When you sit in a darkened arena watching a Cirque du Soleil production, as cast members make their bodies do things that ought not to be humanly possible, you're in the moment. Captivated. All you can think is Wow.
But after the lights come up, on your way out of the building, you might hear a child say something like: "I want to be in Cirque du Soleil when I grow up!" Or you might wonder to yourself: Where do they find those people?
Well, we talked with several of the uber-talented individuals featured in "Alegría" - which the Montreal-based troupe will be performing at the RBC Center next week - and learned a little about how they wound up leaping, spinning, contorting and clowning around in front of scores of Cirque du Soleil fans.
Micah Naruo
Age: 26.
Home state: Hawaii.
Act: Fire-knife dance.
Years with Cirque du Soleil: More than 2.
Before Cirque: "I got my degree in sports medicine. I performed the fire-knife dance for Hong Kong Disneyland's 'Lion King' show, did special events and can also be seen in the 'fire' scene in Adam Sandler's film, 'Bedtime Stories.'"
How he discovered his talent: "I always had a fascination with fire and had been inspired by seeing the fire-knife dance all over Hawaii in entertainment shows. So at the age of 13, my parents allowed me to enroll in a fire-knife class to channel my 'fire interest' into something constructive."
Zoe McLean
Age: 24.
Home country: England.
Act: Power track (combines gymnastics, tumbling, dance and stunts).
Years with Cirque du Soleil: Almost 21/2.
Before Cirque: "I actually did quite a few things. I was first an artistic gymnast, and then I switched to athletics, competing in the 200-meter, 400-meter and 800-meter races. After a while, athletics became very boring, so I went back to gymnastics, where I competed at the international level for five years."
How she discovered her talent: "I was actually sent to gymnastics class by my parents, as I was always climbing and jumping off of things I shouldn't be. One day, I decided I was brave enough to jump off the top of the stairs and broke the couch. After that, they thought it wise to send me somewhere to channel that energy. ... When I was around 12 or 13 ... I was asked to join the Great Britain National Squad, and a few weeks later I was sent to my first international competition in Odense, Denmark."
Tyler Block
Age: 25.
Home state: California.
Act: Cyr wheel (an acrobatic device consisting of a single large, metal hoop).
Years with Cirque du Soleil: 3.
Before Cirque: "I was a gymnast at University of California-Berkeley."
How he discovered his talent: "I was 3, rolling around on the mats during my sister's gymnastics classes."
Ulziibuyan Mergen
Age: 18.
Home country: Mongolia.
Act: Contortion.
Years with Cirque du Soleil: More than 7.
Before Cirque: "I was studying back home, and was also training as a contortionist at the Mongolian National Cirque."
How she discovered her talent: "When I was 5, my mother discovered how flexible I was while I was playing with my brother and sisters. I was doing the split to block the door not to let my siblings go out from that door. That's the story my mother told me."
Aron De Casmaker and Jesse Buck
Age: Both 33.
Home country: Canada.
Act: Clowns.
Years with Cirque du Soleil: 3.
Before Cirque: "Jesse and I wrote and produced original 'horror clown' plays with Theatrophy - Undead Theatre Company, as well as a variety of other international theater companies," De Casmaker says. Adds Buck: "I also worked in a deli."
How they discovered their talents: "My mother punished me for being bad by forcing me to do a musical when I was 12," recalls Buck. Adds De Casmaker: "By fifth grade, I spent more time in the hallway reflecting on my disruptive behavior. I suppose this is why the meager beginning."
