Stand by for a veritable feast of circus arts when Quebec brings some of its finest performers to Guadalajara for this year’s May Cultural Festival.
While established venues such as the Degollado Theater will host some formal presentations, the fiesta will spill out on the streets with dozens of scheduled performances in the open air.
There will be plenty of opportunities to see a big selection of Quebec’s street circus artists and performers – Lol Brothers, Les Foutoukours, Théâtre Biscornu, Duo Hoops, Les Chasseurs De Rêves, among others – as well as local acts such as mime Alberto Stanley and Circo Dragon.
There’s no doubt that Quebec circus artists have contributed a great deal to the rebirth of this art form around the world. Public performers first appeared on Quebec’s street or in cabarets in the 1970s. The creation of Cirque du Soleil in 1984 detonated the growth of the discipline. It is now one of the largest entertainment companies in the world with annual revenues of around one billion dollars.
Not far behind Cirque du Soleil in terms of quality is Les 7 doigts de la main, (literally “the 7 fingers of the hand”). Founded in Montreal in 2002, the company performed at the Turin and Vancouver Winter Olympics, as well as at the Royal Variety Performance for Queen Elizabeth II.
Les 7 doigts will close out the May Festival at the Degollado with three performances from Friday, May 25 through Sunday, May 27.
Here’s the schedule of some of the other performances to note in your diary (or iPod).
LOL BROTHERS
Wednesday, May 16 Parque de la Revolución 7 p.m. & Exconvento del Carmen 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 17 Sala de los Magos 7 p.m. & Plaza Fundadores 8:30 p.m.
Friday, May 18 Plaza Universidad (centro) 7 p.m. & Jardín del Carmen 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 19 Tren Ligero Estacion Universidad 11 a.m. & Tianguis Cultural (Plaza Benito Juarez) 1 p.m.
Sunday, May 20 Vía recreactiva 12:30 p.m. & Plaza Liberacion 7 p.m.
LES FOUTOUKOURS
Friday, May 18 Teatro Jaime Torres Bodet 10 a.m. & noon
Saturday, May 19 Tren Ligero Estación San Juan de Dios 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 20 Vía recreactiva 11 a.m. Plaza Liberación 8 p.m.
DUO HOOPS
Friday, May 18 Tren Ligero Estacion San Juan de Dios 6:30 p.m. & Tren Ligero Estacion Universidad 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 20 Vía recreactiva 11:30 a.m. & Plaza Liberacion 8:30 p.m.
LABOKRACBOON
Friday, May 18 Tren Ligero Estacion Universidad 6:30 p.m. & Sala de los Magos 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 20 Plaza Andares 6 p.m. & Plaza Liberacion 8 p.m.
THÉÂTRE BISCORNU
Friday, May 18 Sala de los Magos (Instituto Cabañas) 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 19 Plaza Andares 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 20 Vía recreactiva 10 a.m. & Plaza Liberacion 7 p.m.
Monday, May 21 Teatro Jaime Torres Bodet 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
LES CHASSEURS DE RÊVES
Sunday, May 20 Plaza Liberacion 9 p.m.
ALBERTO STANLEY
Friday, May 18 Teatro Jaime Torres Bodet 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 20 Vía recreactiva 10:30 a.m. & Plaza Liberacion 7 p.m.
Monday, May 21 Teatro Jaime Torres Bodet 10 a.m. & noon.
Sunday, May 27 Plaza Andares 6:30 p.m.
CIRCO DRAGON
Sunday, May 20 Vía recreactiva noon & Plaza Liberacion 8 p.m.