mission is to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses, and evoke the emotions of people around the world.

Kooza premiered in 2007 in Montreal and has been touring North America since then. The show will travel to Calgary and Miami before heading to Japan at the end of the year.

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