THEIR CHANCE TO SHINE

A dancer put his foot through the studio's wall, leaving a gaping hole, while another was lucky to splinter only a ballet barre instead of a leg when he performed a gravity-defying flip through the air.

As spectacular as both instances were during recent Cirque du Soleil dance auditions at the Fern Adair Conservatory, neither perturbed Krista Monson, head of casting for resident shows, as much as the sound of a ringing cell phone.

Structural damage, though unwelcome, is par for the course when performers are vying for what many of them believe is the chance of a lifetime. A ringing cell phone during auditions, however, is an inexcusable sin.

"Whose cell phone is that?" she asked the 50 dancers waiting for the second part of the day's tryouts to begin.

Not surprisingly, none owned up to the traitorous ring. To do so might have jeopardized an opportunity to join a Cirque cast, and the odds were already unfavorable.

About 340 dance hopefuls responded to an open casting call for Cirque, and nearly 300 had been eliminated by this recent Tuesday. In the end, five or six would be hired immediately, Monson said, most likely for "Love" at The Mirage.

The open call brought dancers from as far away as Germany and Liverpool, England, to Las Vegas. Break dancers, world ethnic dancers, exotic, burlesque and modern dancers all displayed their skills and technique to a casting crew that included Monson, Cirque artistic directors and the dance captain from "Love."

The aroma of Bengay permeated the air along with a sense of camaraderie, even among those whose only commonalities appeared to be their love of dance and desire for regular work.

A burlesque dancer for Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce, Las Vegan Sheila Joy Burford came to the auditions on a whim.

Wearing fuzzy purple snow boots, shorts and a bikini top, the tall and blond Burford, 26, danced her way into a callback.

After the initial tryouts, the number of dancers was whittled to 50 for the final callback. Thirty-eight were selected from that group and many of those would probably receive offers during the next couple of years, Monson said.

The auditions were exciting yet poignant for Burford. Her brother, who died three years ago, used to take Burford to Cirque shows for her birthday. They often talked about how cool it would be to dance for the company.

"It's just fun to be here," Burford said.

During the first day, Monson saw many noteworthy performances from the hopefuls but perhaps the most memorable came from a world ethnic dancer who turned out to be a snake charmer.

"She brought in this huge basket," Monson said. "We thought it was a prop. She said, 'Hello, I hope you don't mind, I brought my friend.' Then she started dancing and pulled out a six-foot-long boa constrictor."

Such surprises aren't unwelcome or unexpected, Monson explained, as Cirque shows incorporate the styles of individual dancers. And the more unique, the better.

"Cirque tries to invent new mediums," Monson said. "There are so many types of dance you can't categorize. Our shows don't really have chorus lines of people, they're more about individuals onstage and we want to capture that style."

Usually, Cirque conducts auditions by invitation only, Monson said, but the open calls put them immediately in touch with dancers they might not see under normal circumstances. It gives them an understanding of a dynamic dance culture and helps ensure that Cirque hires only the "pearls of the world," she added.

Christine Joy Ritter, 25, works as a dancer in Germany but couldn't pass up the chance to audition for Cirque, she said. Ritter flew to Las Vegas for the four-day casting call.

Ritter, a petite woman with an eclectic style, liked her chances, she said, because of the feedback from Monson and the other casting officials.

The final 50 were taught some choreography from "Love" then performed in groups of three in front of the judges. During that time, they were allowed a few seconds to demonstrate their specialty.

"Guys, if you're a head spinner, let's see some of that," Monson told the dancers. "The improv part is your signature."

Three by three they performed, some nailing the choreography while others froze. When Ritter's turn came, she deftly performed the number then transitioned into break dancing.

Many of the dancers showed off their street cred when it came their turn, popping, locking, head-spinning and performing surreal moves with their bodies as onlookers cheered in appreciation.

One dancer flipped through the air and broke the ballet barre. Another ran up the wall and flipped off of it, knocking the hole in the plaster. After that move, tricks using the wall were banned by Monson.

That kind of effort, Monson said, demonstrates that "people are willing to really go a huge distance and take risks. And that's what we want to see, how much people are willing to take artistic risks."

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-4564.