Daniele Finzi Pasca

PRESS
KIT
The company:
History
Our History
Éloize ::
Éloize
Se prononce [EL-WAZ]
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P
ositioned at the heart of the renewal of circus arts, Cirque Éloize has been creating moving performances filled with magic since 1993.
Continually striving for artistic perfection, it is one of the leaders in contemporary circus arts. Based on the multidisciplinary talents of its artists,
Cirque Éloize expresses its innovative nature through theatricality and humanity, and combines circus arts with music, dance and theatre in a
path-breaking and original manner. With seven original productions to its credit, Cirque Éloize has presented more than 4,000 performances in 433 cities
over 36 countries. Cirque Éloize has taken part in numerous prestigious international festivals and recently seduced Broadway with its show Rain which
has been touring that major network of theaters since Fall 2007.
In addition to its tour performances, Cirque Éloize develops custom made concepts for international special events. To date, more than 1300 events have
taken place. Moreover, in 2003, Cirque Éloize organized the first festival of circus arts in North America - "La Semaine des Arts du cirque" - in the Magdalen
Islands. The company also founded the Éloize Foundation, whose mission is to help underprivileged youth through an introduction to circus arts and help
develop the performing arts. The troupe "Artcirq", made up of young Inuit living in Canada's far north (Nunavut), is the first organization to benefit from this
support.
Since 2004, Cirque Éloize's head office and creative studio are located in the Dalhousie Station, a historic building in the heart of Old-Montréal, departure
station of the first train going from Montréal to Vancouver in 1886. In order to maintain this site as a place of dialogue and encounters for the circus
community, Cirque Éloize invites up-and-coming artists to visit. Today, the company hires more than 100 individuals working in various teams and projects.
Feathers in our cap
• 7 original creations:
1993 - Cirque Éloize
1997 - Excentricus
1999 - Cirque Orchestra
2002 - Nomade - At night, the sky is endless
2004 - Rain
2007 - Nebbia (produced with Teatro Sunil)
2009 - iD
• Currently on tour: Rain, since 2004 and iD, since August 2009;
• The company has given more than 4,000 performances of its creations in
over 433 cities and 36 countries;
• Over 3 million spectators have seen a Cirque Éloize show;
• More than one hundred collaborators are working on various projects;
• We have taken part in many festivals and events, and were presented in
prestigious venues such as: Edinburgh Festival, Israel Festival, Hong Kong
Festival, Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogota, Beiteddine Festival,
Recklinghausen Festival, Bergen Festival, Sadler's Wells, Sydney Opera
House, NY Lincoln Center, Bunkamura Orchard Hall, Hollywood Bowl,
Folies Bergère, Toronto Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Wales
Millenium Center, Chekhov International Theater Festival in Moscow,
The 2007 Universal Forum of Cultures in Monterrey, touring in the US
Broadway network;
• Our circus productions are created for the general public and pose no
language barriers;
Feathers in our cap
• Founded in 1993;
• We develop creations for proscenium stages that can also be adapted for
big tops;
• Our performances have been featured in videos and documen-taries airing on
Radio-Canada, the CBC, Art TV, Prime Nights, Bravo, Indigo and NTV (Japon).
Nominated for the “Rose d’Or’’ of Montreux (France), the NY Film Festival
(USA), ARTE (France) and TFO (Canada);
• Winner of the 26th Grand Prix du Conseil des Arts de Montréal for
its show iD in 2010;
• The company has won eight (8) medals and prizes at the Festival Mondial
du Cirque de demain in Paris (France):
1992: Jeannot Painchaud - artistic bicycle / Bronze
2002: Symbiose - hand-balancing act / Silver
2003: Daniel Cyr - Cyr Wheel act / Silver
2005: the show Typo produced by Cirque Éloize
collected 5 prizes;
• Winner of a GEMINI AWARD for Best Performance in a Performing Arts
Program or Serie in October 2003 for the TV presentation of Cirque
Orchestra live on tour in 2003 and for Nomade - At night, the sky is
endless in 2005;
• Typo was nominated in three categories for Broadway’s Drama Desk
Awards in 2005
• Daniele Finzi Pasca was nominated as Best Director
at Broadway’s Drama Desk Awards for the show Rain in 2006.
2
Productions
Touring productions
by
rected
iD, 2009 – on tour: In this new show, the contemporary circus world meets the world of urban dance. Set in
an urban décor, iD explores the themes of iDentity, indiviDuality and autonomy in a culture where omnipresent
images cause us to lose our reference points, making us express the same values by way of different codes.
The show’s lucid energy and poetry will definitely meet the expectations of audiences who have enjoyed other
Cirque Éloize creations.
Di
d
Painchau
Jeannot
Rain, 2004 - on tour: Rain reunites Nomade's team of creators with Director Daniele Finzi Pasca, a multitalented
artist reknown for the sensibility and poetry of his work. This creation about childhood memories made up of
moments snatched from time and frozen forever, combines acrobatic feats with sensuality and pure poetry.
