{"id":23126,"date":"2019-11-11T10:15:12","date_gmt":"2019-11-11T15:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/?p=23126"},"modified":"2020-02-16T12:29:37","modified_gmt":"2020-02-16T17:29:37","slug":"katherine-hill-ben-agosto-talk-cirque-du-soleil-and-axel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/katherine-hill-ben-agosto-talk-cirque-du-soleil-and-axel\/","title":{"rendered":"Katherine Hill & Ben Agosto Talk Cirque du Soleil and AXEL"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Anne Calder <\/em><\/p>\n

Cirque du Soleil had a humble beginning in the early 1980s when a group of jugglers, dancers, and musicians began entertaining on the streets of their small village near Quebec City, Canada.<\/p>\n

Four decades later traveling troupes worldwide and permanent shows in Las Vegas casinos, continue to treat audiences to a unique and contemporary vision of circus art.<\/p>\n

In 2017 Cirque du Soleil stepped outside its familiar box and launched Crystal,<\/em> a totally new kind of performance that mixed the circus acrobats with world-class ice skaters. Four-time World Champion Kurt Browning and five-time US Champion, Ben Agosto coached the ice skating performers.<\/p>\n

A second show on ice has now evolved from Crystal\u2019s <\/em>continued success. The world premiere of AXEL will take place on December 19 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.<\/p>\n

ALL ABOUT AXEL
\n<\/strong>Katherine Hill and Ben Agosto are members of AXEL\u2019s creative team. They recently shared their thoughts about the show with ice-dance.com while in Las Vegas to choreograph the Skate America post-competition gala.<\/p>\n

Katherine Hill comes from a skating and dance background with a degree in Dance from Northwestern University. She skated competitively out of Chicago, but always knew she wanted to choreograph. For the last few years, she has been working with several of the competitive skaters at the World Arena in Colorado Springs.<\/p>\n

Ben Agosto and his ice dance partner Tanith Belbin were the 2002 Junior World Champions and 2006 Olympic silver medalists. After several years on Stars on Ice, Agosto honed his choreographic skills with the Disney shows. He also assisted Christopher Dean with Holiday on Ice in Europe.<\/p>\n

Prior to heading to Montreal, the duo received a nice confidence booster from Dean. \u201cHe assured us we were ready for our new AXEL challenge and sent us on our way,\u201d said Hill.<\/p>\n

Cirque du Soleil Press Release: \u201cAXEL is the story of a young man whose passion for live music and graphic arts come to life in an exhilarating adventure as he falls for the fascinating Lei in a high-speed chase for love and self-realization.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Agosto\u2019s official title with AXEL is Skating Performance Designer, which in figure skating terms is \u201cSkating Choreographer\u201d. He and Hill are in charge of taking the Director\u2019s vision and conceptualizing and creating all the skating that happens in the show and presenting it in the very best way.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>It was a big challenge, but very exciting to work with this 16 member team that was focused on creating the show,” Agosto said.\u00a0 “We were fortunate to have the incredible Sam Chouinard, who works with the Montreal ice dancers, choreographing with us.”<\/p>\n

\u201cThe theme of AXEL draws from a rock n\u2019 roll show,” Hill explained.\u00a0 “When the Director, without a figure skating background, thought about an arena show, to him it was all about a musical act \u2013 like when he went to see a concert with his favorite band.\u00a0 It has great live music and the lead character is a guitarist and singer.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for the name, AXEL, they tied together the skating element Axel with Axl Rose, the lead vocalist of the rock band, Guns N\u2019 Roses and made that the title of the show.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

From the beginning, the acrobats learned to skate and the skaters learned acrobatics and other circus moves. Hill and Agosto wanted to feel first hand what the skaters were experiencing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a pair team, and we needed to choreograph their movements in the air,” Hill said.\u00a0 “We said we weren\u2019t quite sure how to do it unless we were to go up as well.”<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we got harnessed up and flown on some cables,\u201d Agosto said. \u201cThey connected us to a little rig, and then lifted us up into the air, and we got to fly and it felt like we were actually flying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, they have skating on stilts in the show, so we had the privilege of being a part of helping those skaters learn to skate on stilts,\u201d Hill noted. \u201cSo once again we needed to feel how that felt like.\u201d<\/p>\n

A cast member, who had skated on stilts for many years, preferred it with ski boots, so the acrobatic design team created a special ski boot with a 3\u00bd-foot stilt and a blade on the bottom.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took some time with the safety line,\u201d Agosto said, \u201cbut they learned how to skate on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"To keep up with the performing skaters, each costume has a spotlight tracking system with two channels with one installed in each shoulder. An infrared light above the ice follows each skater.<\/p>\n

