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Sensual Side of Cirque
du Soleil
It has become, in more
ways than one, the
hottest ticket in Las
Vegas. Reservations are
pricey and can be tough
to get. And, as the
curious quickly
discover, when the
curtain goes up on a
production of Zumanity,
it’s more than just the
cost of a ticket that’s
sizzling. Billed as “the
sensual side of Cirque
du Soleil,” patrons are
invited to leave their
inhibitions at the door
and surrender themselves
to an evening of endless
titillation. It’s all
served up cabaret style
and embellished by the
kind of flamboyant
staging, lighting,
acrobatics, dancing and
music that has made
Cirque du Soleil shows
an audience favorite
since its founding in
Montreal, Canada over
two decades ago.
The “adults only” show
features more than a
just a bit of teasing
nudity (tastefully done,
of course) as it
explores the many sides
of human sexuality
through a series of
highly erotic
performances. And, as
its name implies,
Zumanity reflects the
full “zoo-like” range of
human sensuality, not
just the convenient and
overly familiar Vegas
stereotype of
picture-perfect
showgirls with long legs
and perfect figures. The
show’s characters and
production numbers revel
in mining the outer
limits of our collective
erogenous zone. The
character of the
“Mistress of Seduction,”
a sassy she-male,
quickly sets the tone.
Not surprisingly, after
over an hour of such
artfully staged
theatrical foreplay as a
“Midnight Bath” scene,
all of Zumanity’s
eclectic cast appears
for the racy nightcap.
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Nicolas Besnard and
Joanie Leroux-Côté
entwine in a intimate
hand balance duet, “Hand
to Hand” act. Photo
credit: Tomas Muscionico |
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Adding their own
distinctive flavor of
sensual spice to the
show is a trio of
Latinas who have become
three of Zumanity’s most
popular stars. As “Queen
of the Wind,” Marcela de
la Vega Luna unleashes a
torrent of erotic
emotions with her
stirring appearances.
The aptly-named “Botero
Sisters,” Licemar and
Luciene Medeiros, are as
flirtatious as they are
curvaceous — the two
stand barely five feet
tall and tip the scales
at about 200 pounds
each. All three are
seasoned Zumanity
performers whose success
has come after years of
widely diverse
professional experience
as they’ve worked their
way to the very top of
their chosen
professions. Today,
prominent fixtures on
the Las Vegas
entertainment scene, the
three enjoy the fruits
of their fame as they
polish their acts to
help insure Zumanity’s
growing international
acclaim.
Marcela de la Vega Luna,
a native of Mexico City,
was born into a very
conventional family; her
mother stayed home to
care for the family
while her father pursued
a career in business
administration. Her
interest in dance came
about through a series
of family-related
circumstances. “I have
three older sisters and
one of them was an
Olympic gymnast,” De la
Vega Luna tells LATINA
Style. “When I
was little I wanted to
become like her but my
mom grew tired of being
in the gym all the time.
So, she introduced me to
ballet.”
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“Water
Bowl”
act.
Photo
credit:
Phillip
Dixon |
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Quickly, she
became consumed
by the world of
ballet and cites
the example of
the famous Cuban
prima ballerina
Alicia Alonso as
an early
inspiration.
“Also, I have a
very clear
memory of when I
first saw the
company of Nacho
Duato, the great
Spanish dancer,”
she recounts.
“It was
amazing.”
At the time, the
world of
nightclubs and
the burlesque
tradition were
far from her
mind. “Most of
my time in
Mexico I spent
studying at a
professional
dance academy,”
De la Vega Luna
comments of her
time at the
Academia de la
Danza Mexicana.
“I graduated
specializing in
three different
types of
techniques —
ballet, modern
dance and
folklorico. Then
I started
dancing in
modern dance
companies,
teaching ballet
and taking more
dance classes.
Three years
later I started
to learn circus
arts, belly
dancing, some
Indian dances,
and jazz dance.”
Long before
joining the cast
of Zumanity, De
la Vega Luna
studied with
noted Russian
dance instructor
Anatoli
Lukachtchouk,
who taught her
such
circus-related
techniques as
how to perform
on the trapeze
and learning how
use a hoop and
whip. For three
years, she was
part of the
Russian’s group
“Escuadrón
Jitomate Bola.”
Through the
experience, she
came to
appreciate that
there are many
forms of body
expression and
that there were
viable career
opportunities
other than just
ballet.
De la Vega Luna
credits her
mother for
always
encouraging
her-from an
early age-to
explore the
widest possible
range of
artistic
expression.
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She was enrolled in
music, painting,
gymnastics and ballet
classes to insure that
she would have the
opportunity to sample
much of what the arts
world has to offer.
Joining the 50-member
troupe that comprises
Zumanity, provided the
ultimate challenge for
the young dancer. As
“Wind” in the
production, De la Vega
Luna has incredible
latitude to incorporate
virtually every style of
dance she has learned.
“Definitely,” she
affirms. “Since the
creation of the show,
its characters were
based on our own
personalities. I had the
incredible opportunity
of creating something
that makes me feel free,
comfortable, and in my
power. My character is
based with my very own
point of view. I believe
that because of the
knowledge I have, my
vocabulary and approach
is more unique. It’s
easier to create because
I have less blocks along
the way. In other words,
I have more tools.”
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Every day brings
an opportunity
to hone her
multiple skills
to an even
higher level of
professionalism.
Before the
lights go down
in the New
York-New York
theater for yet
another show,
her hours have
been filled with
a grinding
routine that
includes
personalized
classes in
pilates, ballet
and yoga.
