Baroque College Kid

INTRO

Natasha Hallett:

This is Natasha Hallett and you're listening to Solar Flare Podcast

Ian:

Hello listeners this is Ian Reents with Solar Flare podcast! Alright, this episode we're going to talk about the One Drop workshop that just happend in November, Zarkana takes a vacation. We're gonna talk about Cirque 2014 and the Toranto 2015 pan am games. What Cirque Du Soleil show is rumored to close this year. Find out all this and more in our Podcast.

Hello and welcome to the very first episode of Solar Flare. I'm your host Ian Reents. Its been a very busy year for cirque du soleil, and that busy year is wrapping up

HOWEVER, Cirque has already started to get the ball rolling for next year. Lets dive right into cirque news to find out whats going on at international headquarters.

Cirque News

Alright and welcome to our first cirque news section of Solar Flare. One Drop as some of you might know is an initiative of Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté.
The foundation's mission is to fight poverty worldwide by supporting access to clean water and raising individual and community awareness through the arts.

Cirque Du Soleil and One Drop put together a production called ONE NIGHT FOR ONE DROP featuring artists from cirque du soleil, So You Think You Can Dance and award winning composer Danny Elfman.

This upcoming One Night for One Drop will be held in VEGAS on March 21, 2014 and the Workshops have already started.

The workshop was run by director Mukhtar Mukhtar and production manager Russ Petroni.

LasVegasSun.com wrote an article announcing that
Contemporary dancer Andre Kasten (from Beatles Love), will be a guest choreographer for One Night.

During the Workshop they practiced improv with props and finished with a free dance.

Las Vegas Sun also posted some interesting photos of the workshop. To view these photos go to our website
and click on Episode Guide for a link to the article.

Also in the news, Criss Angel Believe wont be the only show taking a temporary break, Zarkana will be closed until February to get a new facelift.

If you haven't heard the Criss Angel story, I guess he had a shoulder injury and he's doing good he's just going in for shoulder surgery and just getting that fixed so he can continue his show.

Now back to Zarkana
Unlike the New York and Russian production which featured a darker mysterious storyline, this new version of Zarkana is said to have a more commical storyline, new music, new characters and a new acrobatic act.

The reviews of Zarkana have been mixed, some say its grand some are saying that the show was a complete flop and that it would flop just like viva elvis.

Hopefully this new facelift will be what it takes to bring Zarkana to higher standards.

Speaking of shows closing I am saddend to announce that Cirque has confirmed that Alegria will be closing its doors. November 22, 2014 Alegria posted the following on thier facebook:

"It's the final countdown to the end of Alegria and we are getting very special visits from very special people! Yesterday, Gilles, one of the original creators and Creative Guide for Cirque du Soleil paid Alegria a visit!"
I saw the show a few years ago and its such an amazing show such an amazing cast of people and I'm sad to see it go. Its one of those original Cirque shows and just like we lost Saltimbanco its sad to see a cirque show go but new shows are coming Cirque's gotta make room for new shows and unfortunately Alegria is next.

Now for a little happier news Cirque Du Soleil has announced in their press room that they are going to be creating the opening ceremoney for the 2015 Pan Am Games which will take place on July 10th.

The cast will not only include Cirque, but also Ontario artists and volunteers who will be recruited from local schools and community organizations.

We will be updating you on this project as we find out more.

Now drum roll please

For the Cirque 2014 news, which there isn't much of, because Cirque likes to keep things a secret. Tickets have gone on sale on presale for performances from April 24 to July 13, 2014. There isn't much information however if you click on the purchase tickets link on the Cirque site you can see a seating map and you can see a glimpse of what the stage looks like. Its very much like the tent show stages it looks like its got some structures coming out of the center and some sort of tent-like structure in the back. Who knows? This could change this could just be a concept. Its cool check it out. The stage is green with a ramp take a look click here!
Now for the next segment...

Cirque On Call with Natasha Hallett

Ian:

Welcome to Cirque on call we've got Natasha Hallet in the studio today. Hi Natasha

Natasha:

Hello Ian

Ian:

I'm gonna go right into questions with you, Natasha

Natasha:

Perfect!

Ian:

Where did you get your start in gymnastics? You were in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

Natasha:

I started In a little town called St John New Brunswick in Canada. At the local YMCA when I was 8 years old. I quickly became quite talented or I guess I was just naturally talented because I progressed really quick and outgrew the coaches there at the YMCA and the facilities there. So at the young age of 11 years old I decided that if I wanted to be serious and wanted to go to the Olympics I would have to move away from home and train with the big girls so thats what I did. I moved away from home when I was 11 years old to Montreal and started training eight hours a day until Olympics in '92 and right after Olympics I auditioned for Cirque.

Ian:

Now with Cirque most people know you from your role in La Nouba as the Green Bird, but you also started in Mystere from '93 to about 2003?

Natasha:

Yes i did I did 10 years with that show.

Ian:

What made you wanna go from gymnastics to Cirque?

