anniversary part II

we saw a performance of

Cirque du Soleil in Fort Myers on the way home!!

Alegría 
"A baroque ode to the energy, grace and power of youth"

Ah - La - Gre - Ah

"Alegría is a mood, a state of mind. The themes of the show, whose name means "jubilation" in Spanish, are many. Power and the handing down of power over time, the evolution from ancient monarchies to modern democracies, old age, youth—it is against this backdrop that the characters of Alegría play out their lives. Kings' fools, minstrels, beggars, old aristocrats and children make up its universe, along with the clowns, who alone are able to resist the passing of time and the social transformations that accompany it."

"The White Singer is the storyteller who echoes in song everything she sees around her. She sings of melancholy and despair, of joy and happiness. Her luminous white gown is exquisite – underneath a bodice and skirt-frame adorned with jewels and pearls, is miles of flowing crinoline. In her dress and long white gloves, she moves like a delicate porcelain doll in a jewelry box."

she had the most wonderful voice and she sang in French which was so refreshing

one could feel the music instead of trying to understand the words

"The nymphs are youthful and ethereal. Their exuberance is infectious and their enchanting dance can melt the hardest of hearts. These gentle creatures exude sensuality and beauty as they glide across the stage."

"The nostalgic Old Birds observe the goings on as though they were still young and beautiful and the future was still theirs. They admire their reflections in mirror-less frames but are only empty shells, shadows of their former selves. They are the old aristocracy, still convinced of their power and beauty. But they are twisted, deformed and ugly. They wear fanciful hats and hide behind their flamboyant costumes in rich tones of mauve, green and gold, covered with lace, jewels and embroidery."

and of course the aerobatics were mind bending

they made it all look so magical and easy

not to mention the costumes were amazing

there are 22 Cirque du Soleil shows going in the world right now

I hope to see another one soon

ps these are not my photos, you knew that
and the quotes are from their website

see more at
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/home.aspx#/en/home/americas/usa.aspx

oh and do go see this show when you get a chance!

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as a side note of slight interest, my great grandfather was an aerialist in Germany 
before he came to this county
he was friends with the Flying Wallendas and my mom remembers when they came to town to perform
they would come over to her grandpa's house later to drink and play cards

(I am not sure she said "drink", or "cards" actually....)
I was young when he died and do not remember those stories

and by chance my other grandfather on my fathers side was a gymnast in the Olympics
like 1920 or something
when he came over to visit he always made us do hand stands in the yard and work on our back flips
I learned to do it but I did not learn to love it

watching Cirque made me wish I had paid more attention to my grandfathers!!