Dralion


Dralion was a touring production by the Canadian entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. The show combined elements of traditional Chinese circus with Western contemporary circus, complementing the "East-meets-West" theme implied in the title — the name is a portmanteau of "dragon" and "lion". It is Cirque du Soleil's 12th touring production and the first Cirque show since 1985 not to be directed by Franco Dragone. Dralion performed its final show at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska on January 18, 2015, bringing its 15-year world tour to a close.

Set and technical information

The backdrop for Dralion was a metallic structure in width and in height. It was covered in perforated aluminum tiles, giving it the appearance of medieval armor or a futuristic Chinese temple. Sitting atop the structure were six giant claws which allow performers to climb the wall and suspend in mid-air. Above the stage itself were three large concentric aluminum rings. The first was utilized as a catwalk; the second was used to support acrobatic equipment; and the third is used by performers to move up and down and suspend in the air.
Portions of the Dralion stage were redesigned and incorporated into the Ovo arena tour in early 2016.

Characters

Dralion featured 50 members in its performance troupe, of which about 5 or 6 play principal characters.
The acts of Dralion combine unique western and eastern acrobatic skills.
Dralions costumes are vibrant in color; inspired by clothing from India, China, and Africa; and are shaped according to the movements of each performer's choreography. In total there are around 1500 wardrobe pieces for the show, taking into account that some artists have up to four costume changes during a single performance.
With the company's departure from its longtime creative team, Dralion features the work of a new Cirque composer, French-Canadian composer Violaine Corradi. The music of Dralion aims to be a fusion of sounds from East and West by the use of acoustic and electric instruments. Featuring rhythmic and lyrical motifs, the influences range from Indian melodies to sounds from Andalusia, Africa, Central Europe, and the West. Instruments used in the CD are drums, violin, winds, keyboards, guitar and percussion instructions. Released on November 9, 1999, Dralion’s soundtrack features the vocals of Basque counter-tenor Erik Karol, and Canadian female vocalist Agnès Sohier. The tracks for the CD are listed below, with their corresponding acts alongside in italics.
Image:Dralionoriginal cover.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The original album artwork of Dralion by , 1999
Track listing
  1. Stella Errans '
  2. Ombra
  3. * Foot Juggling
  4. * Contortion with Bowls
  5. * Balancing on Chairs
  6. * Contortion
  7. Spiritual Spiral
  8. * Setup to Double Trapeze,
  9. * Setup to Skipping Rope,
  10. Miracula Æternitatis
  11. * Spirits
  12. * Crossed Cyr Wheel
  13. Bamboo '
  14. Ballare
  15. * Aerial Pas de Deux,
  16. * Aerial Straps
  17. Ravendhi '
  18. Ninkou Latora
  19. * Double Trapeze
  20. * Crossed Cyr Wheel
  21. Aborigenes Jam '
  22. Hinkò '
  23. Kamandé '
Other songs
  1. Little Budda '
  2. Original Opening
  3. Elements '
  4. Ledjendia
  5. * Opening,
  6. * Prelude to Skipping Rope
  7. Naya '
  8. Exaequo '
  9. Momma Kee '
  10. Vladik-Jug '
  11. Lanterne '
  12. Soleil Tilt '
  13. Bombarde '
  14. Shine '
  15. Hibana '
  16. Anima '
  17. Trampo-Wall '
  18. Diabolos '
  19. Medusa '
  20. Hairpiece '
  21. Death '
  22. Imitatio '
  23. Imitatio II ''

    Vocalists

Female Singers

*During the 2007-2008 Japan tour, Calvin Braxton and Cristian Zabala alternated the role.''

Tour

After premiering under the Grand Chapiteau in 1999, "Dralion" was briefly retired in December 2009. In mid-2010, the show began the arena restaging process, having its first dress rehearsal at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA before beginning its arena tour in October 2010 in Trenton, NJ. After touring for an additional four years in the arena, the show returned to North America in the fall of 2014 to begin its "Farewell Tour". On January 18, 2015, "Dralion" performed for the final time in Anchorage, AK.
The following colorboxes indicate the region of each performance: Europe North America South and Central America Asia/Pacific Oceania
Africa

Grand Chapiteau tour

1999 schedule

2004 schedule