Review of Toruk - A Traveling Cirque du Soleil Peformance

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Review of Toruk - A Traveling Cirque du Soleil Peformance

August 11, 2016

The mission of Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun) is to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world. Their touring show Toruk, does that and more.

A quick overview of the show: “TORUK - The First Flight, inspired by James Cameron's AVATAR, a live experience by Cirque du Soleil, envisions a world beyond imagination set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film. The word Toruk, in the Na'vi language, refers to the great leonopteryx, the mighty red and orange predator that rules the Pandoran sky. Central in Na'vi lore and culture, this fascinating creature is crucial to the Na'vi clans' sense of destiny and interconnectedness - and is about to be ridden for the very first time by a Na’vi."

I enjoyed a “sister date” and we went to see Toruk in Indianapolis. We both have seen other Cirque du Soleil shows so we had a sense of what to expect. Toruk was a bit different in that it was heavy in storytelling with the English language being used more than in other shows I have seen. Since Toruk is based on the popular film Avatar, you might benefit from reviewing the movie first.

I tried to view the show with an objective eye so I could share information in this blog post. Here are a few topics I noticed unique to the performance.

Physical space
I have seen another traveling Cirque show. While traveling events tend to be visually focused on a set stage performance, Toruk was different in that they utilized the arena more than other similar events. Performers entering into the audience isn’t unique and Toruk did do that, they also used the arena floor better and visually activated the entire space.

Projection
Toruk relies heavily upon video projection. With that said, you might be thinking more like a movie screen, that isn’t the case. The entire arena floor and their props are all one large video screen making this a unique experience where the performers act on top of the projection.

Acrobatics
Cirque do Soleil typically uses a lot of acrobatics. Cirque celebrates the human figure and it’s unique physical abilities. While Toruk uses some acrobatic segments, they are far less than other Cirque shows.

Integration
Unlike anything else I have ever experienced, Toruk has an app that you download on your cell phone. The app interacts with the performance. At times you can control some of the projections onto the performance surface. Most of the other interaction with your cell phone becomes one of the lights being projected and a part of the performance. You will definitely want to download the app and join in on the participation. This was so unique and the more people that participate, the better the integration with the show.

The Tour Continues: