Cirque du Soleil has a rich history that stretches back more than 20 years with the formation of an exciting union: "Club des Talons Hauts, Inc.". (which means "the High-Heels Club"). This non-profit company was founded on principle alone: "to promote circus arts and street performers." And in doing so this new organization went on to produce Cirque du Soleil during its earliest performances. In June 1984, Cirque du Soleil officially came together in part by contributions and summons by the Québec government. Their name, meaning "Sun Circus" or "Circus of the Sun", was created by the troupe's founder: Guy Laliberté. Once armed with an identity, Cirque du Soleil came together to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's (1491-1557) arrival. For the festivities, Cirque du Soleil presented a very special show in Gaspé, the very same place Mr. Cartier's voyager took him so long ago as he desperately tried to find a land route through to the Orient. The show was a smash success and the artists, invigorated by its reception, took their creation on the road... and Cirque has been going ever since. Historia! celebrates Cirque's spirit by reflecting on their long journey through the years...

[ 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 ] [ 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 |                                                                     1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 ] [ 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 ]            [ 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 ]

1984: Cirque du Soleil is officially created. The first show is presented in Gaspé, Quebec (Le Grand Tour) and then in 10 other cities across the province. The first ever blue-and-yellow big top seats only 800 spectators.

1985: Cirque du Soleil visits Ontario and continues its Canadian journey to Vancouver. On the international stage, some acts are rewarded top honors at competitions and festivals. The big top now has room for 1,500 spectators.

1986: With the success of its 1984 and 1985 tours, Cirque du Soleil creates La Magie Continue, for 1986 and begins a new tour. They perform at the Expo'86 opening and closing ceremonies and find their audience.

1987: A first visit to the United States with Le Cirque Réinventé (or We Reinvent the Circus, in English). It is first presented at the Los Angeles Festival in 1987 (in a make or break situation) and became an instant success. That success followed them to San Diego and Santa Monica.

1988-1989: With the success of Le Cirque Réinventé on the West Coast of the United States, Cirque boldly launches a Midwest and eastern itinerary visiting: San Francisco, Santa Monica (for a second time), Phoenix, Chicago, Miami and New York! Success follows wherever Cirque sets up its big top.

1990: The world premiere of Nouvelle Experience occurs in 1990. This production, very much unlike Cirque's previous shows, merges theater with circus. At the end of an extensive 19-month, 13-city tour of Canada and the United States, 1.3 million spectators have seen the show. Cirque du Soleil makes the first foray into Europe, staging We Reinvent the Circus in London and Paris. The Big Top now seats 2,500 spectators.

1992: Cirque du Soleil makes a name for itself in the Land of the Rising Sun with Fascination, a collage of the best acts from previous shows. Fascination visits eight cities in Japan and is presented 118 times over a four-month period. In Europe, Cirque du Soleil joins forces with Circus Knie and visits over 60 towns in Switzerland. In North America, Nouvelle Expèrience kicks . off a year long engagement under a Big Top at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. And, Cirque du Soleil adds a monument to its repertoire of shows: Saltimbanco.

1993: Nouvelle Expèrience ends its run in Las Vegas to be replaced with Mystère, their most ambitious project to date. Set in a theater within the Treasure Island resort, Cirque signs a 10-year contract to stage the show. Saltimbanco completes its 19-month North American Tour of a dozen cities and receives resounding ovations from 1.4 million spectators.

1994: A year later, Saltimbanco sets sails for a six month run in Tokyo and Cirque du Soleil celebrates its tenth anniversary in style - with another production: Alegría.

1995: While Alegría pursues its triumphant North American tour, Saltimbanco sets out to conquer Europe. Cirque du Soleil's spectacular white Big Top with seating for 2,500 spectators makes its first stop in Amsterdam. Cirque du Soleil also responds to a request from the Canadian government and creates a show for the heads of state gathered for the G7 Summit in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Saltimbanco visits Munich, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Vienna, London, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Antwerp, Zurich and Frankfurt. Amsterdam becomes the site of Cirque du Soleil's European Head Office.

1996: Cirque du Soleil launches Quidam in Montreal. The show begins a three-year North American tour. Denver, Houston and Dallas are added to the tour plan and by the end of the 1,000 performance tour, over 2.5 million spectators will have applauded Quidam. It is also the year of the inauguration of the brand new Montreal Head Office, the Studio, where all Cirque du Soleil's shows will be created.

1997: On February 1st, after five years of touring, the final curtain falls on Saltimbanco at London's Royal Albert Hall. Fresh from an Asian tour, Alegría undertakes a European tour. Cirque du Soleil joins forces with Pomp Duck and Circumstance, an original dinner-theatre show.

1998: A second permanent show, «O», Cirque's fist aquatic show, takes to the stage of a new theatre at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Saltimbanco is re-staged and kicks off a three-year tour of Asia and the Pacific. Cirque du Soleil inaugurates a third resident show: La Nouba, at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. Singapore becomes the site of Cirque du Soleil's Asia-Pacific Head Office.

