La bulle mesmerizes as Pierrot performs in a giant, illuminated bubble, July 19 to 21 — Stir

IT’S LIKE A magical, giant snow globe come to life, set against the sun setting over the water and the Vancouver skyline.

Toronto’s CORPUS Dance Projects is bringing its ethereal performance in an illuminated “bubble tent” to Cypress Village Pop-Up Village this week, care of West Van’s culture hub Kay Meek Arts Centre.

The Dora Award-winning show finds the classic lonely clown Pierrot, clad in his iconic black and white costume, inhabiting the dome. Without ruining a production that depends on surprise after absurd surprise, he occasionally tries to reach out and connect to the audience who sits around him. He can even draw on the unique transparent structure that separates him from the world. (See the video trailer below for an idea of the fun that ensues.)

Suffice it to say the performance, by a charismatic David Danzon, is mesmerizing, and the outdoor production is visually stunning, funny, and poignantly poetic. It comes from a company that’s spent decades honing its intricate, surreal pieces. CORPUS has travelled to 34 countries around the world.

Don't miss it on its brief summer stop in Vancouver, as the skies turn pink over the mountain—a setting that should make La bulle feel even more dreamlike.

Janet Smith is an award-winning arts journalist who has spent more than two decades immersed in Vancouver’s dance, screen, design, theatre, music, opera, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.

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