Natasha:

Cirque was a total fluke. I... Kind of a strange story but.. I broke up with my boyfriend that morning. The morning of the audition and I really had nowhere to go, I was mad, and I didn't know what to do. I knew I had this audition with Cirque Du Soleil I didn't know what that was what entailed, what I was doing, I had no clue. I just had the address and I knew I had to be there at a certain time. I hopped on the metro and showed up.

Ian:

Did they scout you or did you send in an audition package

Natasha:

Well actually the recruiting director for Cirque at the time was Lyn Heward whom just happend to be the president of the gymnastics federation in Quebec. So after Olympics, she was the one who contacted me and said "There's an audition in Montreal here's the address we would love you to be there." So yah I guess I was recruited.

Ian:

Now alot of people when they join cirque they get put into things they have never done before was this the case for you?

Natasha:

It sure was. I knew gymnastics and I mean, Cirque has gymnastics in it, but the things that I was taught, I had never done before. They taught me how to climb a chinese pole, do trapeze, walk on a highwire, jump on a teeter board which takes quite some skill as we all learned and then powertrack, yah I didn't know how to do any of those things and we did almost a year in training called "Creation" to put the show together for Mystere.

Ian:

Was this at the new headquarters or the old one in Montreal?

Natasha:

It was actually in old Montreal in a run down train station that we trained in. With the train tracks running right through the stage. It was an old old building, it was freezing cold, cement floors, nothing like the facility they have now.

Ian:

I remember in Baroque Oddasey DVD there is a scene where they are training some flyers for quidam's banquine act and there's a train coming right through the studio.

Natasha:

It was an old, old train station but what they have now is insaine. Its just beautiful I've been there and its just top of the line state of the art, its just an incredible building.

Ian:

Would you say its harder to get into Cirque? Now you have to send in a whole video package you have to send in tapes there are so many steps to go through what was it like at cirque when you first auditioned for them?

Natasha:

You kind of have to audition yourself first and then they have to look through all those DVDs and then you get an invatation, beforehand you just got an invitation and they got to see your talent first hand and then they picked the best ones out of that group. Now they have to all these tapes and DVDs and I'm sure there is a million of them. I'd guess you'd say its a bit harder now.

Ian:

When you were at Mystere what was your day to day routine like?

Natasha:

Our show started at 7:30 PM and 10:30 PM so we pretty much had all day to do whatever we wanted to. We usually had a training at about 4:30PM or 5:00pm. Show call was at 6:30pm you had to be in the building signed in at 6:30pm and put your make up on and get warmed up.

Ian:

How long did that make up take to apply?

Natasha:

It usually took me about a half an hour. 45 if I did it absolutely perfect and took my time. I did it a couple times in a half hour.

Ian:

Does it get boring doing the same thing every single day?

Natasha:

Absolutely not, every audience is different and thats what you feed off of every night every performance is different, sometimes people get injured or sick so even on stage what you're doing is different because you might have to fill in for someone. You may have a different pusher you may have a different spotter. So its constantly, constantly changing.

Ian:

I'm sure there were a few nights where you had to do that. Was that comfortable for you or were you a nervous wreck?

Natasha:

We trained for that. We usually would train to do other parts other than our own just in case something like that did happen we'd be ready to fill in for someone. So alot of people didn't just do what they do on stage. They could do more than one act, more than one spot, more than one charactor. I know for me in Mystere I learned all of the dance routines so if one of the dancers was out I could fill in for one of them. I guess it depends on what trick it was if it was something that would be scary on a daily basis or one you did once every six months, that would be alot of added pressure, but I guess that nervous energy, for me anyway it helps me. So I didn't really have a problem with it. But all I know is it can be nerve-wrecking for other people.

Ian:

What prompted you to go to La Nouba did they contact you or what happend.

Natasha:

No it was actually a personal relationship that kind of prompted me to change shows. My boyfriend at the time was changing shows and it was either break up with him or follow him to Florida and I had been with Mystere for 10 years and I said why not? lets try something different. I was excited but I was sad at the same time to leave Mystere because Mystere will always be my favorite show. But it was a nice challenge for me to change shows and I got to perform in a completely different role completely opposite of what I was doing. So artistically it was really good for me.

Ian:

How long had La Nouba been open before you joined?

Natasha:

I think they were open 4 years before that so I came in and took over someone else's role.

Ian:

Now you went from the red bird to the green bird so you're kind of like the Cirque Du Soleil bird lady. You play birds alot.

Natasha:

I do play birds, I was a red bird in Mystere and a Green Bird (laughs) La Nouba. I don't know maybe I have wings.

Ian:

How did your role as green bird differ from the original green bird or the one that was there before you?

Natasha:

My portrayal of the green bird was alot more acrobatic. The original girl was more of a clown. She was hired more as a clown and I was hired more as a clown acrobat. So I added alot of acrobatics to it, like I added the powertrack so I did more flips here and there. Just because thats me. Everyone that goes into a role following someone else, you can't just carbon copy a role you have to be yourself in it. There's guidelines yes, but you have to be yourself within that charactor.