Prior to joining Cirque du Soliel, five of the skaters had trained in Colorado Springs. Agosto had worked with ice dancers Karina Manta and Joe Johnson for several years, and also knew Erika Smith & AJ Reiss, the pair team. In addition, the female lead, Japanese single skater, Miyu Nakashio had trained there with Hill for few a years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I approached Karina and Joe about the show, they were very excited,\u201d Agosto explained. \u201cI didn\u2019t tell them I was choreographing. I just told them there was an opportunity at Cirque du Soliel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they called Ben to hear more about the opportunity and more details, we were in Australia,\u201d Hill added. \u201cThat\u2019s when we told them Ben would also be at the show as the choreographer.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the very beginning, Agosto wanted to be involved with the casting because he had a vision of what the skating should be. He wanted skaters who were fully capable of bringing that vision to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very important to me to have a dance team, so it was a natural fit to want Karina and Joe in the show. It was the same thing for Erika and AJ. We were looking for a pair team who could do big throws and tricks.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen worked very closely with Cirque du Soliel casting to make sure there was a nice blend of fresh blood in the professional show environment and those who could lead them,\u201d Hill explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe couldn\u2019t have been happier with the way Karina and Joe adapted,” Agosto noted.\u00a0 “They had a great attitude, were hard workers, and learned the choreography quickly.”<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were natural leaders who helped teach the other skaters the choreography because they knew it right away \u2013 the counts and steps. They were familiar with me and my movement quality.\u201d<\/p>\n

At one point they told Hill and Agosto that all their previous training had led to this opportunity. They were now able to perform comfortably and express themselves without the stress of competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince skating has always been a creative outlet for them, they now feel like they are presenting their art;\u201d Agosto said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis was especially true when Joe was told he could vogue. He almost fainted; he was so excited,\u201d Hill said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe creation process is very collaborative, and that doesn\u2019t mean just for the creative team, but also with the artists,\u201d Hill added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most impactful example of collaboration in our experience is where Karina and Joe are one of three featured couples in this large number each with a two-minute solo,\u201d said Agosto.<\/p>\n

The music composer shared his own initial thoughts about the instrumental sounds for this \u201cGala\u201d production. However, Agosto had his own ideas for the music.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted the three couples to each have a very distinctive character to them. I showed him a video of Karina and Joe\u2019s free dance from last year [Sweet Dreams by Eurhythmics]. I wanted the music to be very vogue. The second couple\u2019s video was very classical, and the third one was very rock n\u2019 roll.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told him to compose the music for the skaters, for the actors, which he did just looking at their videos \u2013 almost like doing a soundtrack for a movie,\u201d smiled Agosto.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo he created the music, but it was still a lot of back and forth tweaking \u2013 a different sound or a new trick here and there,\u201d Hill added. \u201cIt was a collaborative effort \u2013 the composer, skaters, and choreographers together.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs for Karina and Joe, this performance is very true to who they are. They are not being put into the show and saying you are this character,\u201d Agosto said. \u201cThis is Karina and Joe. This is very special.\u201d<\/p>\n

After four months of six-days-a-week rehearsals in Montreal, the 41 performing cast members plus five musicians and the lead singer\/guitarist headed to Cornwall, Ontario where AXEL made its debut on October 4.<\/p>\n

Next the troupe crossed the US border to Syracuse, NY before continuing on to six more American cities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is just the second ice show so there\u2019s still a lot of learning to be done on how this new environment works on their apparatuses, and how they can best showcase what they want for the audiences,\u201d Agosto noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s an understanding that when it first opens, there\u2019s a period where it\u2019s going to keep growing; it\u2019s going to evolve,\u201d he continued. \u201cThere\u2019s an artistic director who is now with the show touring, and he has full control. He can make little tweaks and changes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will also be called in from time to time as needed. There are some things we\u2019re scheduled to help to expand and keep adding to, and we\u2019re excited about that. I\u2019m also excited to see how it has already grown based on performing it every night \u2013 when they get in the groove and find their rhythm.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince the really big premiere in December is in Montreal, the home city of Cirque du Soliel, everyone wants it to be in good shape,\u201d Agosto concluded.<\/p>\n

The duo hopes audiences will leave the arenas with an appreciation that figure skating can be as awe-inspiring as the circus acts that are synonymous with Circus du Soliel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope people walk away thinking not only is skating beautiful, but we hope we can turn some of the circus fans into skating fans also,\u201d Hill said.<\/p>\n

Finally, we asked our guests to tell us why we should attend an AXEL performance if it came to a nearby arena.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say [because] it\u2019s a show that\u2019s unlike any other you could see anywhere else because you have the known quantity of incredible acrobatics that Cirque du Soliel brings with great production and theatrical wow,\u201d Agosto said. \u201c<\/strong>At the same time, you have very high level skating.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe worked hard to bring the highest technical level of skaters we could find and really challenge them and give them space to breathe and skate and show off their talents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will not find those ingredients combined anywhere else. I think it\u2019s a very exciting and unique show. There\u2019s a storyline to follow. It has something for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t see it in any ice show; you won\u2019t see it in any circus show.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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