FAST FACTS

• Founded: June 1984
• Number of employees: 2,100
• Number of artists: Over 500
• Average age of employees: 32
• Number of nationalities: Over 40
• Languages spoken: Over 25
• Number of cities visited since 1984: Over 130
• Number of spectators since 1984: close to 30 million

Number of shows currently running: 12

1. Alegría (Asia-Pacific Tour)
2. Quidam (European Tour)
3. Dralion (North American Tour)
4. Saltimbanco (Asia-Pacific Tour)
5. "O" (Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada)
6. Corteo (North American Tour)
7. La Nouba (Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida)
8. Mystère (Treasure Island, Las Vegas, Nevada)
9. Varekai (North American Tour)
10. Ka (MGM Grand, Las Vegas)
11. Zumanity (Las Vegas)
12. Delirium (2006 North American Tour)

Permanent theatres:

• Walt Disney World (La Nouba, Orlando, Florida)
• Treasure Island (Mystère, Las Vegas, Nevada)
• Bellagio ("O", Las Vegas, Nevada)

Major awards:

• Emmy
• Drama Desk
• Bambi, Ace
• Gémeaux
• Félix
• Rose d'Or de Montreux

Cirque du Soleil was formed in 1984 by a troupe of street performers known as "Le Club des Talons Hauts" (the high-heels club), the same group which had founded the first street performers' festival, La Fête foraine de Baie-Saint-Paul. (Baie-Saint-Paul is a small town near Quebec City.)

Some members of this group are still active at Cirque du Soleil: Guy Laliberté, then a musician and firebreather, is now Founding President.

Gilles Ste-Croix, who went most places on stilts in those days, is now the Director of Creation and Guy Caron, then an actor, now directs some Cirque productions.

In 1984, 73 people worked for Cirque du Soleil. Today, the organization has over 2,100 employees worldwide. The average age of Cirque du Soleil employees is 32. Cirque du Soleil has not received any operation grants for its productions from the government or the private sector since 1992.

Initially, Cirque du Soleil toured only one show at a time. From 1984 to 1989, Cirque played to an average of 270,000 people a year. Since Cirque's founding in 1984, close to 30 million people have attended one of its productions. Since it began, Cirque du Soleil has performed in over 130 cities around the world.

Cirque du Soleil's International Headquarters are in Montréal.

Numerous organizations from around the globe have honoured Cirque du Soleil, particularly for its artistic and business achievements. These distinctions include prestigious Emmy, Drama Desk, Ace, Félix, and Gémeaux awards, as well as a Rose d'Or de Montreux.

Cirque du Soleil is now working on diversifying its commercial activities: for example, projects are under way in the audiovisual, film, publishing, and merchandising fields.

On December 14, 1998, Cirque opened its very first store right in its new permanent theatre at Downtown Disney West Side on the property of Walt Disney World Resort, near Orlando, Florida.

There have been fourteen Cirque du Soleil productions since 1984. These are: Le Grand Tour (1981-1984), La Magie Continue (1984), Cirque Reinvente  (1987),  Nouvelle Experience (1990), Fascination (1992), Saltimbanco (1992), Mystère (resident Las Vegas show) (1993), Alegria: An Enchanting Fable (film version) (1994), stage version of Alegria (Live in Sydney) (1998), Quidam (1996), «O» is a permanent show staged at Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas and the first CdS show to use water (1998), La Nouba (second permanent staged show at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, 1998), Dralion (1999), Journey of Man IMAX film (2000), Varekai (2002) and The Beatles Love (Las Vegas (2006). There is also a retrospective collection, Baroque Odyssey available that covers the first ten years of Cirque du Soleil productions.

There are Cirque books available, including 'O' Cirque du Soleil at Bellagio, a beautiful collection of photography collections chronicling <<O>> (a pun on the French word “eau” meaning “water”), and Varekai: Cirque du Soleil showing us the vivid colours of the costumes, sets, and surreal images of circus life. There are four sheet music collections available published by Vocal Power: Saltimbanco, Alegría, Mystère, and Quidam. These tend to be rather pricey, but the arrangements are worth the cost for true Cirque fans.

Cirque du Soleil’s motto is « Invoquer l’imaginaire, provoquer les sens, évoquer l’émotion » or invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions. It is a journey through time, through the realms of dreams and possibilities and a journey that pushes the boundaries of human imagination and artistic feats. Cirque du Soleil has entered popular culture, appeared on Jay Leno, Rosie O’Donnell and other popular shows, has been poked fun at on the Nickelodeon cartoon “Rugrats,” Fox’s “The Simpsons” and Comedy Central’s “South Park.”

Bravo TV aired a fabulous thirteen-part series which chronicles the journey of eight talented young performers (many with Olympic backgrounds) who are part of Cirque's production Varekai. It really gives the viewer an idea of the hectic Cirque "family" and demanding life with the circus. Bravo TV is an official sponsor of Cirque, so they frequently air Cirque marathons of the shows available on DVD, as well as an excellent hour-long CdS documentary entitled "Run Before You Fly," with Cirque's origins as a humble street performance to today.