What do you get when you cross a shiny canary yellow ball gown, cinematic shadow animation, a rubber beast mask and an aerial dance harness?
That would be Duo Rêves' cirque interpretation of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.
This particular show remains a favorite of our productions, and we built the original for an enterprise based in Richmond, B.C. Incidentally, we think Belle looks pretty cool with tattoos.
For our second invitation to entertain for the company's annual awards ceremony, the theme was chosen by the client. Being the fairy tale enthusiasts that we are, we were thrilled to hear that we were to play Belle and her Beast. And so we got to work.
Logistically, our live performances were limited. We had a very narrow stage that was shared with a speaker podium, a low ceiling, and those fantastic, yet cumbersome costumes.
But we didn't let any of that stop us from putting on a great aerial show.
We opted for showcasing our filmmaking chops with some serious shadow animation art that was projected overhead, interspersed with live numbers performed on that skinny stage.
The live performances included Quynbi's ethereal aerial gem number and Eric's daring straps act. These we wove in to the story during parts where Belle was still in her iconic blue and white frock, and before the prince's fated curse.
We both agree...creating shadow theater together is a blast. We start with the narrative and distill its essence into the shadows.
Storytelling minus light is a challenge and a thrill. With skilled players, advanced shadow technique and a healthy dose of artistic vision, the result is always a crowd-pleaser.
Check out this shadow reel we made for the show, featuring the prince and a practitioner of mischief:
The presentation came to an enchanted conclusion with a charming sky waltz between the beast prince and the princess. The show, accompanied by a custom soundtrack composed by Duo Rêves, ended right on time.
There is talk of expanding this Beauty and the Beast show to include a full video you can watch in the comfort of your own home, as we did with our full cruise ship show we call Into the Dreaming.
Are you interested in enjoying our live shows for your very own special event? Contact us to find out more. We love to get mail!
