Cirque du Soleil® Presents Exclusive One-Time-Only Performance at the 84th Academy Awards®

BEVERLY HILLS, California, February 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

- Hollywood Gives Standing Ovation to the Troupe's Movie Tribute

Cirque du Soleil presented a wholly unique and exclusive performance for the 84th Academy Awards on Oscar Sunday, February 26.  The one-time-only event featured the largest Cirque cast ever assembled for a single act.

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More than 50 international artists from Cirque du Soleil productions around the world converged in Los Angeles to bring the dynamic showcase to life. The act featured aerialists, Icarian acrobats, hand balancers, dancers and characters from IRIS, A Journey through the World of Cinema™ along with the 15-member Banquine team from Viva ELVIS™ in Las Vegas and a hand balancer from Zarkana™, direct from Moscow's Kremlin State Palace Theatre.  The act was accompanied by music from Academy Award®-nominated composer Danny Elfman, who scored the music for Cirque du Soleil's IRIS, A Journey through the World of Cinema. 

Cirque du Soleil presented the performance as a tribute to the movie theatre experience incorporating signature Cirque acrobatic elements and imagery along with classic film clips.

The act marked the second time Cirque du Soleil performed during an Academy Awards telecast.  The troupe's first appearance, at the 74th Academy Awards, sparked discussions about creating a permanent show at the theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center and resulted in the creation of IRIS.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 were presented on Sunday, February 26, at the theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network as well as being televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

ABOUT Cirque du Soleil

Since 1984, the company has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in over 40 countries in more than 300 cities on six continents. Cirque du Soleil has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 performing artists from close to 50 different countries.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards - in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners - the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.