Ravi Vora

There have been a million circus acts, but only one has stood above the rest internationally. So why not take a few hints?

I had the pleasure of taking my father to see the Cirque Du Soleil performance of Saltimbanco for his birthday last week and wanted to share some of the ingredients of success I picked up.

1. Make your mistakes look they are part of the act. Three times a performer fell off his bicycle and just jumped right back on in a flashy way. Everyone clapped. So what if you screw up? Roll with it. If you perfect the art of making your mistakes look like part of the plan, you are going to be successful.
2. Always smile. Even when one of the acrobats was falling to his potential doom, he had a big grin on his face. Whether it hurts, or it’s hard to do, just smile through it. If people never see you down, they will think you know what you’re doing and your happiness will be contagious.
3. People respect risk takers. Two twin girls on a flying trapeze were tossing each other and catching each other by their ankles right before they would have flown into the stadium and surely died. It was amazing. If you do something someone else wouldn’t do, you’ll be envied and trusted. Being strong-headed and confident will win you many friends and opportunities.
4. Your talent can be used somewhere. If you can do a headstand while lifting yourself by only one hand on your twin brother’s bald head, someone will buy it. From the most mundane to the most bizarre, you can find a niche.
5. Humor works. Everything in the show was done in a light fashion. Nothing was taken seriously, even if it was very dangerous. This let people relax and enjoy the experience while they are happily smiling and laughing. Humor lets people enjoy you, like you, and want to be supportive of you.
6. Use a language everyone can understand. For half an hour people were entertained by a guy running around making noises with his mouth and miming actions. Remember, Cirque Du Soleil has no English in it, only French. A room full of English-speakers still got what was going on and related. So use your language in more ways than just with your words. People want to see actions and will understand when you make something familiar.
7. Make it flashy. The costumes, lights, and set were not only colorful, but also filled with the sound of music from the band. It made the experience inviting and engrossing. Like any great show, you were taken to another world where all your worries were taken away. If you can make a presentation or even speak to people with such wit and whim that they get lost in your words, you can win them over. Work on not just telling the story, but making people want to hear more.
8. People want you to succeed. Yes, even amidst the “is she going to fall?” and “there’s no way” everyone looked on and hoped that the most amazing things would be revealed before our eyes. Other people may doubt you, but deep down they want to see if you can do it. They want to see what you’re made of. So, show them.
9. Anticipation is almost as good as what actually happens. Building up to each incredible feat there was a feeling of excitement. The kind of excitement that only comes from knowing you’re going to experience something amazing for the first time. Then it happens. The rush of enjoyment comes to you and is perfect. If you just show people what you can do without showmanship or building anticipation, it will be far less effective. Make them want to see it, make them hunger for it. You’d better have the goods to show though, or you’ll lose credibility faster than Britney Spears.
10. Include your audience. Before the show the entertainers came out and interacted with the crowd while staying in character. They had everyone laughing and excited about the show. Then, mid-way through the show a character went out and picked an audience member to be on stage with him. While making sound effects with his mouth and miming, he had the audience member follow his actions. When he didn’t comply it was funny, and when he did it was even funnier. The variable of having a real person participating in an unscripted event makes the other audience members really connect with you.

Using these ingredients is a sure recipe for success. Cirque Du Soleil might not have been the first circus, but it’s definitely the best. Many don’t even consider it a circus anymore because of how high class and professional it is.

Now I have to add “Becoming an acrobat suitable for Cirque Du Soleil” to my Big Dreams list.