Montreal's Cirque du Soleil is back in HK with their jaw-dropping feats. Liana Cafolla had a chance to go backstage in the lead-up to the show's opening.

Backstage, days before Kooza opens in Hong Kong, the atmosphere is one of buzzing activity and barely-suppressed excitement. Underlying the hustle and bustle is an unmistakable sense of focus. The wardrobe girl diligently brushes out the fake dogs' coats. The performing artistes are warming up off stage before going into a rehearsal. Each of the more than 120 cast and crew members from about 20 different nationalities is visibly committed to ensuring that this show gets as good as it can possibly be.

Kooza's maiden show in Hong Kong last night marks the first time Cirque du Soleil has performed in the city since 2008. It's a momentous occasion for props technician Kevin Chung. He has been with the company for a decade and this is the first time Cirque is showing in Chung's home city since he joined. It's his chance to show his work to his family. "They're coming to the show next week. It's going to be very special," he says with some emotion.

Chung, who graduated from the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in props making, had initially thought he would end up in a job doing window displays. Instead he takes care of all the props - anything not worn by the artists. There are about 100 pieces, including some very large and intricate objects, to take care of.

"On tour, I run the show behind the scenes," he says, adding that he could not pull it off without support from his team. "It's something I never believed I could be part of. It's a world-class circus. I'm very lucky."

It's not a job for the faint-hearted. As well as ensuring everything is in full working order and always in its correct place - essential for the show's lightning-fast scene changes - Chung ensures spare parts and back-ups of all the pieces are available at all times in case of breakage or loss. In each new venue he works with teams of local laborers contracted in to help set up the stage. And each venue comes with its own distinct features which need to be adapted to the requirements of the show. For example, the ground at Hong Kong's Central Harbourfront Event Space was found to be too uneven and a cement floor had to be put in place.

In the small, densely-packed wardrobe area, head of wardrobe Alex Surridge seems undaunted by the 3,000 costumes and footwear under her care. About 1,200 pieces are used during a show. Each of these has to be carefully examined after every performance for signs of any possible damage that could cause an artiste to trip or lose their balance.

"We go through every single item, right down to the smallest thread," she explains. She also oversees make-up training. The performers are taught to do their own make-up. The process takes them approximately 90 minutes before each performance.

Practice makes perfect

They also follow a formidable training schedule. Much of the backstage is taken up by gym equipment, a trampoline and a large training mat. Aerial strap artist Haley Vinoria outlines her daily work and training schedule on a performance day. It starts with 30 minutes of cardio in the gym, a 45-minute rehearsal on stage, "headstands for about an hour", then make-up, the show, followed by more conditioning exercises and practice after the performance.

California-born Vinoria saw a performance of Kooza in 2007 and was immediately convinced to drop her video game design classes and become a circus performer.

"That's the show that changed my life," she says. "And now here I am performing in the show that changed my life."

Kooza's artistic director Dean Harvey watches each show closely, providing regular show-notes including feedback and tips to the artistes.

A tap-dancer since he was 4, Harvey moved through many stages of performance and choreography before joining the Kooza team a year and a half ago. Although he no longer performs, he's enjoying his time playing a key role in the production.

"I learn from the artistes daily, from what they bring to the show," he says. "That's what feeds me creatively. I live vicariously through them every night."

He also feeds on the pleasure he anticipates the audiences will feel each night.

"They're going to have that Cirque experience. I know what we deliver, and it's spectacular."

Coming full circle

On the stage, it's practice time for one of the show's highlights, The Wheel of Death - a large dual-hooped, swinging apparatus that hangs high off the ground, suspended from the ceiling. A man wearing a T-shirt, shorts and red boots walks along the insides of the hoop, first in one direction and then the other, as nonchalantly as if he was walking up a flight of steps, his weight moving the entire contraption in fast-moving circles. A second man jumps in the other hoop and both hoops speed up. Both men jump, knees to chest, into the air within the whirling hoops, almost in slow motion. The man in shorts steps outside his hoop, trotting along its outer circumference. The hoop moves faster. He's got a skipping rope and starts to skip, slowly at first and then at very high speed. His foot appears to trip on the rope and for a breath-stopping split second he leans forward before regaining his full balance.

The rings stop moving, the men step out. Some rapid adjustments are made by the acrobats using an electric hand tool, aided by a swoop of helpers. The men step back into the hoops and practice recommences. The bright lights are switched off and the stage is bathed in red lights, creating elongated shadows. The hoops move faster, the tension heightens, the men transform into mysterious swirling silhouettes and for a brief moment, the magic of Kooza is apparent in all its glory.

The world-renowned Kooza show is powered by a 120-strong cast and crew from 20 different nationalities.Photos provided to China Daily

(HK Edition 04/20/2018 page10)