1999: While artists get used to their new home in Orlando, a brand new production is created in Montreal, announcing the start of the next North American tour: Dralion. Alegría finds a permanent home at the Beau Rivage, a new resort in Biloxi, Mississippi. Quidam embarks on its European journey and begins anew by producing a television version of the show. We also see Alegría the movie and a hint of what is to come...

2000: In the year 2000, about 6 million people will have seen a Cirque du Soleil show! Also, the release of Journey of Man, Cirque's first IMAX movie. Alegría, leaves its home at the Beau Rivage and prepares to embark on an Asia/Pacific tour in 2001 beginning in Australia. Dralion continues to make its way across North America and provides yet another backdrop for a special TV Production.

2001: Alegría begins its three-year tour of the Asia-Pacific region with its first stop in Auckland, New Zealand. In February, the completion of their 14,000 square meter addition to its International Headquarters in Montreal is inaugurated. Seven shows continue to dazzle audiences across the world: Saltimbanco in Japan, Alegría in Australia, Mystère in Las Vegas, «O» in Las Vegas, La Nouba at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, Quidam in Europe, and Dralion in the United States. On October 30th, Cirque released its shows to DVD: La Magie Continue, Le Cirque Réinventé, Nouvelle Expérience, and Saltimbanco as well as Journey of Man and Baroque Odyssey (the 10th Anniversary documentary). In November, Cirque du Soleil presents: Alegría, a special 90-minute television production of its signature show. And, by years end, 6 million people or more will have attended a Cirque show.

2002: The second year of the new millennium proved to be a prolific one for Cirque du Soleil. In 2002, we saw the premiere of Varekai, Cirque's first traveling show in three years. It joined Dralion on its North American Tour. Alegrí returned to the North American continent for a two-year-long run in select cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States. Saltimbanco continued throughout Europe, while Quidam returned from Europe, playing select cities across North America. By year's end, the announcement of yet another permanent show for Las Vegas had many fans' appetite whet for something a little more risqué... Zumanity.

2003: This year Quidam embarked on a year-long tour of Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, visiting Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Alegría continued its second North American Tour, joining Varekai and Dralion. In cooperation with Cirque du Soleil Images, the behind-the-scenes production "Fire Within" airs in the United States; a behind-the-scenes effort on the creation of Varekai. It previously aired in 2002 throughout Canada. Varekai was also filmed late in its run in Toronto and released to home markets in autumn. Another TV project was announced by Cirque entitled SOLSTROM; a variety series based upon characters and acts throughout the brand. It would air early 2004. Zumanity is Cirque du Soleil's latest permanent production, housed at the New York-New York Hotel Casio in Las Vegas, and it's for adults only. It joins Mystère and «O» on the Las Vegas Strip.

2004: This year has brought a wind of change to the organization, as it went through months-long litigation regarding its discriminatory practices toward HIV infected performers. Quidam, which would end its Japanese Tour in the early months of the year, returned to Canada for a two-city run before embarking on its year-long (or more) Asia-Pacific itinerary in Australia/New Zealand. At the beginning of the year Dralion left the North American continent bound for Europe, where it will complete an extensive multi-year tour. Alegría continued its North American Tour, however, by years' end this 10th Anniversary production is bound for Tokyo and the rest of the Japan.

2005: Celebrity Cruises unveils a unique concept of on-board entertainment developed by Cirque du Soleil on two of its cruise ships. This concept, called "The Bar at the Edge of the Earth" featured unique dining fare with a Cirque flare. The year is also marked by the world premiere of Corteo in April, a touring show. In July, Montrèal hosts the XI FINA World Aquatic Championships, for which Cirque du Soleil creates the show for the opening ceremony. And in September, Cirque du Soleil Images films Corteo during its Toronto stop-over, later premiering on CBC/BRAVO and released onto DVD.

2006: Taking the stage in January is DELIRIUM, an all-new concept by Cirque du Soleil featuring remixed music and Cirque's signature style creating a unique musical experience. Later in the year, LOVE, a creation celebrating the musical legacy of The Beatles opens at The Mirage Casino-Hotel in Las Vegas. The show becomes Cirque's fifth resident show in Las Vegas. During this time, Saltimbanco sets off to conquer South America, ending its almost 15 years on tour in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Where projects are concerned, a number of partnerships are struck, including an exclusive agreement with CKS, Inc., for the creation, development, production and promotion of "Elvis Presley Projects" around the globe. The first of these projects is slated to debut in 2009 at the MGM City Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

2007: DELIRIUM concludes its two-year tour in the United States and begins wowing audiences in some never-before-visited cities across Europe. The premiere of Koozå in April launches Cirque du Soleil's 13th touring production (18th overall) since 1984. Saltimbanco is re-stage in the arena format and begins touring the United States and Canada by Summer. And in November, Wintuk, Cirque du Soleil's first "seasonal" show (as it runs for a few short weeks in the winter) premieres at Madison Square Garden's WAMU Theater. In media, Cirque du Soleil releases three documentary DVDs: "The Mystery of Mystère", "FLOW: A Tribute to the Artists of «O»" and "A Thrilling Ride Through Koozå".

2008: In 2008, Cirque du Soleil plans to open two new resident shows - one in Las Vegas, Nevada (at the Luxor) and in Tokyo, Japan (at Tokyo Disneyland Resort).

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