cirquedusoleil.com/totem/

By C. MacDonald

Totem touches your soul, lifts your spirit and stays with you always!

It's fitting that Cirque Du Soleil's "Totem" is appearing in Southern California during November, which is Native American Heritage Month. (We saw it in San Pedro and it opens in Irvine, Nov. 21.)

The word "Totem," means something (like an animal or plant) that is the symbol of a tribe, family or individual. And the dazzling production we saw under the big tent, featured two sensational Indian Hoop dancers, Shandien Sonwai Larance and Eric Hernandez. (Shandien grew up on a Hopi Reservation near Flagstaff, Arizona and Eric's mother is a member of the Lumbee Tribe. He grew up in Covina.)

The two talented dancers proudly showcase their Native American heritage through passionate, powerful, precision dance, which they learned from their Indian family members. The exciting-to-watch segment involves various hoop formations around the body as an eagle is created when more and more hoops are added. The entertainers use rapid moves and footwork, accompanied by live drum beats and music.

One of the fascinating things about "Totem" is that its artists come from 18 countries and 11 different languages are spoken among the 53 performers.

Some of them "brought the house down," including Alevtyna Titarenko of the Ukraine, who performed flawlessly on the rings; incredible foot jugglers Marina and Svetlana Tsodikova of Belarus; rollerskating gymnasts Denise Garcia-Sorta of Spain and Massimiliano Medini of Italy; unicyclists extraordinaire Wang Xue, Yang, Zhang and Bai Xiang Jie as well as Su Rina—all of China; the fixed trapeze duo of Sarah Tessier of Canada and Guilhem Cauchois of France, manipulator/juggler Greg Kennedy of the United States and clown Mikhail Usov of the Ukraine. There were so many more crowd pleasers that they all should be commended.

What you notice about them is their muscles, their imaginative outfits, their sensational makeup, their flawless performances, and how the wonderful lighting and music support their acrobatics, trapeze maneuvers, juggling and the like.

They spin, they twist, they balance, they spring, they somersault, they fly, they show unbelievable strength and impeccable timing. Sometimes they even fly out over the audience. They are so full of energy, emotion and surprise. They're comical. They're dramatic. They're sensual. They routinely make the impossible, possible. Their support crews with the elaborate props and rings (as artists "drop from the skies") provide so much "awe" and "wonder" that the audience is often spellbound.

Founder Guy Laliberte has kept tradition alive by combining fantastic circus arts (without animals) with "the best of the best" street performers. "Totem" indeed pays tribute to the infinite imaginations of Man and the beauty of the World.

Through the amazement of special effects, you'll see ocean waves and so much more in this well-orchestrated "whimsical" production. This is your chance to witness many of the world's finest performers, who'll definitely leave you with a real sense of "Wow!" (I wish Ed Sullivan was still alive to see these truly incredible artists.)

Our compliments to the many creative, behind-the-scenes characters that helped make this happen. People like Costume Designer Kym Barrett, who researched real animals, plants, birds and Native American cultural and tribal designs to make things authentic; Sets and Props Designer Carl Fillion; Choreographer Jeff Hall; Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging Designer Pierre Masse; Makeup Designer Nathalie Simard, Lighting Designer Etienne Boucher and Director Robert LePage.

You must go see "Totem." See it while you can. It's something you'll always remember. To find out when it will be near you, go to cirquedusoleil.com/totem.