Previous productions
www.cirque-eloize.com
3
Word from
theDirector
Daniele Finzi Pasca
Author & Director
I
come from a family of photographers. My great-grandfather, my grandfather, and my father were all photographers. Later, my mom took up
painting. I grew up in a world where memories were made up of moments snatched from time and frozen forever. In my shows, I simply make
these images move.
The story takes place in a theatre where a circus show is in rehearsal, where theatre and reality blend into one another and you can't tell where one
begins and the other ends. The protagonists exchange glances revealing little love stories, secret passions, flashes of intimacy. Their fragilities have
slowly blossomed, surfacing in the ultimate moments of effort in the interplay of extreme equilibria. The artists are out of the past, characters from
collections of old photos, handsome and strong like our grandparents. And then there is the sky, a vast sky.
When I was little, when the first summer storm came, I was allowed to go out in the garden and play in the rain and get soaked to the skin. I still love that
feeling of freedom — shoes full of water, clothes drenched, hair dripping. "Let it rain," we'd say. It was as if we welcomed whatever came from the sky,
sun or rain, we didn't care.
Unexpected things can come from the sky: messages, signs, promises. On our stage, not only rain will fall. Surprises will pour down as well.
There's a certain kind of feeling in this show, almost a sense of nostalgia, like a strange need to go back to the house you came from, the house where
a family once lived, where your roots are. In our house we called this kind of beautiful, sweet sadness that you feel when you look at a sunset, "rain in
your eyes." I want this show to be like a caress, simple, direct, filled with sensuality and tender hope.
The protagonists in this adventure appear and gaze searchingly at the audience from the front of the stage. They begin a dialogue with the spectators,
looking them straight in the eye. Then they are once again swallowed up by the surreal images of the story.
If I had to describe this show, I would say it is full of hope, joy, and a sweet longing, and that it is made of the stuff of my grandmother's stories.
I dedicate it to all those who love to feel the rain pouring down.
4
Word from
the Artistic Director
& theCreative Producer
Jeannot Painchaud
Artistic Director
Julie Hamelin
Creative Producer
R
AIN is the logical next step to the achievement of Nomade - At night, the sky is endless. This production carries the unmistakable stamp of
Director and Creator, Daniele Finzi Pasca, who has been given carte blanche to take us further still along this extraordinary path of exploration.
With the same creative team, totally committed to the venture, he delves ever deeper into the subject matter and the theatrical style that we have taken
everywhere over the last ten years. Because we work with artists of enormous sensibility, we wanted to see into their eyes when they perform, we
wanted to grasp their personality and show their fragility. Every evening acrobats, musicians and actors put themselves in danger by showing the
vulnerability hidden behind the assurance of the skilled performer. These artists show us the depth of their soul, even revealing the pain that everyone
carries inside. With Daniele, we have found a friend in art whose approach matches perfectly that of Cirque Éloize, taking our troupe further in its
exploration of a different kind of theatrical, "circassian" writing. Through the sensibility of such a guide, we dare to build before your eyes yet a little more,
tender moments of sweet madness and poetry, so we can touch you, stir your emotions and thoughts. Rain, subtitled Comme une pluie dans tes yeux,
is built partly on nostalgia for childhood memories.
Daniele Finzi Pasca, who continues to move audiences with his Teatro Sunil de Lugano shows, is able to communicate his unique sensibility and link all
the artists to something that goes beyond them. A magician fascinated by rituals, Finzi Pasca gives the impression of knowing how to talk to the angels.
If he tells a story, it is not through characters, but by engaging with the truth of the natural presence of each artist on the stage.
By unveiling for us portions of life, tinged with the sincerity and simplicity that human relationships can contain, Rain invites us to take one more step into
this intimacy. As Artistic Director and as Creative Producer, we are both driven by curiosity and the instinct to continue this process of exploration.
We also enjoy the pleasure of the unknown, of daring to do something different. With Rain, we entered our second decade with pride, confident that
the "Éloizian" approach in the world of contemporary circus will continue to open up new frontiers for us and the hearts of audiences everywhere.
5
Creators bios
Daniele Finzi Pasca
Author & Director
Compagnie Finzi Pasca (Teatro Sunil) Founder
D
aniele Finzi Pasca was born in Lugano, Switzerland in 1964. Director, author, choreographer, and clown,
Daniele Finzi Pasca was born into a family of photographers and grew up in his father’s darkroom, following in the
footsteps of his grandfather and great-grandfather. His collaboration with his brother Marco began early in life, and
together they founded two small soccer teams: Finfazu first, followed by Canarivi. Daniele’s introduction to the world of
the circus came through gymnastics, and he later took his first steps on stage under the guidance of a clown named
Fery.
In 1983, he moved to India, where he worked as a volunteer looking after the sick. Upon returning to Switzerland, he founded Teatro Sunil, which he still
heads to this day. His lifelong fascination with clowning led to a collaboration with Maria Bonzanigo, from which sprang a theatrical technique that they
would call “Teatro della Carezza”.
