More difficult still. The pirouettes, jumps and somersaults of the Cirque du Soleil artists have moved the world since its creation in 1984. More than 40 shows guarantee the trajectory of the Canadian circus that has toured the five continents. But the creators of Cirque du Soleil hadn't had enough with nearly 40 years of success and set out to tackle new challenges.
"They decided to do something new and saw that there was so much to discover in figure skating, so they thought 'why not?' and the circus got on the skates," recalls Robert Tannion, artistic director of Crystal , the new show. Cirque du Soleil, which combines classic circus practices with ice skating.
The idea was as novel as it was risky, because Cirque du Soleil had to look for artists who "in addition to being jugglers, trapeze artists or tightrope walkers, knew how to skate or were willing to learn." It was not an easy task, but they found some like the Mexican juggler Agustín Bells, who already knew a lot about both disciplines.
“My family had a circus in Mexico, we are already in the fifth generation, and when I was little, in the 70s, they installed a skating rink. The experience only lasted a year, but it was enough for us children to put on our skates like someone who puts on their shoes”, explains Bells during a break in Crystal's performances in Frankfurt, where the show is being shown these days, which will reach the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona next January after passing through Malaga and Pamplona.
Despite all that experience, it was not easy for Bells to adapt to the frozen track, because "it was difficult for me to combine the two things, since I have to concentrate on the ice, where you never know what direction the ball is going to take". Six hours of training a day have allowed him to overcome all obstacles and now he declares himself unequivocally as "the best juggler in the world", although he is well aware that he must maintain this intense rhythm of rehearsals if he wants to keep the podium.
Bells is one of the stars of Crystal, a show featuring 93 artists from 25 nationalities. In the backstage of the circus, where life is frenetic, 18 languages are spoken, but there are no language barriers. The members of the troupe have understood each other and every night they jump onto the dance floor determined to dance and perform on their skates.
“The trapeze artist somehow had to relearn her trade, because climbing the trapeze barefoot is not the same as doing it with roller skates that also weigh three and a half kilos,” says Tannion. And he adds that "it is also a challenge when an artist climbs on the shoulders of a partner with skates on or when jumping on the ice, because that implies a change of mentality when acting."
Hjordis Lee, one of the two girls who plays Crystal, hasn't had an easy time bringing the show's protagonist to life either, despite coming from the world of figure skating and the ice rink has no secrets for her. He says that his life begins like everyone else's: "I get up and have breakfast", but then he goes through a training marathon, alone or with other skaters, which leads to his going on stage, although "they give me a massage during the day to keep fit.”
Lee, who is Canadian, joined Cirque du Soleil in 2018. She loves her work, although she admits that it is “exhausting” and that is why she shares it with another artist. "A third will soon be incorporated," explains Tannion, the artistic director of the show, who is looking forward to arriving in Spain, where part of his family lives, to later go to his country, Australia. Crystal, who has already toured 115 cities in twelve countries, travels with 21 trucks where she moves all the material and, above all, the essential 80 pairs of skates used in the show.
