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Thursday, November 03, 2016
The Treadmill | LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil
8 comments:
jcmertz
said...
The Kevin Hines quote that will stick with me forever is one he uttered early on in Basic PTM freshman year. "We are the bastard children of a thousand different industries." The Cirque Luzia treadmill is an excellent example of this. Mining equipment being used on stage as a platform for acrobatic performance is incredible, as well as incredibly resourceful. Why go to the hassle of designing, building, and maintaining a custom giant treadmill when you can buy one off the shelf and find replacement parts for it with ease? As I think about mining equipment and theater, I am reminded of the inverse of this idea, the mine shaft at NREC which is basically theatrical scenery being used to test mining equipment. Perhaps we are not only "of a thousand different industries" but in a thousand different industries as well. All types of training scenarios in many industries use theatrical techniques to train and prepare their employees. Perhaps we aren't in as niche a field as it seems.
Oh, all the questions I have…to start, is this a trampoline as well as a treadmill? The concept of using treadmills to create entertainment has been successfully used in the past by various Youtubers as well as the renowned group OK Go. The fact that such a huge company, Cirque du Soleil, has now taken up the concept to create such an enormous treadmill that also allows for bouncing, flips, tricks, and reversible sections is exactly in line with the definition of taking something to the next level. I remember seeing Cirque du Soleil once as a kid, but it has been so long since that I wish I could jump in a plane and go watch “The Treadmill” in person. It is videos like these that spark people’s attention and excitement about art and creativity and I hope people enjoy “The Treadmill” as much as I believe they will. I also hope that such a large and professional innovative performance opens the door for smaller projects/aspiring artists continue to raise the bar when it comes to the world of art.
Some of the most amazing elements of art, are those inspired by the unexpected. I highly doubt that when miners created a treadmill to move their work along, they realized how it would be used to create art. The resourcefulness of Cirque never ceases to amaze me. Of course they easily would have had the resources to build one of their own, but the unconventionality of the miner's treadmill really adds to the piece. Not to mention an additional dynamic to the already in motion turntable. In natural cirque fashion, everything is made beautiful and unique. I was particularly struck by the detailing on the sides of the treadmill, as well as the actual tread which appears to be painted or printed in some way. Cirque really breaks movement and entertainment out of the box and flips it on its head. In a number of cirque productions that I've seen every time I watch the same show there's always something new to see. I love seeing new ideas and innovations from cirque.
Wow that looks like a really awesome show to watch and work on. I recently went to Vegas and got to tour a bunch of Cirque shows and talk to the stage managers. This trip really sparked an interest in Cirque for me. It is always exciting when there is a level of danger and things are always changing depending on which acts can go on or what people are on. I really like the idea of using a treadmill on stage because it gives the act a whole other element to create excitement and danger. It is interesting that they had to get mining treadmills that were industrial enough to withstand the amount of use and the size of the production. The automation needs to be very precise especially with the addition of a turntable. If the treadmills are not lined up properly there will probably be a lot of big problems. Working for Cirque means that you have to be alert at all times and pay extra attention to the equipment and the safety around them.
I think for a while, there has been a question in terms of what Cirque produces, what can we do next and how is it different from what we have done before? I don’t know if I would categorize the treadmill as “new” considering it is a moving power track. What is new though, is the technology behind it. The fact that it is operates independently seems pretty impressive. When watching the video, it didn’t look like it plugged into anything and that it just rolled on (the amount of power that the device must consume must be huge.) I was also a little confused at first because it looked like a touring show, but from what I understand Luzia is a permanent show at a resort in Mexico so I’m curious why they would not invest more permanent technology than something that rolls on and off unless they are planning on eventually taking the show on tour. I’m glad Cirque is introducing new acts, but I wish they would push the boundaries to the unknown.
