Storytelling in Convergence with Circus: KÀ by Cirque du Soleil

This study notes “storytelling” as an important factor that enabled Cirque du Soleil, established in 1984, to develop into a world-class performing troupe, and seeks to investigate what processes and functions utilized storytelling. Cirque du Soleil revolutionized the classical elements and overall composition of the circus, becoming an innovative performing arts troupe, centering its vision around the “new circus” concept and “storytelling”. While the classical circus was a simple lineup of skills, Cirque du Soleil utilized unique audiovisual elements through artistic assets built before its establishment and has used storytelling as a tool to weave these elements together organically. This study explores the purpose and process of the introduction of storytelling by Cirque du Soleil and examines the aspects of storytelling in convergence with the circus as well as the results achieved through it by an analysis of KÀ, a permanent performance in Las Vegas. KÀ is the first performance with a scripted, cohesive story in Cirque du Soleil that attempts to converge storytelling with a circus-style production.