Finzi Pasca was sentenced to a short stay in prison for acting as a conscientious objector, and during that time, he put the finishing touches on his trilogy
dedicated to “escape”. One part of this trilogy was Icaro, a monologue for an audience of one. The part was played by Finzi Pasca, and performed for more
than 17 years in six different languages, Icaro has been presented around the world. This “bench- mark” show would come to define the essence of style
and elegance that is Teatro Sunil.
The years that followed saw Finzi Pasca create and direct some 25 shows with Teatro Sunil. His projects have been seen in more than 20 countries, and are
marked by a profound sense of humanity and playfulness. They include: Rituale, Viaggio al Confine, Dialoghi col Sonno, Percossi Obbligati, Giacobbe, 1337,
Aitestás and Visitatio (a production of Teatro Sunil and Carbone 14 of Montréal).
In recent years he has written and directed Te amo, a production of Poramor Producciones and Teatro Sunil, featuring Ana and Dolores Heredia, and three
shows for the Cirque Éloize of Montréal: Nomade - At night, the sky is endless, Rain - Comme une pluie dans tes yeux and Nebbia, a coproduction of Cirque
Éloize and Teatro Sunil. Nomade opened in 2002 and met with enormous success in Paris, London, Vienna, Montréal, Athens, Rotterdam, Beirut, Hong Kong,
Rome, Milan, Madrid etc, with more than 700 performances. Rain opened in 2003 at Irvine, California, and has had great success in New York and San
Francisco, as well as receiving the Best Touring Production of the Year Theatre Award in Great Britain. For this show Daniele Finzi Pasca was nominated as
the Best Director at the Drama Desk Awards in New York. Nebbia opened in Geneva, Switzerland in 2007 and it is still successfully touring around the
world.
In 2003 the Cirque du Soleil asked him to write and direct their new itinerant show, Corteo, which opened in April 2005 and is still touring around the world.
Daniele Finzi Pasca has also been commissioned to devise and direct the closing ceremony of the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games.
In 2007 Daniele Finzi Pasca won the Swiss Award in the “show business” category. Ever faithful to his early influences, the projects that Daniele Finzi
Pasca produces are stamped with his personal theatrical style and vision, creating a distinctive stage presence and methodology for his performers, which
he is often asked to present in theatre schools and academies. Casagrande has published his collection of short stories entitled “Come Acqua allo
specchio” as well as the complete script of “Viaggio al Confine”.
In 2008, he received the Swiss Award for theatre in recognition of all his work and he was also nominated for the XIII Europe Prize New Theatrical Realities.
In 2009, he co-founded with Julie Hamelin “Inlevitas / Finzi Pasca & Hamelin company”, for the development and creation of new artistic work, including
operas, acrobatic theatre and films. The first step of this adventure was the direction of L’Amour de Loin for the English National Opera. And recently, Julie
and Daniele have edited the book “Daniele Finzi Pasca: teatro de la caricia”, written by Facundo Ponce de Leon.
Daniele was commissioned by the Chekhov International Theatre Festival of Moscow to create and direct the show opening the 150th celebration of
Chekhov’s birth in 2010. The World Premiere of Donka has taken place in Moscow on January 29, 2010. The show is touring internationally. Julie and
Daniele are currently developing a first film project and the opera Aida for the Mariinsky Theatre in St.Petersburg (Russia).
6
Creators bios
Jeannot Painchaud
CEO and Artistic Director
Cirque Éloize
A
native of Îles de la Madeleine, Quebec, Jeannot Painchaud has worked in the circus arts sector for over 25 years. Fuelled by a passion for
different cultures and a dream of travelling the world, he set his heart on the circus at age 16.
A graduate of Montréal's National Circus School. Jeannot won a bronze medal at Paris’ prestigious Festival Mondial du Cirque de demain in 1992 for his
artistic cycling act.
After touring internationally with a number of circus troupes and groups of multidisciplinary artists, Jeannot co-founded Cirque Éloize in Montréal in 1993.
He performed in the company’s different shows for five years.
In 1998, he left the stage to devote himself entirely to Cirque Éloize’s development. Having been an acrobat, juggler and performer, he took on a new role as
entrepreneur.
Under his guidance and with the help of his partners, Cirque Éloize became one of the leaders of contemporary circus arts thanks to shows like
Cirque Éloize, Excentricus, Cirque Orchestra, Nomade, Rain, Nebbia and iD.
As the artistic and creative director for the company’s shows, Jeannot prides himself on melding artistic disciplines and talented individuals from the four
corners of the globe. His artistic vision involves incorporating living arts (music, theatre, dance) into the acrobatic acts.
In 2009, he directed iD, Cirque Éloize’s seventh original creation. A stunning combination of urban dance and circus arts, the show won the
Conseil des Arts de Montréal’s Grand Prix award in 2010.
In October 2011, Jeannot Painchaud became the 14th Quebec citizen to be awarded the prestigious Prix Samuel-de-Champlain. Founded by the Institut
France-Canada in 1997, the award is presented to two people each year, a Canadian who has best showcased French history or culture and a French
citizen who has best showcased Canadian history or culture, in order to promote the values that unite both countries.
In November 2011, Jeannot Painchaud was one of several public figures selected to reinvent a work of art from the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts’
permanent collection. The Museum gave the participants carte blanche to create an art installation presented as part of its Big Bang exhibit.
