Overview

TOTEM is one of Cirque du Soleil's most celebrated productions, bringing together world-class acrobats, artists, musicians, and creators to tell a visual story about human evolution, connection, and possibility. Through a blend of athleticism, theater, music, and imagination, the show transports audiences across time and cultures, celebrating the extraordinary potential of the human spirit.

Performed in cities around the world, TOTEM represents the highest level of contemporary circus artistry. Every performance requires precision, trust, and years of dedicated training, while creating moments that appear effortless and impossible at the same time. The production is known not only for its technical excellence, but also for its ability to inspire wonder in audiences of all ages.

As a performer with TOTEM, I had the opportunity to work alongside some of the world's most talented artists and athletes, performing before audiences across multiple countries. The experience shaped my understanding of discipline, teamwork, and what can be achieved when individuals pursue mastery in service of something larger than themselves.

Before building companies, I spent my life suspended in the air. Performing with Cirque du Soleil's TOTEM taught me lessons that continue to influence how I approach entrepreneurship today: trust your team, embrace uncertainty, and commit fully to the impossible. Night after night, we transformed years of practice into moments of wonder, proof that extraordinary outcomes are often built from thousands of unseen repetitions.

I catalogued a few of my experiences across the show in these articles:

maikaisogawa.com/field-notes/on-tour-with-totem-brussels-belgium

https://www.maikaisogawa.com/field-notes/on-tour-with-totem-sochi-russia/

https://www.maikaisogawa.com/field-notes/on-tour-with-totem-sochi-parade/

https://www.maikaisogawa.com/field-notes/on-tour-with-totem-japan-leg/