Kooza first premiered in 2007 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada where circus conglomerate Cirque du Soleil, the largest theatrical producer on this earthround, was founded in 1983 as part of the 450th anniversary celebrations of Jacques Cariter’s voyage to Canada.Defining “nouveau cirque” by combining circus styles from around the globe, animal free thrills, continuous live music, death defying stunts and its theatrical, character driven approach, Cirque du Soleil expanded rapidly through the 1990s and 2000s, going from one show to 19 shows in over 271 cities on about every continent except Antarctica.Accessible, earnest, yet undeniably artful – these were Cirque’s trademark qualities.It became a brand.A brand with a myriad of incarnations.
The recent ones were hit and miss, especially when the shows derived from traditional circus traditions: it got bigger, flashier and at times over-poised and acrobatically underwhelming. Kooza’s name was inspired by the Sanskrit words “koza”, meaning box, treasure or chest. One of the main concepts behind the production is that of a circus in a container. Kooza’s stage resembles a square that can be transformed into a Circus ring. Its sight lines are 280 degrees.
Kooza’s ten acrobatics acts are complemented by burlesque performances that help to develop the storyline.
Kooza doesn’t just have the “wowfactor”, but it also establishes Cirque du Soleil firmly as the “wowfactor”. This is Cirque du Soleil – a thrilling, immersive and entertaining night.
