GENERAL PUBLIC ON-SALE BEGINS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9 AT NOON

Hartford, CT ¾ April 8, 2003 – CIRQUE DU SOLEIL has announced that for the first time ever it will raise its state-of-the-art big top, the blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau, in Southern New England with its live production DRALION. The trademark blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau will be located in Hartford, Conn. on Market Street at the intersection of I-84 and I-91 (Northwest corner) for a limited engagement beginning Tuesday, June 24, 2003.

Tickets may be purchased beginning April 9 at noon by calling the Admission Network at
1-800-678-5440 or online at www.cirquedusoleil.com.

Since its world premiere in Montreal in April 1999, DRALION has been experienced by more than 3 million spectators in 26 cities across North America. The Los Angeles Times said of Dralion, “In Cirque du Soleil’s winning Dralion, fanciful creatures and a bit of self-parody infuse the troupe’s acts with new life…entrancing as ever… impeccable.”

Suspended in time between the past and the future, DRALION is a celebration of life and the four elements that maintain the natural order: air, water, fire and earth. DRALION propels these four pillars of the universe into a futuristic dimension, soaring to new heights as it defies the laws of nature.

Fusing ancient Chinese acrobatic tradition with the avant-garde approach of Cirque du Soleil, DRALION is Cirque du Soleil at its purest: a dynamic performance that transcends the boundaries of the imagination and leads us into a dreamscape with a new and sparkling perspective.

Led by Creative Director GILLES STE-CROIX,
the creative team includes Director GUY CARON, Costume Designer FRANÇOIS BARBEAU, Set Designer STÉPHANE ROY, Lighting Designer LUC LAFORTUNE, Composer VIOLAINE CORRADI, Choreographer JULIE LACHANCE, Sound Designer GUY DESROCHERS, and Clown Act Co-Designer
MICHEL DALLAIRE.

DRALION features more than 55 artists from ten countries (Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Ivory Coast, Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States), including a house troupe of 37 Chinese acrobats. The multi-talented performers present a variety of high-caliber acts including teeterboard, ballet on lights, hoop diving, bamboo poles, juggling, single hand balancing, double trapeze, skipping ropes and more. All acts were specially created for DRALION. Clowns — without whom no circus is complete — appear throughout the show, adding more than a touch of madness.

The breathtaking futuristic set is an immense technological sculpture whose every component serves as an accessory to the acrobats throughout the show. One of these components, hanging close to the dome of the big top, is an aluminium structure made up of three rings, each of which has a particular function. One ring, called "the sun", serves as an acrobatic apparatus, another as a catwalk, while the third is used for technical purposes and houses an enormous lantern. The metal wall acts as backdrop and orchestra pit, in addition to being used by the artists during the performance.

The costumes, created exclusively for DRALION, are in four colours representing the elements: blue for air, green for water, red for fire and ochre for earth. The iridescent colors of the costumes are reflected in the metallic glints of a decor that comes straight out of the cinéma fantastique.

The DRALION score is a fusion of music from around the world. The music borrows from more traditional sources, then bursts into an electro-symphonic realm of a world yet to come. The wide range of influences includes Hindu melodies and the sounds of instruments from Andalusia, Africa, Central Europe and the West.

Cirque du Soleil gratefully acknowledges IBM, American Electric Power and Bravo Network as corporate sponsors of the Cirque du Soleil 2003 North American Tours. Our partners for Southern New England are: Lite 100.5 WRCH and 96.5 TIC, Channel 3, Obie Media, CTnow.com and our local partner Hartford New England's Rising Star.