Cirque du Soleil’s Toruk – The First Flight

Dazzling Immersive Storytelling

Cirque du Soleil is back in Vancouver but it’s not here for long. TORUK the First Flight is only here from December 13th-18th at the Pacific Coliseum. Inspired by Canadian filmaker James Cameron’s blockbuster hit movie Avatar (which we’ve also seen). It’s set on the moon of Pandora and is supposed to be about 3,000 years before the time frame of events in the movie. The story captivates you as it unfolds and tells the story of Pandora’s past through the question of three young Na’vi Ralu, Entu and Tsyal as they head out on a quest to save the sacred Tree of Souls.

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My family and I got to experience the immersive storytelling that is Cirque du Soleil’s Toruk – The First Flight this week. We’ve been to Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas and ones in the big tents here in Vancouver. We’ve enjoyed every single one of them for their high flying acrobatics, stunning landscapes that come together so smoothly that it’s almost magical. Toruk – The First Flight did not disappoint. The impressive sets will have you leaning forward in your seats to take in all of the stunning visuals that appear before you. The storyteller is also a Na’vi who hear at different intervals of the show. The rest of the cast speaks the “language” of the Na’Vi and there’s not a lot of dialogue but it’s not needed as you truly lose yourself in the story.

My teen-aged daughter and her younger cousin were very excited to see Cirque du Soleil’s Toruk – The First Flight. The cute hoodie is a souvenir, they both ended up getting one. 

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You will find yourself mesmerized by the dazzling landscape as it would masterfully change from one scene to the next, and as mentioned it’s an immersive experience of dazzling landscapes and storytelling. This is the first Cirque du Soleil show where you can become a part of the experience, thanks to the official TORUK mobile app.

You’ll want to download it, especially if you have kids with you, if I had thought about it I would have downloaded it in advance of the show. The kids (and adults) will enjoy the fun surprises that pop up thanks to the mobile app, no spoilers, just trust me and download it. There is free wifi as well for the show but you’ll thank me for downloading it in advance.

I had read beforehand about the show that the focus was on the story, bringing it to life and incorporating the acrobatics into the story. Whereas in other Cirque du Soleil productions the acrobatics would be the scene, at least from the ones we’ve seen. We’ve always enjoyed the amazing acrobatics and the Cirque du Soleil shows we’ve been to in the past would have a lot of acrobatics (we’ve been to four other shows).

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We did notice that Toruk – The First Flight had less acrobatics so we did find it to be a different experience than other shows but they also had the most spectacular effects and sets out of any of the shows we’ve seen. As a visual learner I was so engrossed in taking in all that the landscapes and Artists themselves had to offer that  I would sometimes forget to listen when the storyteller was speaking. That’s how spectacular the visual effects and sets were and the artists moved so fluidly in the scenes. I can see why the Acrobatic Performance Designer, Germain called it “a music of the body”.

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Now of course not everyone is like me, my husband for example would hear every word and I know my daughter and her cousin would gasp sometimes when the set seemed to magically change in front of them. While there may have been less in the way of acrobatics compared to other Cirque du Soleil productions we all still had a wonderful time watching and experiencing the show from the fun of the app to appreciating one stunning visual after the other. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many colours and imaginative creations on one stage. If you’re even thinking of going don’t think do it, as the show has been so popular that they added a show this past Tuesday. It’s a unique person that you all can enjoy. Once again Cirque du Soleil gave us a reason to go out for a fabulous night out with the family.  To get ticket information on family packs an more visit  cirquedusoleil.com.

Image by: Michelle Sutter – Powered by Mom