When I first heard that there was a Russian circus coming to Niagara Falls, I have to admit, I was quite pessimistic. It just didn’t seem like something that would go over well. It seems that I was wrong. As Justin Joseph, the Vice-President of Sales & Marketing, said, “It’s our inaugural year and it seems we have taken Niagara by storm.”
The show was created by Mairbek Kantemirov, an accomplished director/producer/creator. The artistic director is Oleg Kantemirov. He has over 25 years of experience with the Moscow Circus and Cirque du Soleil.
The show has 19 rare horses that perform with a cast of 50+ performers. A highlight of the show is the Cossack riding scenes. “Cossack riding” is an old form of Russian trick riding used in war. Today, it is mostly seen in movies and live horse performances. The Kantemirov family has displayed their trick riding and stunts in over 50 films.
The large tent where the performance takes place is called the Celestial Palace ten. The combined area of it, the stables and the concessions tent is approximately 60,000 square feet. They took 7 days to erect.
The Avaia pamphlet says that “Avaia is a mystical journey into the abyss of time where ancient mysteries of the past engage the innovations of the future. Above all, it is a celebration of life and of man’s love for horses.” I’m not sure what all that means, but it was a great show.
Performances are Tuesday to Sunday at 5 and 8 pm and runs until October 9, 2006. Tickets start at $39. Many area hotels also have various packages that include Avaia tickets.
Contact Info:
Cirque Niagara
5881 Dunn Street
Niagara Falls, ON
L2G 2N9Cell: 905 971 7469
Telephone: 905 357 2662
Toll Free: 1 877 CIRQUE -1 (1 877 247 7831)
Fax: 905 357 9725
Read more of our series on Avaia:
- Cirque Niagara Avaia – Background
- Cirque Niagara Avaia – Act 1
- Cirque Niagara Avaia – Intermission
- Cirque Niagara Avaia – Act 2
- Cirque Niagara Avaia – Observations
You can see some nice pictures of the tents/grounds, as well as a few pictures from inside in the Cirque Niagara Avaia section of the Niagara Falls Image Gallery.
You can also learn more about Cirque Niagara, Avaia, the creators, and the performers on the official Cirque Niagara web site.