“Cirque du Soleil” in French or “Circus of the Sun” in English is a Canadian entertainment company which originated in Montreal. The company was founded in 1984 by two street performers, Guy Laliberte´ and Daniel Gauthier.  Cirque du Soleil performs around the world in some 60 countries and 400 cities.  A contemporary circus features itself as adult entertainment with no animals but rather pulsating music and daring aerial acts.  The troupe has received numerous awards. (http://en.wikipedia.org. wiki/Cirque_du_Soleil.

From a funky street band, Cirque du Soleil gained even greater fame when it joined forces with the Las Vegas deal maker Steve Wynn.  The collaboration between Wynn the hotelier and Cirque du Soleil brought the troupe to Las Vegas.  Wynn was building a new hotel “Mystere” and included a spectacular theater to feature the troupe. (http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/96/cirque-du-soleil.html?page=0,2).

Have students view some examples of Cirque du Soleil by going to You Tube. Some examples include:

• Cirque du Soleil O (Terre Aride)
• Most Dangerous Aerial Acrobatic Trick Ever
• Cirque du Soleil Training

Questions:

1. Doing your part in any team is important, doing your part in a Cirque du Soleil performance is critical.  What parallels do you see between Cirque du Soleil and teamwork in the organizations of which you have been apart?

2. What kinds of things can Cirque Du Soleil teach businesses about creativity and recruiting?

3. How does Cirque Du Soleil maintain their talent pool?