Jeannot Painchaud has also been chairman of the board of the Circus Arts National Network in Quebec, En Piste, since 2009.
This position allows him to be directly involved in the future of circus arts and the Canadian circus community.
7
Creators bios
Julie Hamelin
Creative Producer
C
reator and producer, Julie Hamelin was born in Montréal, Québec. At the age of 21, she co-founded Cirque Éloize, a leading contemporary theatrical
circus company that has gained international recognition by touring in prestigious festivals and theatres worldwide, including a success of its
production Rain on Broadway.
As head of International Development, she concluded key agreements and launched a large distribution theatre network which allowed the company’s
productions to present over 3,000 performances in more than 300 cities in 35 countries. As Creative Producer for Cirque Éloize, she has launched Typo and
the three productions of the Trilogie du ciel written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca: Nomade, Rain (nominated Best touring production of the year in
Great Britain) and Nebbia (in coproduction with Teatro Sunil). In 2005, she is First Assistant to Director Daniele Finzi Pasca for the closing ceremony of the
XXth Winter Olympic Games in Torino.
In 2009, Julie and Daniele Finzi Pasca founded their production company, Inlevitas, for the development and creation of new artistic works, including
operas, acrobatical theatre and films. As a first project, Daniele directed the opera L’Amour de Loin for the “English National Opera” in London, and
for which Julie was Creative Associate. They have also edited the book Daniele Finzi Pasca: teatro de la caricia, written by Facundo Ponce de Leon.
“Inlevitas” is a coproducer of Donka, a creation written and directed by Daniele for the 150th anniversary of Checkov, for which Julie is Creative Associate.
The World Premiere of Donka has taken place in Moscow on January 29, 2010. The show is currently touring internationally. Julie and Daniele are
currently developing a first film project and two more operas: Aida for the Mariinsky Theatre in St.Petersburg (Russia) and an opera based on Mazu,
the Goddess of the sea, for the Taipei International Opera (Taiwan).
8
Creators bios
Krzysztof Soroczynski
Acrobatic Performance Designer, Head Trainer & Casting Agent
The circus arts have been an integral part of the life of Krzysztof Soroczynski for more than 40 years. He began his acrobatic career in Poland in 1965.
He completed his degree in circus arts at the famous Polish State Circus Academy in Julinek( Poland), after which time he worked in traditional circuses
around the world. In 1980, he won a silver medal at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris, as part of the Budzyn Troupe performing a russian
swing act. After coming to Canada, he worked with Cirque du Soleil first as a performer and then as an acrobatic consultant and trainer on the Saltimbanco,
Mystère, and Alegria shows, all directed by Franco Dragone. Krzysztof was one of the founding members of the École de cirque de Verdun established in
Montréal in 1991. Today, he still works with the talents he introduced to and trained in the circus arts, who moved on to become professional circus
performers. Cirque Éloize asked him to join its troupe in 1999 to develop acrobatic acts for the show Excentricus presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Since then, he has worked for the company as head trainer and talent scout. More particularly, he was in charge of designing acrobatic performances for
the show Cirque Orchestra in 2001 as well as for the three shows written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca forming the Trilogie du ciel: Nomade in 2002,
Rain in 2004 and Nebbia in 2007. In 2008, the hand to hand duet formed by Jacek Wyskup and Bartek Pankau, discovered in Poland by Krzysztof and trained
at Cirque Éloize, won the polish TV-show Mam Talent!, and became The Best Talent 2008. The duet that was part of the show Rain for five years managed to
touch audiences worldwide and clearly enabled the recognition of the circus arts in their country. Krzysztof Soroczynski’s involvement with up-and-coming
circus stars and his appreciation of the work of circus artists worldwide has greatly contributed to the creation of unique, solid and multidisciplinary troupes.
His work alongside performers makes it possible to constantly improve the technical aspect of the company’s shows. Krzysztof has passed on his talent to
his son Bartek, who performed in the show Nomade – At night, the sky is endless, with Cirque Éloize, for nearly five years. First and foremost, he is
passionate about circus and this passion has motivated him throughout his entire life. He passes this passion on to all of those with whom he works,
and he is very proud to have passed it on to his own son.
Maria Bonzanigo
Musical Composer & Arranger on recorded soundtrack
Lucie Cauchon
Musical Composer & Arrangements for live music
A trained pianist with expertise in classical music and jazz, Lucie Cauchon has composed for the jazz band A Few Colors, worked in television and
accompanied many singers. From 1987 to 1990, she traveled with Cirque du Soleil as tour musician. This is her third contribution to Cirque Éloize: she
previously composed the music and conducted the orchestra for Excentricus and Nomade - At night, the sky is endless. She also composed the music
for Typo, a show from Theatre T & cie.
