In many parts of our lives we feel like the misfit, trapped in the story of the ugly duckling wondering where you fit into this world and the impacts everyone wants to make to know that a difference was made by their existence. From large events that changed the world, to small gestures that only affect a few people, but the impact made is all the difference to lift those around them. Many times, when we feel the misfit, it’s because we are trying to be something we are not, and that is why we try to be a duck, when we are all in fact the swan simply lost in the wrong flock.
Join Crystal in a Cirque du Soleil production of a young writer who doubts herself and feels misunderstood in life – a misfit we can relate to. To escape her reality, she decides to skate out her frustrations on a frozen pond (how Canadian). As she is skating, the ice breaks underneath her and she begins to submerge underwater. Upon breaking into the ice, she goes on a self-reflecting journey to find her inner strength and courage. As she falls through the ice, Crystal sees a doppelgänger of herself; Crystal’s Reflection, that guides Crystal through her own subconscious, and personal struggles, to find her own inner creativity in writing.
Cirque du Soleil presents CRYSTAL on ice at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre from May 8th to 18th, 2025, in Victoria, or June 4-8 in Vancouver at the Pacific Coliseum. Kurt Browning a Canadian figure skater and four-time world champion joined the creative team as the Skating Performances Senior Designer along with four-time world medalist American ice dancer Benjamin Agosto as the Skating Performances Designer. Set in a colorful, surreal frozen playground, the show takes audiences on an exhilarating ride through Crystal’s journey of transformation. Through daring acrobatics, graceful ice skating, and stunning visuals unfold in a dreamlike world that challenges reality, watch her empowering journey of self-discovery, finding strength and individuality. Cirque du Soleil CRYSTAL redefines performance by merging the art of skating with gravity-defying acrobatics. As she glides through this imaginative world, performers dazzle with synchronized choreography, freestyle skating, aerial stunts, and bold visual projections. The unique soundtrack, blending popular music with Cirque du Soleil’s signature sound, enhances every moment.
Cirque du Soleil founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 June 1984 by former street performers Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix. Originating as a performing troupe called Les Échassiers “The Stilt Walkers”. Cirque du Soleil is French Canadian for ‘Circus of the Sun, or Sun Circus. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, Montreal are a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world.
Be prepared to be amazed with a truly out of this world visual performance as Cirque du Soleil CRYSTAL takes you on a journey of self-discovery!
Brian Smith
bsmith288@my.bcit.ca