Despite the
rigors of being
a key member of
such a
celebrated
production
company, the
rewards are
many. The
dancer’s
experience as a
key member of
the Zumanity
cast has offered
her a level of
artistic freedom
she might never
have been able
to experience in
other
professional
dance
situations. “The
great gift that
Zumanity offers
is the
opportunity to
be yourself and
be unique,” she
explains. “In
Zumanity, we are
all different
characters with
individuality
and that is very
special. Also,
being part of
Cirque du Soleil
is an incredible
way to learn
from the best
people in the
world about how
the business of
entertainment
works.”
The Medeiros
sisters come
from a family
that has been
professionally
involved in the
circus world in
Brazil for eight
generations. Li
and Lu, as they
are known,
quickly learned
the ropes from
their parents
and other
members of their
extended family.
Their parents
were noted for
their skills as
high wire
performers,
jugglers,
trapeze artists
and even lion
tamers.
Although
audiences are
led to believe
the two are
twins, Li, who
was born in
Manaus, in the
heart of the
Amazon
rainforest, is
two years older.
Lu was born
thousands of
miles away in
the southern
state of Paraná.
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Marcela
de La
Vega at
an early
age as a
dance
performer |
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Their grandfather
Belmiro Medeiros gained
fame in his homeland as
the circus clown named
Baby. Veterans of the
wildly popular Brazilian
circus “Picadeiro Circo
Escola,” the two sisters
focused on tap dancing,
clown comedy and
juggling.
The idea for their
Botero Sisters act came
quickly after they
viewed an exhibit of
Colombian painter
Fernando Botero at São
Paulo’s famed Museum of
Modern Art in 1998. “All
of Botero’s paintings
and sculptures,” notes
Lu in her native
Portuguese, “are of
pessoas gordinhas —
little fat people.
However, the paintings
show people who are not
only hefty but are also
sexy, daring, and
extroverted. This
inspired us to create
the act. The public in
general adores the
concept, and it serves
as an inspiration for
people who are heavy and
have fear to be
themselves.”
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Marcela
de
La
Vega
at a
young
age
performing
on
tight
wire |
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Marcela
de
La
Vega
Photo
Credit:
Eccles |
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The public responded
wildly to the Botero
Sisters, and their
success was recognized
when they placed second
at the First World
Circus Festival in
Brazil. “Brazil is a
liberal country up to a
certain point,
specifically in the area
of beauty,” says Li,
commenting on why their
act resonated with
Brazilian audiences.
“The original standard
for a Brazilian woman,”
she adds, “was a robust
woman.” That voluptuous
image serves well the
sisters’ transition
through a number of
suggestive characters,
from saucy French maids
to highly sexed Viking
warrior princesses and
even S&M goddesses.
However, in Brazil,
image-conscious
audiences were typically
indifferent to the
sisters until they began
to demonstrate their
skills as circus
performers. In the U.S.,
performance patrons are
quicker to buy into the
inherent sex appeal of
the young Brasileiras.
In the U.S., they say
happily that audiences
respect them from the
moment they appear on
stage.
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Marcela
performing
as
“Wind”
Photo
credit:
Tomasz
Rossa |
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The
Medeiros
sisters
perform
at
“Spacial
Circus”.
Lu
30
years
old
and
Li
is
32
years
old |
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The sisters’ parents,
Alice and Marcos
Medeiros, now split
their time between Las
Vegas and São Paulo,
pleased to be able to
witness their daughters’
success. “Today,
Brazilian circuses are
more open and have a lot
of opportunities and
many artists that
weren’t born into the
circus, as we were,”
comments Lu. “Cirque du
Soleil is a great
inspiration for circus
companies there.
Zumanity is a very
special show in that it
strikes down all
preconceptions about
sexuality. It truly
reflects the real world
of humanity.”
And, these Brazilian
ladies live up to the
billing women of their
country have long
enjoyed as women who are
comfortable in their own
skin and not afraid to
express their sexuality.
“When you feel pretty
and sexy, then you
really are pretty and
sexy, and Brazilian
women know that,” Lu
states, “They don’t have
any fear in expressing
themselves.”
It’s not surprising that
Zumanity has met with
mixed reviews. It is, as
critic Chuck Rounds
observed, not a
production for everyone.
“Their investigation of
sexuality is quite frank
and could be off-putting
to some,” he comments.
“Not everyone is going
to be comfortable seeing
strapped on phalluses or
two men lovingly
wrestling with each
other, but it is a
legitimate part of this
production. And I
applaud the efforts of
the producers—-always
looking to refine,
change and improve the
show. It has certainly
come a long way since
its opening. The setting
and the theatre are
wonderful. The
performers, as in all of
the Cirque productions,
are brilliant.”
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Medeiros
sisters
perform
“Bungee” |
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The
Medeiros
sisters,
Li
and
Lu
perform
the
“Botero
Sisters”
act
Photo
Credit:
Philliip
Dixon |
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“I
think that in our show
people leave with a
message that is very
unusual in the show
business world,” adds de
la Vega Luna. “Normally
what audiences expect
from a Vegas show is
pure entertainment. But
their reactions are very
different every time.
For me, the secret is
making them feel
something on a deeper
level. I value that
gift.”
De
la Vega Luna rejects the
one-size-fits-all belief
that Latinas are
inherently sensuous
creatures. “I don’t like
to follow the
stereotypes and I don’t
like to generalize
because for every rule
there is an exception to
break it,” she says. “Of
course having an
incredible production
with an incredible
costume made for your
body and a make up
design made for your
unique face really
helps. It helps a lot!
But to look sexy you
have to feel sexy and to
express it you need to
connect with yourself
truly. If you fake it,
the audience can feel
it.”
By Mark Holston |