Faits saillants
Maria was very young when she began to study dance with her mother. From the age of 11, she was a student of Maestro Paul Glass, with whom she
studied composing. With Rosalia Chaldek she studied choreography, dance, and dance pedagogy. She was co-founder of the Teatro Sunil Company,
with whom she has worked since 1984. In that year she began her long-lasting artistic association with Daniele Finzi Pasca. She has contributed
to the development of the poetry and methodology of the company and she has taken part in about thirty of their productions as an actress, dancer,
choreographer, composer and teacher. She composed parts of the stage music for the shows Nomade /and Rain of the Cirque Éloize, Corteo of the
Cirque du Soleil, and for the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics at Turin in 2006, in which she also assisted Daniele for parts of the choreography.
She received the Gascon-Roux Prize for the composition of the stage music for the show Nebbia, a production of the Cirque Eloize and the Teatro Sunil,
for which she was also in charge of the choreography, together with Daniele Finzi Pasca. Her music is published by Teatro Sunil, Ed. Jecklin, Édition Éloize,
Cirque du Soleil musique inc., De Agostini E. For Donka, she works also with Daniele Finzi Pasca in the choreography of the show.
Guillaume Lord
Set Designer
A versatile set designer, Guillaume Lord is as equally interested in dance as in theatre, opera and film. His association with choreographer Jean GrandMaître led him to work with the most prestigious ballet companies. In theatre, he regularly collaborates with director Serge Denoncourt. Their teamwork
garnered him the Gascon-Roux award as well as the trophy for Best Set at the Gala des Masques for Le temps et la chambre in 1995. He also designed the
sets for the Arturo Brachetti show that toured the world.
9
Creators bios
Mérédith Caron
Costume
Designer
Head Trainer
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throughout his entire life, to all those he works with.
Martin Labrecque
Lighting Designer
Known for the originality and texture of his lighting, Martin Labrecque has done the lighting design for nearly ninety productions so far. In 2001, he won a
Masque Award for lighting design for his work on Mikhaïl Ougarov‘s L’homme en lambeau. In 2005, he won a Masque Award for his lighting design on
Le peintre des madones, directed by Serge Denoncourt. He also co-wrote Everybody’s Welles pour tous with actor-writer Patrice Dubois which was
honored as the Best Montréal Production in 2005. He collaborated on many of Daniele Finzi Pasca’s projects such as Cirque Éloize’s Rain and
Nomade - At night, the sky is endless. He also worked on Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo.
Dolores Heredia
Acting Coach
Daniel Cyr
Conceptor & Trainer for the Roue Cyr
A native of the Magdalen Islands, Daniel Cyr is a co-founder of Cirque Éloize. He studied at the National Circus School and has since performed his
ladder act at many festivals and worked with many Québec circus troupes. After creating Cirque Éloize, he travelled the world for nearly nine years with
the company's first two productions: Cirque Éloize and Excentricus. In his ongoing artistic quest, he develops new acts and designs new apparatus,
including the Cyr Wheel, for which he also developed the techniques.
Faits saillants
Actress, filmmaker and producer, Dolores Heredia has been a member of Teatro Sunil since 1994. She has also collaborated with El Centro de
Expérimentación Teatral directed by Luis de Tavira, and with La Compañia Nacional de Teatro. In addition, Dolores was invited by José Luis Gomez
to join Madrid's El Teatro de la Plaza. In her cinematic career, she has been involved in some 15 feature films. She received the Best Actress award
at El Festival Internacional de Cartagena in Colombia and was similarly honoured at Le Festival international du cinéma d’Amiens in France. Recently,
she played in Te Amo, a theatrical piece directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca and presented to Mexican and Québec audiences.
10
Creators bios
Suzanne Trépanier
Make-up Designer
Suzanne has been performing modern dance for the past two decades. Over the years, she developed a deep interest for the art of make-up application.
While today she works both for television and film, her preference for the stage arts has led her to concentrate primarily on theatre. Recently, she has
been make-up designer for a number of theatrical productions, including Coma Unpluged et Les points tournants (Théâtre de la Manufacture), Corps
étrangers et Vincent River (Théâtre de Quat’sous), Le Périmètre (Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui) and Au retour des oies blanches (Rideau Vert). In 2001, she
creates the make-up for Cirque Orchestra followed by Nomade - At night, the sky is endless in 2002, Rain in 2003, and iD in 2009.
Roch Jutras
Artistic Coordinator
Roch has performed on stage, in the ring, on television and film. In 1985, he received the National Circus School's Student of the Year award. The
following year he joined Cirque du Soleil for its production entitled La Magie Continue and continued his collaboration with the company in 1987 with
Cirque Réinventé. In 1992, he joined Switzerland's Le Cirque Knie. In 1994-1995, he became Cirque Éloize's very first clown. In 1998, as a member of the
Cirque du Monde project, he left for Chile to work with street youth. He later served for three years as Artistic Coordinator for Cirque du Soleil's
production Dralion and for one year as assistant to the artistic director at Cirque Éloize.
Patrick Loubert
Assistant Director and Stage Manager during creation
Trained in set design at Collège Lionel-Groulx, from 1992 to 2000 Patrick Loubert worked as assistant director, stage manager, and producer and tour director
for Avanti Plus. In 2001, he joined the tent tour of the Cheval Theatre as sssistant tour director and logistics manager. In 2002-2003 Patrick joined Cirque
Éloize team to direct the American tour of Nomade. He then left the company to work on personal projects, and came back to work on Rain in 2004.
