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All set to ‘wow’ Dubai

A TEAM OF Canadian performers will add an air of whimsy and wonder to the opening night of DIFF tonight.

The Circo de Bakuza is in Dubai for the first time, although its representatives remain tight-lipped as to what’s in store for the performance, the company’s first of five private shows during DIFF.

“To say we’re excited to be here is an understatement,” said Caterina Lo Mascolo, spokesperson for the Circo de Bakuza. “We’re ecstatic, because we’ve almost been given carte blanche for the creative aspect. Everything you will see here has been created specifically for the film festival.”

Co-producing the event with the Circo de Bakuza is Dubai-based creative communication and experience agency Aya, which sources creative talent from North America.

The Circo de Bakuza began on the streets of Montreal 10 years ago, with a network of between 15 and 20 performers.

“It was a young team that wanted to put on a show, make people laugh and have a good time,” added Caterina. “Slowly but surely it became an international company, working in Russia, New York, Paris and now Dubai.”

The creative agency uses a “family” of performers, many of whom are trained by the world-famous Cirque du Soleil.

“We take risks,” Caterina continued. “It’s about thinking outside the box. We always promise our clients that whatever we do for them, it’s going to be something they never imagined before.

“The shows that we do are generally very theatrical, very cabaret. There’s a lot of dress-up involved, we have unbelievable make-up and costumes. When someone goes to an event, they know they’re going to be surprised and have that ‘wow’ factor.”

Vincent Drolet, founder and producer of the Circo de Bakuza, promises “a little bit of everything” for tonight’s performance at the Madinat Arena theatre, which has a ‘strobe’ theme.

“We build our event like a movie,” he told City Times. “The performance definitely tells an abstract story – through the songs, the dances, the music and the lighting.

“Also, at most of our events, we do something called ‘climate change’. At times during the night we shift the theatre through the video, the lights and the performance, then we move on again.”

adam@khaleejtimes.com