Cirque Du Soleil

About

The Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, commonly known as Cirque du Soleil (French: [siʁk dy sɔlɛj], Canadian French: [sɪʁk d͡zy sɔlɛj]; French for 'Circus of the Sun, Sun Circus'), is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Headquartered in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, Montreal, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 June 1984 by former street performers Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix. Originating as a performing troupe called Les Échassiers (IPA: [lez‿eʃasje]; "The Stilt Walkers"), they toured Quebec in various forms between 1979 and 1983. Their initial financial hardship was relieved in 1983 by a government grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to perform as part of the 450th anniversary celebrations of Jacques Cartier's voyage to Canada.