The Montreal troupe’s solely ice present, on on the Bell Centre by way of Dec. 31, options Hjordis Lee and Crystal Manich in alternating within the title position.
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That is the story of two Crystals.
The primary Crystal is definitely named Hjordis Lee and she or he portrays the title character within the Cirque du Soleil ice present, which returned to the Bell Centre Thursday night. It debuted on the similar rink in December 2017 and has been touring the planet ever since.
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Lee performs Crystal for half of the performances. Within the different exhibits, Crystal is performed by Nikol Gosviisni.
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“Crystal is a younger lady who doesn’t really feel that she suits into her household and along with her schoolmates and in life normally,” mentioned Lee, who took a break from skating on the Bell Centre ice Thursday afternoon to speak concerning the present.
“She’s a misfit. Out of frustration, she decides to run away from dwelling and by chance falls by way of the ice in doing so. She’s a really particular particular person within the sense that she has this, I feel, deep artistic energy which she doesn’t know how one can fairly faucet into it but. And I feel lots of people really feel they’ve one thing like this inside them. She then goes on this journey of self-discovery and attempting to determine herself out.”
Lee utterly identifies with Crystal and her quest for self-awareness. Lee, who initially hails from Vancouver, was a aggressive skater, and when she hung up her aggressive skates she went into teaching full-time. However she missed skating herself so she started collaborating in skating exhibits, beginning with the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (sure, they’ve skating exhibits), after which she labored in exhibits in Germany and Switzerland. She joined the Cirque’s Crystal in January 2019 and figures she has carried out the present about 500 occasions since.
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Wig technician Jessica Lowrie works backstage throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Wigs are in place for wardrobe adjustments backstage throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Dmitry Semykin carries Hjordis Lee with one arm throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Michael Helgren lifts Shalena Rau over his head throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Dmitry Semykin spins Hjordis Lee throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Porter Harley McLeish, proper, watches as acrobat Mathieu Campan is thrown within the air throughout backstage rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Dmitry Semykin carries Hjordis Lee with one arm throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Michael Helgren lifts Shalena Rau over his head throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Stuart Widdall skates with Stina Martini over his head throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Stuart Widdall skates with Stina Martini over his head throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Stuart Widdall spins Stina Martini near the ice throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Acrobats rehearse backstage for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Wardrobe technician Melinda Moynihan types costumes backstage throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Stuart Widdall spins Stina Martini near the ice throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Dmitry Semykin carries Hjordis Lee with one arm throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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Michael Helgren helps Shalena Rau throughout rehearsals for the brand new Cirque du Soleil ice present Crystal on the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette
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It’s a singular alternative to be within the Cirque’s solely ice present, Lee mentioned.
“It’s a circus and by no means in my wildest goals did I dream that I’d have the ability to work on such a present,” Lee mentioned. “With this present I actually suppose they marry the multi-disciplines of skating and the aerial acrobatics, whereas typical ice exhibits are primarily skating with perhaps the odd specialty act. Sometimes, I’m additionally not used to skating with stay musicians.”
And she or he loves it.
“I benefit from the problem,” Lee mentioned. “I’m not an acrobat, however I get to do aerial straps with a associate on the ice, which is new to me. I’m up there within the air. Personally, it’s exhilarating. I like heights perhaps due to an absence of peak. I like when somebody’s lifting me within the air, the sensation of flying virtually. If I ever had an excellent energy I feel that’s what I’d select, to fly.”
Lee is 5-foot-1.
The opposite Crystal is Crystal Manich, the inventive director of Crystal. Manich is Puerto Rican and when she was rising up in Pittsburgh, she did skate just a little bit. However she hadn’t worn skates once more till she nabbed the Crystal gig.
“The final time I placed on a pair of skates, I used to be 12,” Manich mentioned. “And simply two weeks in the past, I put them on once more. And it was very tough.
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“Considered one of my targets is to select up the talent, and I’ve skaters who’re prepared to assist me study to skate just a little bit,” she mentioned. “It’s scary. It looks like one other world. You are feeling so weak. I really felt like a child once more. You’re sort of again to sq. one. When you could have one among these skilled skaters holding your hand, it’s just a little unusual as a result of they make it look really easy. I’m like, ‘Look I might do this. I might glide on my foot.’
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Overview: Crystal is loads of enjoyable, however it’s additionally signal of a brand new industrial Cirque
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Cirque du Soleil breaks the ice with Crystal
“You’re very humbled, really, if you do one thing you haven’t executed in a really very long time. And I like being humbled as a result of it makes me very conscientious about different individuals I’m working with. It retains me contemporary. So I’m very excited to study new issues.”
One of many new issues she is studying is how one can direct skaters, a brand new twist for a director who has labored in theatre, opera and movie. It’s a problem, she admits, “however skaters are like dancers and I’ve been working with dancers for my whole 18-year theatrical profession. In loads of methods the vocabulary may be very a lot the identical. The personalities are very related really.”
Crystal is on the Bell Centre by way of to Dec. 31. For tickets go to cirquedusoleil.com/crystal
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