Troupe of colour: 25 years of Cirque du Soleil

Grabbing your attention ... a Cirque star in Los Angeles earlier this year Photograph: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

One of Cirque's founding members (and now senior vice-president) Gilles Ste-Croix, seen here in 1980 Photograph: Richard Geoffrion/Cirque du Soleil

Ste-Croix and Guy Laliberté (CEO of Cirque du Soleil) organised a circus festival in the early 80s called La Fête Foraine Photograph: Francois Rivard/Cirque du Soleil

The success of the festival led to the creation of Cirque du Soleil in 1984 Photograph: Francois Rivard/Cirque du Soleil

Cirque built an international fanbase throughout the 1980s. Fans included Diana, Princess of Wales, seen here at a show with princes Harry and William in 1990 Photograph: Rex Features

In 2004, Cirque performed for Pope John Paul II in Rome Photograph: Plinio Lepri/AP

The Guardian's dance critic, Judith Mackrell, believes audiences repeatedly come back for more 'with the reliable expectation that their eyes will be bulging and their jaws dropping for most of the show' Photograph: Eric Piche /Cirque du Soleil

Cirque performing here before the Super Bowl in Miami in 2007 Photograph: Kevork Djansezian/AP

Cique's touring show Varekai is a 150-minute acrobatic epic and was performed at the Royal Albert Hall last year, the company's regular home in London Photograph: Joel Ryan/PA

Varekai is the Romany word for 'wherever' Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

A trapeze artist during a dress rehearsal of Varekai Photograph: Joel Ryan/PA

In the Observer, Phil Hogan struggled to decipher Varekai: 'There's some story going on (don't ask me what) featuring a man in a grass skirt and someone with a bulb on his head and a yellow sprite who comes out of a hole to do some yoga' Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

Cirque du Soleil virgin Michael Billington admired the Canadian troupe's skills, but thought Varekai 'combined corporate soullessness with spiritual pretension' Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

The troupe includes performers from around the world Photograph: Joel Ryan/PA

Cirque du Soleil also has a residency in Las Vegas. In 2006 they unveiled Love, a Beatles-themed show at the Mirage hotel, which took two years and $150m to devise Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

Silhouettes of the Beatles were projected during Love. The plot revolved around the band members as well as characters from their songs Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

Performers take a curtain call at the end of a Love preview, in Las Vegas in 2006 Photograph: Ethan Miller/Getty

In 2000, Cirque du Soleil brought the show Quidam to Battersea Power Station in London Photograph: Tristram Kenton

Olga Pikhienko in the London production of Quidam. 'This is circus that has been cleaned up, cloaked in dry ice and soft rock, and prettified,' wrote Lyn Gardner Photograph: Tristram Kenton

Cirque du Soleil performing Alegria at the Royal Albert Hall in 2007 Photograph: MJ Kim/Getty

Dancers perform on stage during the dress rehearsal for Alegria Photograph: Claire Greenway/Getty Images

Alegria was named after the Spanish word for 'joy' Photograph: Tristram Kenton

Elena Lev at a 2007 dress rehearsal for Wintuk, a show performed at Madison Square Garden in New York Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Cirque du Soleil perform Varekai in Seville in 2009 Photograph: Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters

Cirque du Soleil perform in Santa Monica in May 2009, offering a preview of forthcoming show, Kooza Photograph: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images