Nicolas Descoteaux
Moving Lights Programmator
A graduate from the theatre program at Collège Lionel-Groulx in Ste-Thérèse, Quebec since 1992, Nicolas Descoteaux works as a lighting designer and has
created over sixty designs in addition to having worked on several international tours. His technical and artistic knowledge has enabled him to collaborate
with world-renowned creators such as Robert Lepage, Marie Chouinard, Denis Marleau, Daniele Finzi Pasca and Kristian Fredric. His collaboration with
Cirque Éloize and Cirque du Soleil and has made him an important lighting designer and director in the Montréal theatre and event scenes. His work was
nominated for awards by the Academy of Theatre in 1995 and 1998, and he won the CALQ grants in 1999 and 2001 for research in stage lighting appliances.
Nicolas Descoteaux continues to perfect his art in Montréal as well as internationally.
Technicians
Behind the Scene
STÉPHANIE RODEMANN
BRUNO DELISLE
COLIN GAGNÉ
FRANCIS HAMEL
DOMINIQUE MERCIER
ÉMILIE THOMAS
Technical Director & Head Carpenter
Head Rigger
Sound Technician and Assistant Technical Director
Head Electrician
Stage Manager
Tour Director
11
Artists Bios
Oksana Burliy (Ukraine)
Prologue, Bottles, Tambourine
Originally from the Ukrainian city of Kiev, Oksana began to practice the circus arts with her sister at the age of six. Since then, her
passion for the discipline has not faded. It is due to her talent, and her Russian bar act, that she has travelled the world along with
many troupes, including Zaparojia, the Cirque Gasser Olympia (Switzerland), the Cirque Arlequin (Poland), the Cirque Imagine and
Zavata (France) and Cirque Voyage in Germany. Oksana was also a trainer at the École de Cirque Michellete in France. She has
been a member of the Cirque Éloize troupe for Rain since 2003.
Ashley Carr (England)
Prologue, Devilstick, Banquine & Russian Bar, Strong Acrobats Number, Bottle Number, Teeterboard, Suitcase, Juggling, Clarinet
Ashley Carr studied circus and acting at both The Circus Space and the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Winner
of the Jerwood Award before graduating, he co-founded the company Kicking The Moon, described by the Guardian as "a
delicious blend of circus and theatre". Their shows toured internationally for several years with the support of the Arts Council in
England. As well as performing with the company, Ashley also toured his solo show Bien Accroché, both in theatres and festivals
worldwide. With an eclectic background from street theatre, circus and clown, Ashley was invited to join Cirque Éloize with whom
he has been performing the last few years. It is the spirit of the clown that he loves along side his joy for line dancing, knitting and
dressing up as Elvis.
Valérie Doucet (Canada)
Prologue, Strong Women Number, Boots, Contortion, Aerial Silk, Swinging Clubs, In the Suitcase, Concertina
A graduate of the National Circus School in Montréal, Valerie began to explore her passion at an early age. At the age
of 6, she enrolled in artistic gymnastics at a centre that also offered circus courses. After six years of gymnastics training the
classes were finally entrenched, and she could therefore direct her training towards the circus arts. Always passionate, she
learned several disciplines such as hoop, aerial silks, contortion, juggling and acrobatics. In 2006, she moved to Montréal and
entered Montréal’s National Circus School to specialize in the aerial hoop. She has participated in several corporate events,
festivals and shows with the Fous du Cirque de Châteauguay troupe. And she has also worked with other companies such as
Cirque Éloize, Les 7 doigts de la main, and Les Productions Haut-Vol. This year she joins the cast of Rain as a contortionist.
Philippe Dreyfuss (Switzerland)
Strong Acrobats Number, Teeterboard, Contortion Number, Juggling
Philip was born in Geneva and graduated from Montréal’s National Circus School in 2000. A versatile artist, he enjoys playing in
many different venues whether it is in a theatre, under the big top or in the street. He has travelled the world with Le Cirque Eos
and Le Cirque Starlight, and also participated in the first version the Cirque du Soleil’s summer show in Quebec City. Parallel to his
artistic career, he has worked as an acrobatic coach in various circus schools, in particular with a social circus program at the
Zip Zap Circus School in South Africa. He is also interested in journalism, skiing, and is an avid nature and mountaineering fan.
Émilie Grenon Emiroglou
(Canada)
Prologue, Strong Women Number, Boots, Double Fix Trapeze, Aerial Silk, Swinging Clubs, Yukulele, Aerial Hoop
Émilie Emiroglou began training at Montréal’s National Circus School at the age of 10. While there, she was invited to participate in the
Festival Mondial du Cirque de l’Avenir in Paris where she won a silver medal. She is also the recipient of a Youth Television Achievement
Award for Best Artistic Performance. After graduation, Cirque du Soleil recruited her for their new creation, Quidam. After the North American
Tour, she decided to take up theatre studies at the École supérieure de théâtre at the Université du Québec à Montréal. She then went on to
perform in numerous theatre and film productions. She also began teaching social circus in an Atikamekw community with the organization
Cirque du Monde. Finally, she joined the cast of Rain in the spring of 2008.
