In partnership with MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CIRQUE - The Borough and École de<br>cirque de Verdun Present a Completely Circus Weekend

VERDUN, QC, May 31 /CNW Telbec/ - This summer, MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT cirque is spotlighting the southwestern part of Montréal, through the collaborative efforts of the Verdun Borough and École de cirque de Verdun, for a weekend getaway and unforgettable discoveries in the circus world.

"Verdun is enthusiastically welcoming this festival, which comes within our will to offer Verdunites an outstanding showcase of the circus arts and to give Montrealers the opportunity to discover a delightful site that is so well suited to presenting this event," stated Verdun Borough Mayor Claude Trudel.

During the weekend of July 16-18, youngsters and grown-ups will be invited to take part in the festival, to be held along the banks of the St. Lawrence River in the Verdun Borough and presenting a new and original program featuring, in turn, DownPour, an international show performed by A4, an Australian circus company, a spectacular demonstration of fire jugglers and fire eaters, strolling entertainers as well as introductory workshops on circus art techniques, open to the general public.

Presented within the MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CIRQUE program, DownPour carries the public off on a thrilling journey filled with passion, humour, love, warmth and tension. Inspired by White Nights, a short story by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, DownPour explores new love, lost love and everything in between. The show stands out for the quality of its narration and the energy of the young performers in this circus company. They will make you laugh, hold your breath and cry. No doubt, Dostoyevsky must be turning over in his grave, but you will be captivated by DownPour and gasping for more. Two shows will be presented in the evening, July 16 and 17, at 8 p.m. as well as on Sunday afternoon, July 18, at 2 p.m., in Studio B of the Guy-Gagnon building (5160, boulevard LaSalle) in Montréal.

"For our festival, this circus weekend in Verdun is a real example of the way we wanted to see the neighbourhoods adopt our event as their own, to become "completely circus", stated Stéphane Lavoie, Executive Director of TOHU and MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CIRQUE.

On Friday, July 16, and Saturday, July 17, starting at 9:15 p.m., Cirque sur le fleuve - Entre le feu et l'eau (Circus on the waterfront - Between fire and water) also invites festival-goers, free of charge, to make a foray into the magical world of fire eaters. Presented by École de cirque de Verdun, this flamboyant fire juggling, fire dancing and performances bear witness to the passion and talents of the performers of Productions Saltimbanque and Abraxas, to create a show with such an amazing technique.

And lastly, on Saturday, July 17, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., École de cirque de Verdun is inviting all festival-goers-families, youngsters and adults-to an afternoon scattered with workshops and strolling entertainers. "We're proud to join forces with this festival and to give circus arts lovers a chance to discover the various disciplines of the circus," mentioned Christiane Poulin, executive director of École de cirque. Youngsters and grown-ups will therefore have the opportunity to defy gravity on the trapeze, explore their skills on the trampoline, test their flexibility in acrobatics as well as their ability to juggle, balance on rolling objects, and more. The workshops are free of charge and open to 4-year-olds and over.

Week-end cirque à Verdun is a must-see event where the circus will be rolling out its line-up of performances on the banks of the majestic St. Lawrence River, in the Verdun Borough, in the heart of a park abounding in greenery.

Ticket office for the shows: Admission Network

Easily accessible by metro (De l'Église station on the Green Line) and via Autoroutes 15 South and Ville-Marie

    
    STUDIO B (Édifice Guy-Gagnon, VERDUN)

    A4 Circus Ensemble (Australie) - Downpour
    Du 16 au 18 juillet
    

DownPour entraîne le public dans un voyage enflammé de passion, d'humour, d'amour, de chaleur et de tension. Inspiré des Nuits Blanches de Fiodor Dostoïevski, DownPour explore les amours naissantes, les amours perdues et toutes celles qui se trouvent entre ces deux extrêmes.

Le spectacle se démarque par la qualité de sa narration et l'énergie déployée par les jeunes artistes de la troupe. Ils vous feront rire, retenir votre souffle, pleurer. Dostoïevski doit sûrement se retourner dans sa tombe mais vous serez captivés par Downpour et vous en redemanderez !

DownPour a été présenté à l'édition 2010 du Adelaïde Fringe, en Australie.

Les 16 et 17 juillet

Les citoyens de l'arrondissement de Verdun auront droit à un week-end complètement cirque. Grâce à une participation de l'arrondissement et de l'école de cirque de Verdun, des activités gratuites pour toute la famille leur seront proposées dans le Parc Desmarchais, vendredi et samedi avant le spectacle en salle.

Au programme, animations et ateliers dès 13 h, et incursions dans le monde magique des cracheurs de feu à 17 h avec le spectacle extérieur Cirque sur le fleuve, entre le fleuve et l'eau.

DownPour is an exciting mix of narrative-based circus inspired by Fyodor Dostoyevsky's short story "White Nights". DownPour explores new love, lost love and everything in between. The young highly skilled and energetic performers will make you laugh, hold your breath and cry. This show may have Dostoyevsky turning in his grave but will have you gasping for more! DownPour was recently presented at the 2010 Adelaide Fringe, in Australia.

    
    Crédits

    Zeb Hunter Directeur artistique
    Carl Polke Compositeur
    Chris Thompson Mentor à la création
    Rob Scott Lumières
    Sarah Bianco Régisseuse
    Anni Davey Chorégraphe et metteur
    en scène invitée
    Isaac Lummis Costumes


    Week-end
    CiRQUE à Verdun
    

Grâce à une participation de l'arrondissement de Verdun et de l'école de cirque de Verdun, des activités gratuites pour toute la famille sont proposées dans le Parc Desmarchais, vendredi et samedi 16 et 17 juillet, avant le spectacle en salle. Au programme, le samedi dès 13 h, animations et ateliers, les vendredi et samedi ; animation cirque à 19 h et incursions dans le monde magique des cracheurs de feu à 21 h 15 avec le spectacle extérieur Cirque sur le fleuve, entre le feu et l'eau, avec les Productions Saltimbanques et Abraxas.

Thanks to the participation of the borough of Verdun and the circus school of Verdun, citizens have free access to a variety of activities for the whole family in Parc Desmarchais, on Friday and Saturday (July 16 and 17) prior to the indoor show. Don't miss the outdoor fun and entertainment featuring the magic world of fire-spitting!

For further information: École de cirque de Verdun, [phone], www.e-cirqueverdun.com; Verdun Borough: Francine Morin, [phone], ville.montreal.qc.ca/verdun; Montréal complètement cirque: Communications Papineau Couture, [phone], [email protected]