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Former LSS Student choreographed Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas

Wade Robson, LSS Alumnus casts "Believe," a new Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas starring Criss Angel, which began Sept 12th.

 

Believe It: Wade Robson Taps His Inner Storyteller
Wade RobsonWade Robson knew he needed dancers who were storytellers when he cast Believe, the new Cirque du Soleil show starring Criss Angel that began Sept. 12 in Las Vegas. "The choreography really serves the story," says Robson, Dance Magazine's March cover guy. "You don't feel like you're watching a dance number, but that all this action is unfolding naturally." To help him work out what he wanted, Robson held movement workshops early in the staging process and invited dancers he'd worked with in L.A. "They needed to be versatile, well-rounded, and strong in hip-hop," he says. "But most of all they needed to be real." Believe follows illusionist Angel, who plays a Victorian aristocrat, as he travels through a surreal landscape. "It's a struggle between his good side and his dark side," says Robson. "He's searching for the light. We all have devilish feelings we try to keep under wraps, but they can take you over."
 
The show is something of a departure for Cirque, which in the past has made acrobatics a bigger element in their shows than dance. "The dancers are involved in all of Criss' illusions," says Robson. "It's a challenge for him because while he's aware of his body and knows how to move, he's not a dancer. It's my job to make movement that fits within his comfort zone."
 
Las Vegas has become a wellspring of opportunity for professionals who are ready to settle into long-running gigs, Robson says. "It depends on where you are in your career, but if you're looking for a solid paycheck for two years in an authentic dance job, it's happening here." He has been excited about Cirque's long-range approach to developing a show. "It's nice to have an opportunity to nitpick," he says, of a rehearsal process that began in February. Robson feels that the show's narrative thrust has been a natural fit for him. "I'm always about the theatrical nature of dance," he says. "Believe is a platform where I get to showcase where I am now."
 
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10-02-2008

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