Ian:

How long did they give you to learn the character?

Natasha:

I think I had four days to view the tapes and be in the show. I taught myself pretty much, what I needed to do. You know, the spacing, the timing from here to there and this cue and that cue. I guess the rest of the show just falls into place. You know your part but you have to figure out with everyone else on stage what your interaction is. So it takes some time to figure that part out but as far as what I had to do on stage it took me maybe a week to learn the role.

Ian:

Each character has a different interaction with another just as we as people have different interactions, as new people come in does that affect the character?

Natasha:

Yah just those little interactions... One person that changes will change the whole show. Just how every other character interacts with that one character. Kind of like in a movie.

Ian:

Now I'm calling you from a hotel in Orlando and its kind of funny because they have those pamphlets in the lobby still with your picture on them and I'm like, "that's not the current person that's Natasha"

Natasha:

Yah I know there are a lot of posters still in Vegas.

Ian:

Do people still recognize you and say hey "its the bird lady!"

Natasha:

My family does, people who know me and know that I'm in Cirque... they call them turkey sightings. Because my nickname is Turkey Tash and my family calls me that. I was even a bird when I was a little kid. But I was a turkey, so they called them turkey sightings.

Ian:

How many years were you in La Nouba for?

Natasha:

Seven. Yah I'd probably still be with them if it hadn't been for my little unfortunate fall from grace.

Ian:

Now Elena Day was saying in the DVD that the green bird is a flightless bird.

Natasha:

With broken wings that cant fly.

Ian:

Now that wasnt what what you were trying to portray that night?

Natasha:

I did try to fly, but it just didn't work.

Ian:

What was the cause of the accident?

Natasha:

It was a rigging issue and a human error issue. Pretty much I made a mistake, my rigger made a mistake on the same day, on the same night and that mistake enabled my belt to not be secured properly and as I leaned forward my belt (unclipped). I had a new technician so he was new. I made a mistake that night. He was supposed to check my belt but he didn't check it. So it was an accident really. Like a pure simple accident. Two people making the wrong mistake at the wrong time.

Ian:

Did they continue the show or did they stop the show?

Natasha:

They continued the music. I think the dancers kept going. They tried to kind of keep the atmosphere of the theater calmed down. I think the music did keep going. They did stop the show briefly until I was taken off stage and then the show just continued.

Ian:

What was the damage done?

Natasha:

The damage done was quite grave. I had 19 fractures. I pretty much broke everything from my waist down. I broke my back, I broke my sacrum, my pelvis in six places, I broke both my legs, both my feet, my heels, all the bones in my feet. It was pretty nasty, compound fractures and the whole nine yards.

Ian:

I was reading an article that said the nurses were very impressed with how quick you were recovering.

Natasha:

Yah I did. My doctor was like "What are you eating?" He was like "I've never seen someone heal as quick as you do". I made kind of like a promise to myself I told myself I'm going to be back on stage in one year. I think it was 11 months and 25 days and I was back on stage.

Ian:

Do you still currently train?

Natasha:

No, I mean, I can't move like I used to. Basically I was non mobile, you know hospital bed with most of my legs broken, metal bar sticking out of my hips like a stabilizer. I pretty much didn't move for a good 2 1/2 months. I had to learn how to walk again. I was in a wheel chair for a while. I recovered well and it was really I had a botched ankle surgery. That didn't work and that's really the reason why I'm not on stage anymore. Because of that stupid ankle. Not even my back, not my pelvis, not my other injuries it was just my stupid left ankle.

Ian:

What are you doing currently?

Natasha:

I'm coaching gymnastics now and I'm loving it. I'm still you know, explaining moves and trying to pass on my knowledge of what I know. I do miss the stage every single day.

Ian:

Well thank you so much Natasha, for being on the show. Do you have any shoutouts for anyone out there listening?

Natasha:

Oh my gosh so many people it would take me a year to mention everyone. But everyone from Mystere obviously, and everyone in Orlando, everyone in Vegas for that matter, because there are so many people from all the different shows who keep switching from here to there. So everyone from Vegas and everyone from Orlando, Keep it real, and keep performing, and I miss it so much and I miss you guys too.

Ian:

Thank you so much for being on the show today!

Natasha:

You're welcome

Ian:

Well that's all we have today for Cirque On Call

THIS JUST IN

Alright thats the This Just In button. We've got some news that arrived just as I was recording this podcast about Cirque 2014. I sent her a message asking about Cirque 2014. She can't tell us much but she did tell us that Michel Lapris is directing the show. He worked on Varekai. So this is just new news that Cirque has released to us. But I just got this in my email as I was concluding the podcast.

CLOSER

Thats about all for this podcast. Additional information and news will be coming in through our website. It's www.sfcirque.com.
Thank you so much and we hope to see you next time on Solar Flare podcast!