Cirque du Soleil’s ‘TORUK’ Aerialist Gabrielle Martin’s Big Dream Pays Off - CircusTalk

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Cirque du Soleil’s ‘TORUK’ Aerialist Gabrielle Martin’s Big Dream Pays Off

Cirque du Soleil present “TORUK – The First Flight” inspired by James Cameron’s AVATAR. This live experience envisions a world beyond imagination set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film. The word Toruk, in the Na’vi language, refers to the great leonopteryx, the mighty red and orange predator that rules the Pandoran sky. Central in Na’vi lore and culture, this fascinating creature is crucial to the Na’vi clan’s sense of destiny and interconnectedness — and is about to be ridden for the very first time by a Na’vi.

A featured acrobat in this ensemble is Gabrielle Martin of Vancouver. An aerialist, contemporary dancer, and emerging choreographer, her foray into contemporary circus and dance was nontraditional. She has a background in sports, competing in AAA women’s ice hockey.

In her late teens, Martin began movement training in contact improvisation, butoh, and somatic practices such as Authentic Movement, Release Technique and Body Mind Centering. Simultaneously, she dedicated herself to training and performing “street circus” with Nucleus, a collective of actors, musicians, and self-taught circus artists, and also trained in fire manipulation, stilt walking, and character animation.

To Read Gabrielle’s Story Link to Full Article on rollingout.

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