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Artists Bios
Angelika Kogut
(Poland)
Double Fix Trapeze, Solo Trapeze, Banquine & Russian Bar, Teeterboard, Aerial Silk, Swinging Clubs, Glockenspiel
Angelika was a junior and senior acrobatics champion several times between 2003 and 2006. In 2004, she won the bronze medal at the
World Championship and the silver medal at the European Championship. She decided to stop competing in 2006 and became an acrobatic
gymnastics carrier. She participated in a few corporative events in Poland before she joined the world of show business. She joined
Cirque Éloize’s Rain troupe in 2009.
Yann Leblanc (Canada)
Banquine & Russian Bar, Strong Acrobats Number, Cyr Wheel, Teeterboard, Contortion Number, Juggling
The eldest of three, Yann developed an interest in the circus arts at the age of 8, thanks to his teacher Samuel Roy. A few years
later, and over the course of three consecutive years, he performed with the École de Cirque de Verdun as part of the Montréal
International Jazz Festival. He then entered the preparatory program at the École de Cirque de Verdun under juggling professor
Nicolas Boivin-Gravel. At the age of 15 he decided to audition for the Montréal’s National Circus School where he was admitted.
Upon completing his high school education, he then focused on advanced studies at the ENC for three years. During these five
years of study, Yann mainly developed his technique in several fields such as in juggling, acrobatics, hand-to-hand and trampoline.
Josianne Levasseur (Canada)
Banquine, Teeterboard, Aerial Silk, Swinging Clubs
Josianne Levasseur, born in Trois-Rivières-Ouest in Québec, practiced figure skating as a toddler and started learning her current
trade when she was only 5 years old. Today she is a general aerialist with additional specialties in the Cyr wheel and trampowall
disciplines. In 1995, she graduated from the Académie Les Estacades high school in the sports/studies program, having already
acquired ten years of experience in the fields of artistic gymnastics and diving. From 1997 to 1999, she performed in the Cirque du
Soleil show “O” staged in Las Vegas, and in 2000 she performed in the Oliver Show group’s diving show Crazy Flyers in Europe. She
began to work with Cirque Éloize in the production Cirque Orchestra, produced in 2001 and 2002, and she went on to another Cirque
Éloize show, Nomade – At night, the sky is endless, from 2002 to 2007. In 2008, Josianne worked on X-trem O, a show which featured
diving, trampowall and a Russian swing act, at Montréal’s La Ronde amusement park. She has been performing for several years as
a host of special events with both Cirque Éloize and Cirque du Soleil. When she can find the time to relax, she enjoys gardening,
painting and even video editing.
Tomasz Ludwicki (Poland)
Strong Acrobats Number, Teeterboard, Hand To Hand, Cymbals
At the age of 10, Tomasz began to train in acrobatics. He was recognized as an up-and-coming acrobat at the national level in his
country of origin, and in different European championships. He was a junior champion in Poland in 2005. Over the last few years, he
participated in more than a dozen corporative events in Europe.
Bartlomiej Pankau
(Poland)
Hand to hand, banquine & Russian bar, teeterboard, strong acrobat numbers
Bartlomiej Pankau was born in Poland, and began doing Acro Sports at the age of eight. In 1997 he placed first in the
international competition in Switzerland, and then won several championships in Poland and had other international successes.
From 1999 to 2002 Pankau toured Europe with circus troupe Ocelot’s production, Master. During the winter seasons, he worked
with Circus Sarassani in Germany. Pankau met his partner, Jacek Wyskup, while working in Ocelot, where they began to master
their hand-balancing act. Pankau’s first contact with theatre came when he performed in the opera, Nabucco by Verdi and
more recently he was hired as an actor and physical comedian in the play, Ghetto by Konzertdirektion Landgraf which toured
Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Lichtenstein. He has also performed in many special events all over Europe. It is his life's
dream to perform onstage as a circus artist and he is thrilled to be a cast member of Cirque Éloize's Rain because it’s the
perfect fusion between circus and theatre.
13
Artists Bios
Jonathon Roitman (United-States)
Banquine & Russian Bar, Strong Acrobats Number, Cyr Wheel, Teeterboard, Contortion Number, Juggling, Saxophone
Jonathon grew up in Wilton, New Hampshire. His performing career began at Andy’s Summer Playhouse, a children’s summer
theatre where he performed for seven years. His first taste of circus was at the Hilltop Circus, an annual student show at his primary
school. Over the next few years, his interest in the circus continued to grow. He was a founding member of the Flying Gravity Circus,
a troupe for youth. It was while studying literature and French translation at McGill University in Montréal that Jonathon attended a
three-year pre-professional training program at École de cirque de Verdun. After obtaining his University Degree, he continued his
circus training at the Montréal’s National Circus School for four years. Jonathon’s other interests include languages, reading,
singing and photography.
