Press Release

Cirque du Soleil announced today four distinguished Canadian arts organizations will participate in the Opening Ceremony of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games on Friday, July 10 in Toronto. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canada’s National Circus School, Canada’s National Ballet School and Toronto Dance Theatre will showcase their unique artistic talent in specific scenes of the Opening Ceremony.

As the Official Creative Partner for the Opening Ceremony, Cirque du Soleil is designing and producing this exclusive “one night only” original production, which is its largest special event to date. This special production will be experienced live by more than 40,000 spectators in the Pan Am Ceremonies venue at 1 Blue Jays Way in downtown Toronto, and by millions of TV viewers globally. In Canada, the Opening Ceremony can be watched live on CBC/Radio-Canada (check local listings).

“In the hopes of leaving a mark on the national artistic community, it has been a significant objective for Cirque du Soleil to involve Canadian creative forces in the Pan Am Games Opening Ceremony,” explained Jean Guibert, Creative Director for 45 DEGREES, the Cirque du Soleil Special Events Company, delivering the Opening Ceremony.

“The Opening Ceremony will showcase the rich diversity, creative talent and generous, welcoming nature of this great region. We’re thrilled to see our nationally acclaimed cultural institutions embracing this unique opportunity to showcase local talent to a global audience and be part of an unforgettable TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games,” said Saäd Rafi, chief executive officer, TO2015.

Cirque du Soleil

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a major Quebec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has close to 4,000 employees, including 1,300 performing artists from close to 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 160 million spectators in 400 cities in 60 countries on six continents.

45 DEGREES

45 DEGREES is the special events company of the Cirque du Soleil Group. It creates and produces events and special projects under both the Cirque du Soleil and 45 DEGREES brands. Over the last 10 years, it has successfully developed and conceived hundreds of projects in both the public and private sectors worldwide. While currently working on the production of a dozen projects, noteworthy accomplishments include two Academy Awards performances, two Super Bowl appearances, the World Expo Shanghai Pavilion, an outdoor show at Expo Milan 2015 and several outdoor festivals in Canada, Andorra and Russia. www.45degrees.com.

Media Contact:
Reggie Lyons, 45 DEGREES, Cirque du Soleil Group
Reggie.lyons@cirquedusoleil.com