Review of Cirque du Soleil's Dralion

Dralion brings the spectacular staging, dedication to detail, and awe-inspiring acrobatics long associated with Cirque du Soleil. The show is, however, a little less bizarre and surreal than some of the other incarnations of the brand. Unlike Saltimbanco, for instance, there are no dark/sinister characters. Instead, every character and act in Dralion is vividly colorful and upbeat. The show is simply a lot of fun with a nice blend of themes and beats.

The “Dralion” of the show’s title refers to a mythical creature that is part Chinese dragon and part lion. It also serves as an embodiment of the show’s theme: the blend of Eastern and Western cultures and customs. At one point in the show, a troop of acrobats dress up as Dralions (two acrobats per costume) to perform what feels like a parody of a traditional circus animal act. The Dralions even perform tricks while balancing on wooden balls.

The blend of elements from several cultures, both Eastern and Western, runs throughout the show. For instance, bagpipes are blended with African beats, and an aerial hoop act is staged like a tango. The music – surprisingly memorable -- ranged from Anya-like arias performed by two vocalists (speaking their own language) to pseudo hip hop music done to an African beat.

While not apparent without a program, there is something of a backstory to the show. The main characters include a chosen child (Little Buddha) and four characters that represent each of the four elements: Air, Earth, Water and Fire. Lest you forget which is which, they are each represented in a vivid color.

The theme of the show is broken up here and there by two clowns who serve as both Masters of Ceremony and comic relief. While their time on stage runs a little long at points, their bits play like a French farce and are cute and funny. Fair warning: their best moments come from bringing a clearly embarrassed audience member up on stage. The clowns’ best skill may be their ability to discern exactly which audience member will turn out to be the best sport. After all, there is nothing more awkward then when the wrong person is chosen for this type of role.

Like most Cirque du Soleil shows, the attention to detail in regard to staging, choreography and music elevates the show to extravagant proportions. The stage is set up as a one-ring circus that is surrounded by the audience on three sides. There is also a bridge to a multi-leveled wall used as a backdrop and acrobat prop throughout the show. Between the wall, ringed stage and in-air action, the acts transition easily one to another. Best of all, the amount of time devoted to each act is well thought out and edited.

• Aerial Hoop - Hibana: Unlike the flying trapeze of the traditional circus, this aerial act represents fire and is performed as a sensual dance between a woman and her hoop. With no apparent safety harnesses, the woman dances in, around and balanced upon the hoop as it swings, swoops and twirls through the air. She also comes down to earth occasionally to perform a hoop-modified Tango with her other, more human partner.
  
  
• Aerial Pas de Deux: This aerial ballet is performed by a couple who fly high over the stage wrapped in and along a long ribbon of blue cloth. Within the cloth, they perform intricate, death-defying choreography with strength and grace. The gasping point of the act comes when the woman part of the duo literally pinwheels down the ribbon like a graceful version of Jackie Chan in the first Rush Hour movie.
  
  
• Skipping Ropes: The act takes skipping rope to a ridiculous level as the acrobats form pyramids and perform flips through multiple twirling ropes. It is staged like a hip-hop competition that has the audience nodding their heads to the beat and wondering if they still own a jump rope.