Tahirah actually sent me the link to this post before I reviewed any other post (we have a shared interest in Cirque du Soleil), and boy, I am so glad she did. Before I go into my screaming fan girl mode, I want express my concerns first. Although, this is like such an awesome idea, the possibilities of something wrong frightens me a little. I’m not sure if it is the nature of the treadmill being a treadmill, where if you have ever slipped on a work-out treadmill (badly) then you would know the pain coming from that or the fact that it is a big machine which could malfunction that sends off tiny red alarms in me. BUT to be honest, anything could be dangerous, no matter how safe and secure we try to make things be, and in theatre we use equipment all the time that if someone was not careful, people could die, so it is nothing new. Ok, now time to fan girl. I NEED TO SEE THIS SHOW! When seeing the treadmill I thought, oh this makes a great new interesting way to do acrobatic, a new heighten level of danger and excitement. Then they showed a small clip of the butterfly costume, and that blow my mind. It was a new tackle of costume design, because you can’t make the costume too heavy, or else the actor/actress couldn’t run well, but you do have the wind and movement of the character, which is perfect, in this case, wings and other flowing things. I really want to see this show, and what else they do this amazing treadmill.
I am constantly amazed by the intensity and cool ideas implemented in cirque shows. Their ability to do whatever needs doing to get a show to look and work the way they want is incredible. They are using mining equipment, that’s crazy and I do not think you would ever see that on another stage. I also love the video as a whole. Watching just some glimpses of what happens on those stages is pretty incredible. I really hope one day I have a chance to work on a cirque show. I feel like everyone has total free range of creativity when designing systems and that is really cool. I hope to have that kind of free range even if its not on a cirque show. Although I think it is hard to find another show that is as exciting and thrilling as a cirque and that in it self is what makes watching a cirque show so exciting and why id want to work on a show.
This is a very interesting design and concept. Looking at this, I feel like this is something that, on face, doesn’t seem that difficult. The machinery in a treadmill, albeit a giant one that moves, is basically simple. A motor, some drums, a housing, and something to create the surface. For me, the difficult part about this is the surface. I feel as though I’d have to go through a lot of testing before finding a fabric, vinyl, or plastic material to use for the actual tread. The material would have to be flexible enough to rotate around and durable enough for all the action that happens on it. It is incredible to what they do on this. After learning about machine design, I’m less impressed by the machine and more impressed by the qualities of this giant tread that is being used on the treadmill.
8 comments:
The Kevin Hines quote that will stick with me forever is one he uttered early on in Basic PTM freshman year. "We are the bastard children of a thousand different industries." The Cirque Luzia treadmill is an excellent example of this. Mining equipment being used on stage as a platform for acrobatic performance is incredible, as well as incredibly resourceful. Why go to the hassle of designing, building, and maintaining a custom giant treadmill when you can buy one off the shelf and find replacement parts for it with ease? As I think about mining equipment and theater, I am reminded of the inverse of this idea, the mine shaft at NREC which is basically theatrical scenery being used to test mining equipment. Perhaps we are not only "of a thousand different industries" but in a thousand different industries as well. All types of training scenarios in many industries use theatrical techniques to train and prepare their employees. Perhaps we aren't in as niche a field as it seems.
Oh, all the questions I have…to start, is this a trampoline as well as a treadmill? The concept of using treadmills to create entertainment has been successfully used in the past by various Youtubers as well as the renowned group OK Go. The fact that such a huge company, Cirque du Soleil, has now taken up the concept to create such an enormous treadmill that also allows for bouncing, flips, tricks, and reversible sections is exactly in line with the definition of taking something to the next level. I remember seeing Cirque du Soleil once as a kid, but it has been so long since that I wish I could jump in a plane and go watch “The Treadmill” in person. It is videos like these that spark people’s attention and excitement about art and creativity and I hope people enjoy “The Treadmill” as much as I believe they will. I also hope that such a large and professional innovative performance opens the door for smaller projects/aspiring artists continue to raise the bar when it comes to the world of art.
Some of the most amazing elements of art, are those inspired by the unexpected. I highly doubt that when miners created a treadmill to move their work along, they realized how it would be used to create art. The resourcefulness of Cirque never ceases to amaze me. Of course they easily would have had the resources to build one of their own, but the unconventionality of the miner's treadmill really adds to the piece. Not to mention an additional dynamic to the already in motion turntable. In natural cirque fashion, everything is made beautiful and unique. I was particularly struck by the detailing on the sides of the treadmill, as well as the actual tread which appears to be painted or printed in some way. Cirque really breaks movement and entertainment out of the box and flips it on its head. In a number of cirque productions that I've seen every time I watch the same show there's always something new to see. I love seeing new ideas and innovations from cirque.
