'I went backstage at Cirque du Soleil to see how the cast train, here’s what I learned'
Launching 45 feet into the air at speeds of up to 37 mph while spinning with dizzying speed is not for the faint of heart, but it’s all in a day’s work for the Acro Net team in Cirque Du Soleil’s KURIOS show.
Currently showing at Royal Albert Hall, KURIOS follows the story of an inventor who upends the world around him in dramatic fashion, making for a visually stunning and gripping show.
The show is 100 minutes long and has exhilarating performances from Contortionists, Acrobats and Acro Net artists, all set to a toe-tapping soundtrack. I was lucky enough to peek behind the curtain of the show with a backstage tour to watch the team train and delve into their exact training routine.
Apart from a few weeks of sporadic gymnastic classes when I was eight, I have no experience with the kind of training it takes to become a pro. In saying that, I’ve always admired these performers from a distance and wondered what kind of training schedule they must have to follow in order to keep up with these routines night after night for months on end.
Spinning through the air with ease and contorting yourself into all sorts of shapes and sizes is hard enough as it is, add in intricate costumes and thousands of people in the crowd and it sounds downright terrifying.
Being a travelling show, the cast moves to a new city every few months, readjusting to new time zones, a new crew, and a new stage, all while keeping their fitness at the level it takes to do the act.
In order to get some insight into how the performers manage this kind of schedule without completely burning out, I talked to former Team GB trampoliner turned Cirque Du Soleil performer, Jack Helme.
While growing up, Jack’s parents started him in gymnastics classes in the hopes that this would counteract some of his early childhood clumsiness. He went on to study gymnastics for a decade at the Southport YMCA and then the City of Liverpool Trampoline Club.
Jack’s dedication to the sport led to him competing at many World Cups, World Championships and European Championships. After spending six years as a trampolining coach, he sent in a video audition to Cirque Du Soleil and was cast in KURIOS as part of the Acro Net routine in 2013.
According to Jack, there are three key aspects of maintaining a Cirque Du Soleil level of fitness:
A lot of training variation
As a former Team GB member, Jack is used to gruelling training and Cirque Du Soleil has (unsurprisingly) not offered respite from this. The team will usually train for about four hours a day, with a mix of cardio and weights.
Jack says the workouts vary but 'cardio wise it’s a lot of short pace and high intensity and you get that from doing the act. Other things you go to the gym and lift weights and the people who catch focus on shoulder strength and a lot of squats for leg strength.
'For instance the guys that fly don’t need too much of either, obviously you need a bit of leg strength but you need more core strength to be able to do that, so it’s different for different people.'
Making the most of in house coaches and physios
Keeping the body in tip top shape as to be able to perform as often as they do with such vigorous acts take a small army, with Jack saying it’s a group effort. He explained, 'we have two physios that will help you out but that’s more in terms of injury and then we have a strength and conditioning coach that is also actually an artist on our act so he’ll do personalised plans.'
Prioritising rest, recovery, and food
One thing I was particularly interested in was how it’s possible to balance recovery with such an intense training schedule. Jack says the key is to 'eat. Eating is a big thing for me and drinking a lot of water and rest.'
His main concern with recovery is making sure he’s eating about 3000 calories a day, which makes sense because with four hours of training a day he must be burning a lot.
He adds that before the show he will 'stretch and warm up a little bit. At night time it’s kind of hard because you finish and you need to get home at about 11. So for me at that time it’s more about relaxing.'
During our tour, we also went backstage to see the makeup and costume department where I was shocked to learn the cast does all of their own makeup. This isn’t a simple soft glam makeup look either, we’re talking intricate costume makeup that takes some cast members up to three or four hours. Another reason why Cirque Du Soleil is not for the faint of heart.
After touring backstage, I joined the GB trampolining team for a session with one of the Cirque Du Soleil cast about how they approach stage fright and being mentally ready to perform. Unsurprisingly, performing such intricate routines in front of big crowds means the cast puts just as much of a focus on mental strength as they do physical.
A big emphasis was put on mindfulness, breathing exercises and mindset. Jack advised the trampoliners that in Cirque Du Soleil, 'if you feel silly you’re going to look more silly than if you get into it. If you go in feeling awkward the crowd is going to be able to tell.'
Another cast member advised that focusing on your mindset and thinking positively is extremely important for performers, because it helps you feel at ease on stage and give the best performance you can.
While most would find the idea of performing in front of such a large audience daunting, the cast agreed that they get energy from crowd reactions and when they feel the crowd react positively to a stunt it gives them a real boost.
Pulling back the curtain on what goes on behind the scenes of Cirque Du Soleil was an enlightening experience and I have a whole new appreciation for how much each and every cast member puts into the show.
The care and effort that goes into each performance really was incredible, and you can really tell the cast cares about the audience having an amazing time.
KURIUS is at the Royal Albert Hall until March 5 and tickets start at £62.50.
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