Cirque du Soleil - Dralion (2001)

The Chinese consider the lion a symbol of good luck, so it's a half-dragon, half-lion--a dralion--that is the symbol of the East-meets-West fusion of this Cirque du Soleil show, in which 36 Chinese acrobats join the renowned Canadian troupe. Celebrating the four elements as represented in four colors-- blue (air), green (water), red (fire), and ochre (earth)--Dralion combines ancient Chinese circus traditions with Cirque du Soleil's usual stunning elements: the techno-oriented single ring; the multicolored lights and costumes; the music that mixes rock, New Age, and various world influences (though not Chinese); and the madcap clowns that pull a victim out of the audience (he turns out to be a terrific sport).

But of course the main reason to watch a Cirque du Soleil show is the acrobatic stunts, those eye-popping displays of agility, balance, and strength. You'll see an acrobat balancing on one hand, a brawny juggler, a high-flying teeterboard act, a double trapeze, contortionists, a parasol turned and tossed atop a foot, furiously synchronized hoop-diving, unbelievable rope-skipping, and more. While nothing can match the experience of seeing this troupe live, the video does offer some choice close-ups that you would never get from your seat, and you can't ask the live performers to repeat your favorite stunts over and over again. And you'll want to see them over and over because Dralion is a dazzler. --David Horiuchi Amazon.com

Amazing show!

This Cirque de Soleil is one of the best. It has a bright, colorful theme. The program includes acts like a fabulous juggler, aerial acrobats/dancers, Chinese tumblers and contortionists, and amazing parasol juggler. The clown acts are the funniest thing I've ever seen. The music is odd, but not irritating. My girls watched it for the first time ever and then turned around and watched it again. It's great. December 12, 2008

Dralion = Heaven

Dralion is outstanding and it is heaven to watch. The acrobats are amazing and the set is great. My favorite acts are Ballet on Light Bulbs and Duo Trapeze. The lighting is wonderful and the DVD quality is great too. I also thought it was cool that the show was related to Chinese acrobats. The clowns are great and very funny too. If you buy Dralion, you will not regret it. July 16, 2008

dralion

I'm guessing it would have been good - if I had received it.
I order so much I overlooked this one January 3, 2007

Hoo-YAH!

LOVE this DVD! I have almost a complete Cirque Du Soleil DVD collection, and so far, this one and Alegria are my very favorites. It's playful and serious by turns, and the performers are just incredible. I almost wanted to take some Advil or Tylenol for them, watching the things they did with their bodies acrobatically. The music was kind of otherworldly, and while the show was highly Chinese-themed, the music wasn't. But that also seems to be something that Cirque does - meld the show with the music. My favorite act is the juggler. He floors me every time I see it. WELL worth seeing. I'm seeing a live show near my home this fall, and I've seen LaNouba at Disneyworld twice. Whatever they put their name to, it's fantastic. And while there may be a little suggestiveness and some very slight innuendos in some of the shows, I personally would allow any child over about 5 years old to see them. August 6, 2006

The juggler and the clowns

This production as a whole did not hold my attention as much as it could have. I feel that the camera angles and the editing could be improved. Nevertheless, Cirque du Soleil is as always incredibly creative as demonstrated in the special features section of the DVD. The overall tone of "Dralion" is a little darker punctuated by some suberb individual acts that do indeed light up the audience. August 5, 2006

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