Cirque Sublime began about 13 years ago as just a small, local circus performance company in Toronto.
Decker LaDouceur, artistic director of Cirque Sublime, started the production company to give circus performers an outlet similar to what actors get through theater companies.
“We were very local, very small scale,” LaDouceur said over the phone Thursday from Toronto. “We provided quality entertainment and the shows were well received.”
Now Cirque Sublime is in its sixth season as a touring company, including a performance at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at the ShoWare Center in Kent.
“We took the tour to local theaters across Canada and now we are across the border,” LaDouceur said. “We have never been in the Seattle area before, so we are very excited. We have been to New York, Chicago, Michigan and Florida.”
The show includes aerial and floor acrobatics. Artists will use a flying trapeze as well as swings and hoops to perform stunts in the air. Contortion artists also are part of the show.
“We know it’s going to be a fantastic performance,” LaDouceur said. “People will be more than impressed with what they see. It’s an elaborate stage production with very high-end and well-trained artists.”
Nineteen artists are part of the show. Some are former members of Cirque du Soleil troupes. Most have studied acrobatics their whole life.
Cory Tabino, a former Seattle area resident, performs as a hand balancer for Cirque Sublime. He balances himself on just one hand while doing various stunts.
“He’s from Seattle but he trained in Canada,” said LaDouceur, who also helps run the Toronto School of Circus Arts. “Many of them were trained by us. Some of them train for as much as two years before they perform (their specific acts in the show).”
Two artists pair up for a hand-balancing act that LaDouceur described as “an outstanding performance.”
The show also includes an aerial bungee act where artists wear a harness so they can perform acrobatic skills while bouncing as high as 25 feet in the air.
Along with the acts, the family oriented performance also features a story about a character going through the stages of life.
“It’s a strong, positive show that makes you want to try new things and not stay in one place your whole life,” LaDouceur said. “There is also humor that only the parents might get, but this is not a clown show. It’s very much an acrobatic show with strong character artists.”
The current tour includes a Feb. 3 performance in Everett before Cirque Sublime heads to British Columbia.
“We’re only crossing the border for a few days and then we head back to Western Canada and then to the East Coast,” LaDouceur said. “But as a company we appreciate the opportunity and that people in the area wanted to bring our show across the border.”
What: Cirque Sublime
When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2
Where: ShoWare Center, Kent
Cost: $47 for gold seats, $37 for VIP and $27 for reserved
Tickets: www.showarecenter.com or call 253-856-6999
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