Diavolo!

a dancer flying through the air.

Heim in the middle, working with the dancers.

Friday night, I had the amazing opportunity to go see the Diavolo dance company based out of Los Angeles, Ca., at the Lied Center in Lincoln.

Diavolo has been compared to Cirque du Soleil - the dancing is very acrobatic, and gives you scenes to a story that the viewer ultimately makes up.  But, as I have been told, they don't want to be entirely paralleled to Cirque. 

The founder of Diavolo, Jacques Heim, originally from Paris, has choreographed for Cirque du Soleil's "Ka," however, and is working on a new Cirque piece for 2011, according to his bio.

The dancers in Diavolo are taught to trust one another with their lives - it requires trust to fly feet into the air and be sure that someone will be at the other end of the stage to catch you.

The company has been in Nebraska since the end of February, and auditioned local dancers to join in the Diavolo Project: Nebraska.  Out of the 40-some that auditioned, about 15 dancers were picked to train with the company and dance in the two performances at Omaha's Orpheum and the Lied in Lincoln.

I tried out and unfortunately did not make it.  But given my training and given the acrobatic nature of the tryout, I'm okay with it.  It was a lot of running and smacking yourself on the ground, flying into the air without a certain placement of the arms, and learning crazy floor rolls.

I came home with many a bruise and a pain throughout my muscles for days - my favorite!

Now, imagine the dancers who were actually a part of the performance and took bruises home every day after rehearsals that lasted for hours! Ouch!

During the company's time here, I was also fortunate to take a couple master classes led by some of its members.  My goodness, they are talented and RIPPED.

But the show was absolutely incredible - bodies shot through the air above oversized prop pieces that sway back and forth.  

Heim spoke in-between pieces and at the end of the show. His humor is top notch as well as his drive.  He has a beautiful mind and you can tell the dancers he works with absolutely adore him.  

With the voucher I was lucky to be given, tickets only cost me $6 a piece!  I couldn't believe what a deal it was for how incredible of a show I was given.  

Nebraska is so fortunate to have this opportunity thrown at them.  I can't put into words how appreciative I am and how incredible the members of Diavolo are.

If you ever get a chance to take a class or at least see what they do, jump on it.