Cirque du Soleil's KOOZA in St. Paul

Last evening I attended the Cirque du Soleil show, KOOZA, in St. Paul! It was fantastic and as good as the previous Cirque shows I've attended.

The Cirque du Soleil website states "KOOZA tells the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world.

KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil: It combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful melange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor.

The Innocent's journey brings him into contact with a panoply of comic characters such as the King, the Trickster, the Pickpocket, and the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog.

Between strength and fragility, laughter and smiles, turmoil and harmony, KOOZA explores themes of fear, identity, recognition and power. The show is set in an electrifying and exotic visual world full of surprises, thrills, chills, audacity and total involvement."

Over the past couple of weeks, as the show drew closer, and my anticipation and excitement grew, I reread the book Spark - Igniting the Creative Fire that Lives within Us All by John U. Bacon and Lyn Heward.

Some highlights that remind me of the magic Cirque performs comes about by diligent planning, attention to details and having fun:

"Every journey inward begins with technique, but it can only progress if you allow yourself to move beyond the mechanics and into the moment."

"In a Cirque show, anything you can imagine, you can do. But this incredible freedom is both the problem and the solution. It requires you to think differently, and that can be difficult."

"To truly enter the world of the imagination, you must first humor these tricksters, but ultimately, you must find your own way in."

"Most of our life we're put in a cage, where we sing the same song day in and day out. But life is not about being caged, life is about flying."

After I see a show, my creative energies are super recharged and my thoughts gravitate to how I can apply the ideas into my personal life, my work life and projects, to teaching the Adult classes as well as in the creation of the Kid's Class format.

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend attending one of the Cirque shows and be swept up in the magic!