Under the Big Top
When Cirque de Soleil’s “Kooza” touched down at National Harbor last week, it did so with two locals atop its ranks.
Creative Director Melanie Lalande trained at George Mason University before founding the D.C.-based Mayzsoul dance company. She’s also choreographed tours for The Roots. ” I could have been anywhere in the world working for this company, but I have the wonderful fortune to be a part of Kooza and I love sharing it with my family and friends,” she told Yeas & Nays. “Once they heard I was with Kooza — well let’s just say they have had their tickets for months!”
Meanwhile, Anthony Gatto, one of the top jugglers in the world, hails from Ellicott City, Md. He tells us his stepfather was a vaudeville acrobat “and he also did a second act of juggling. When he married my mother, he taught all of the kids a little juggling. I was the one who kept up with it.”
He said he first learned to balance things on his nose and forehead before moving on to juggling homemade props. “This may sound strange, but I used to practice at home and at my family’s tobacco shop, called Pipes and Things, which was located in a small mall. … When I practiced behind these display cases, patrons would walk by and see props flying in the air. … It’s exciting to be close to home. I have never really performed in this area on a professional level. I hope that some of my old childhood friends may hear about the show and stop by.”
