In his quest to find snow, Jamie interacts with an extraordinary cast of high-energy urban street characters, including acrobats, dancers, and talking marionettes. These characters inhabit two distinct worlds: one is an abstract urban setting shrouded in a dream-like atmosphere, while the other is an imaginary northern land where winter is all-pervading - even in the costumes, which were inspired by the nomadic peoples hailing from the boreal regions. To breathe life into the fantastical creatures you'll find in Wintuk, Cirque du Soleil called upon Michael Curry, the acclaimed puppet designer for Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway (for the dogs, birds and ice giants) and René Charbonneau (for the lampposts), cofounder of Théâtre de la Dame de Coeur in Quebec, Canada.

“Putting together [the] giant props proved to be an extremely stimulating challenge for the costume and props team,” admitted Marie-Eve Lemieux, Props Assistant. “The results are simply magical! It will no doubt sweep the show’s audiences into the unique world of Wintuk!” (Read more about the puppets later on)

The rings used by the artists performing the Hoop Act are integrated into the enormous hood of her translucent crinyl cape, onto which pieces of laser-cut crinyl have been sewn and bunched to create relief. The same technique was used for the big white coats worn by the Russian bar artists and the Shaman's costume. The bright, saturated colors of the costumes worn in the Acrobtic Charivari Act were inspired by the graffiti so closely associated with the underground culture of the big city. Sublimation is used to produce the effects on their costumes, which are made essentially from polyester - an unlikely material that, with Wintuk, is allowed to shine.

Jamie Jamie is a bright, open-minded young boy with a boundless sense of curiosity. Always willing to meet new people, he encounters someone who will change him profoundly - a person who has the rare insight to understand the language of lampposts and dogs! Jamie doesn't hesitate for a second to embark on a perilous journey to a far away place in order to find out where the snow has gone. Wimpy Wimpy is a timid young man so afraid of his own shadow that he seeks refuge in a trash can. But he is destined to discover his own courage. The Shaman The Shaman is a homeless woman living in the city with her loyal dogs. Stories are whispered of her strange mystical powers: She can summon the Moon and make the Northern Lights dance. She proves a true friend to Jamie when she pulls out all the stops to help her companions in need. Shadow Girl Shadow Girl is a playful young girl who appears in the form of a shadow. She is the same age as Jamie and spends her time taunting him with silly games. She also has a special relationship with the Shaman and her dogs. But danger lurks over the horizon where the ice giants hatch their evil plans. The People of the North Impervious to the cold, the People of the North are swift and agile. Under the watchful eye of the High Priestess, they welcome the Shaman and her whimsical dogs back to their icy homeland. Each family of the People of the North is associated with its own distinct materials and textures. Textures such as frost, cod skin, buckskin and suede were reproduced on paper fabric and other fine sublimated materials. The Puppets The dogs are friendly creatures, in spite of their impressive size. Though loyal to the Shaman, they become good friends with Jamie and his companions. Named Chief, Slowjo, Mama, Puppy, Curly and Rasta, the whimsical canine characters represent a dynamic union between acrobat and puppet. The dogs are designed to accentuate the acrobatic proficiency of the artists while maintaining the animals' natural movements. The six lampposts are all-knowing and all-seeing. Inspired from the swing singers of the 1930s, they sparkle like stars in their sequined costumes. They are sympathetic to Jamie's mission and guide the young boy in his magical quest. They stand 13 feet tall and were engineered to move as naturally as possible. They bend at their necks, turn their heads, and even bat their eyelashes. Finished in materials, colors and textures that endow them with distinct, individual personalities, they’re capable of expressing a full spectrum of emotions through their movements and facial expressions (accomplished using compressed air.) The ice giants are created when the ice breaks up from a confrontation between the Shadows and the People of the North. They rise up against the Sun's return. The ice giants are made of fabric cubes which were modified and patinated to make them look like massive pieces of ice. In total, three gargantuan monsters will be manipulated on stage by puppeteers. And, the large birds stand over 14 feet tall with a 10-foot wing span. The height is created by the artists wearing stilts.To clothe two mammoth birds, we needed some 400 giant feathers, each of which is composed of four or five different fabrics superimposed, assembled and fastened on the birds’ bodies. Altogether, we used more than 20 different fabrics to give these birds their splendid look.

{Jamie} {Shadow Girl} {Shadow Girl} {Wimpy} {Shaman} {Ice Gians} {Dogs} {Characters} {Characters}