Wow that looks like a really awesome show to watch and work on. I recently went to Vegas and got to tour a bunch of Cirque shows and talk to the stage managers. This trip really sparked an interest in Cirque for me. It is always exciting when there is a level of danger and things are always changing depending on which acts can go on or what people are on. I really like the idea of using a treadmill on stage because it gives the act a whole other element to create excitement and danger. It is interesting that they had to get mining treadmills that were industrial enough to withstand the amount of use and the size of the production. The automation needs to be very precise especially with the addition of a turntable. If the treadmills are not lined up properly there will probably be a lot of big problems. Working for Cirque means that you have to be alert at all times and pay extra attention to the equipment and the safety around them.
I think for a while, there has been a question in terms of what Cirque produces, what can we do next and how is it different from what we have done before? I don’t know if I would categorize the treadmill as “new” considering it is a moving power track. What is new though, is the technology behind it. The fact that it is operates independently seems pretty impressive. When watching the video, it didn’t look like it plugged into anything and that it just rolled on (the amount of power that the device must consume must be huge.) I was also a little confused at first because it looked like a touring show, but from what I understand Luzia is a permanent show at a resort in Mexico so I’m curious why they would not invest more permanent technology than something that rolls on and off unless they are planning on eventually taking the show on tour. I’m glad Cirque is introducing new acts, but I wish they would push the boundaries to the unknown.
Tahirah actually sent me the link to this post before I reviewed any other post (we have a shared interest in Cirque du Soleil), and boy, I am so glad she did. Before I go into my screaming fan girl mode, I want express my concerns first. Although, this is like such an awesome idea, the possibilities of something wrong frightens me a little. I’m not sure if it is the nature of the treadmill being a treadmill, where if you have ever slipped on a work-out treadmill (badly) then you would know the pain coming from that or the fact that it is a big machine which could malfunction that sends off tiny red alarms in me. BUT to be honest, anything could be dangerous, no matter how safe and secure we try to make things be, and in theatre we use equipment all the time that if someone was not careful, people could die, so it is nothing new. Ok, now time to fan girl. I NEED TO SEE THIS SHOW! When seeing the treadmill I thought, oh this makes a great new interesting way to do acrobatic, a new heighten level of danger and excitement. Then they showed a small clip of the butterfly costume, and that blow my mind. It was a new tackle of costume design, because you can’t make the costume too heavy, or else the actor/actress couldn’t run well, but you do have the wind and movement of the character, which is perfect, in this case, wings and other flowing things. I really want to see this show, and what else they do this amazing treadmill.
I am constantly amazed by the intensity and cool ideas implemented in cirque shows. Their ability to do whatever needs doing to get a show to look and work the way they want is incredible. They are using mining equipment, that’s crazy and I do not think you would ever see that on another stage. I also love the video as a whole. Watching just some glimpses of what happens on those stages is pretty incredible. I really hope one day I have a chance to work on a cirque show. I feel like everyone has total free range of creativity when designing systems and that is really cool. I hope to have that kind of free range even if its not on a cirque show. Although I think it is hard to find another show that is as exciting and thrilling as a cirque and that in it self is what makes watching a cirque show so exciting and why id want to work on a show.
This is a very interesting design and concept. Looking at this, I feel like this is something that, on face, doesn’t seem that difficult. The machinery in a treadmill, albeit a giant one that moves, is basically simple. A motor, some drums, a housing, and something to create the surface. For me, the difficult part about this is the surface. I feel as though I’d have to go through a lot of testing before finding a fabric, vinyl, or plastic material to use for the actual tread. The material would have to be flexible enough to rotate around and durable enough for all the action that happens on it. It is incredible to what they do on this. After learning about machine design, I’m less impressed by the machine and more impressed by the qualities of this giant tread that is being used on the treadmill.
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