Nostalgia melds with the excitement of entertaining as Shalena Rau takes to the ice for rehearsals at Victoria’s Save-On-Foods Memorial arena.
With many ups, downs and adventures in between, Rau performs with Cirque du Soleil in the same place where she won a national title as a young pairs skater 14 years ago.
“It was surreal, but it’s crazy being back here, super nostalgic,” the Ontario native told the Victoria News. “It’s an insane company for a figure skater; there are only acrobats here, so being one of the 14 skaters on this show is amazing.”
Rau has been with Cirque's show, Crystal, for three years, since its post-pandemic relaunch, but Crystal has been on the road since 2017.
Created by Shana Carroll and Sebastien Soldevila, the story takes audiences on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery full of whimsy and wonder. It follows a young woman who feels out of place in her world. After falling through the ice, she enters a surreal place where she meets a bolder version of herself and learns to embrace her creativity and strength.
“She goes through an adventure, trying to figure out who she is and what she’s about. I feel like so many people can relate to the story,” Rau said. “I feel like it’s an important message.”
Since 2017, the show has visited more than 150 cities, presenting beyond 1,300 performances held together by more than 100 people. Production includes 18 trucks carrying 180 tonnes of equipment, including their own laundry facilities to keep the copious costumes clean. It takes 15 hours to set up, then four to six hours to tear down and move on.
It’s the first Cirque show that uses real snow and the first adapted for ice, opening the door to professional figure skaters.
Rau was 12 when she won her Canadian title in Victoria (it was her second big win at the time). She’d been skating since two, sharing the ice with the young athletes her mom coached.
“I got into pairs because I was little and I wanted to fly,” Rau said.
She was in the air by seven or eight. Now she flies each show, entertaining the crowd with the world-renowned production.
“I feel like shows are more about enjoying and captivating the audience … it’s just two different things. Shows are just so much more enjoyable. I love it. I enjoy it every day.”
Crystal is on the ice in Victoria from May 8 to 11 and 15 to 18. Get tickets online at cirquedusoleil.com/crystal and selectyourtickets.com.
The final tour of Crystal continues in Kelowna, May 22 to 25, and Vancouver, June 4 to 8.
The show is slated for its grand finale later this year.
“It’s our last tour,” Rau said. “While you can, come see it. It’s one of the best.”