Anna Ward (Canada)
Prologue, Boots, Cyr Wheel, Aerial Silk, Swinging Clubs, In the Suitcase, Pandeiro, Trumpet
Anna Ward grew up in Vancouver before moving to Montréal to pursue her circus studies at the Montréal National Circus School.
Studying swinging trapeze with world reknowned trapeze coach Victor Fomin, Anna graduated from the school and began
performing her solo act with Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco. Her curiosity for different forms of circus has lead her to perform
with Swiss-based circus Starlight, France's La Compagnie Malabar, and Montréal compagnies Les 7 doigts de la main, Cirque
Éloize's Cirque Orchestra, Les gens 'R as well as many performances with her own company, Poisson d'Avril, mainly in Japan.
She also found her way to Las Vegas performing the opening swinging trapeze act to Cirque du Soleil's "O". Anna now focuses
her work on the theatrical aspects of circus by bringing out the expressive vocabulary in circus technique.
Jacek Wyskup
(Poland)
Hand to hand, teeterboard, banquine & Russian bar, strong acrobat numbers, cymbal
Jacek Wyskup was born in a small town in Poland. He studied with two coaches who were world champions in Acro Sports
many times over. He became a full-time performer when he was hired by the legendary cabarets Winter Garten in Berlin
and Apollo Variete in Düsseldorf, where he perfected the art of hand balancing. Wyskup began working with his partner,
Bartek Pankau, when both were performing in the circus troupe, Ocelot, and they mastered their hand-balancing act
in their spare time.
Jocelyn
Bigras (Canada)
Piano, accordion
After studying music at College Saint-Laurent and Vincent d’Indy, Jocelyn was called upon to work as a musician, accompanist,
arranger and programmer, on a number of studio and stage collaborations for over three decades. Over time, he became a lyricist,
composer and singer. In 2004, he joined Cirque Éloize team as pianist, accordionist and musical director for the show Rain.
To date, he has played in over 800 performances, and the adventure continues.
Benoit Landry (Canada)
Piano, accordion
After training in musical theatre at the Collège Lionel-Groulx in Ste-Thérèse, Québec, Benoit worked as an actor in theatre and
television. He is also a pianist, singer, composer, musical arranger, lyricist and director. Currently, he can be seen in Wajdi
Mouawad’s play Assoiffés, directed by Benoît Vermeulen. He also worked as an actor and musician under the direction of Claude
Poissant, Martin Faucher, Félix Dagenais, Dave St-Pierre, Sébastien Guindon, Jacques Piperni, Ramon Griffero, Serge Mandeville,
Simon Boudreault, Sylvain Scott, Anne Millaire Vincent Boucher and Ariane Bisson McLernon. Moreover, he also worked as a
composer for the dance and musical theatre shows Idannabel, Mélodie Dépanneur, Un Wagon nommé Désir, Comme un Homard,
Danse C, Voyage en solitaire and Tombés du Nid, and has contributed to the creation of Sylvain Scott’s La Vraie vie est ailleurs
as an arranger and musical director. He also directed Catherine Huard’s L’Otage, a production of In Extremis theatre company of
which he is the co-founder and artistic director.
14
Credits
PRODUCED BY:
PRODUCTIONS ÉLOIZE, COLUMBIA ARTISTS MANAGEMENT LLC
AND NEDERLANDER PRESENTATIONS INC.
A SHOW CREATED BY
ARTISTS
(In addition to their specialty, all artists are singing and participating to group acts )
Jocelyn Bigras/Benoit Landry
Piano, Accordion
Oksana Burliy
Prologue, Bottles, Tambourine
Ashley Carr
Prologue, Devilstick, Banquine & Russian Bar, Strong Acrobats Number,
Bottle Number, Teeterboard, Suitcase, Juggling, Clarinet
Valérie Doucet
Prologue, Strong Women Number, Boots, Contortion, Aerial Silk,
Swinging Clubs, In the Suitcase, Concertina
Philippe Dreyfuss
Strong Acrobats Number, Teeterboard, Contortion Number, Juggling
Émilie Grenon Emiroglou
Prologue, Strong Women Number, Boots, Double Fix Trapeze,
Aerial Silk, Swinging Clubs, Yukulele, Aerial Hoop
Angelika Kogut
Double Fix Trapeze, Solo Trapeze, Banquine & Russian Bar, Teeterboard,
Aerial Silk, Swinging Clubs, Glockenspiel
Yann Leblanc
Banquine & Russian Bar, Strong Acrobats Number,
Cyr Wheel, Teeterboard, Contortion Number, Juggling
Daniele Finzi Pasca
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Jean-Jacques Cesbron, Julie Hamelin
CREATIVE TEAM
Daniel Cyr
Daniele Finzi Pasca
Maria Bonzanigo
Lucie Cauchon
Guillaume Lord
Mérédith Caron
Martin Labrecque
Dolores Heredia
Nicolas Descoteaux
Suzanne Trépanier
Patrick Loubert
Roch Jutras
Author & Director
Creative Producer
Artistic Director
Head Trainer, Acrobatic Group Acts and High Wire
Conceptor, and Casting Agent
Creator and Trainer for Cyr Wheel act
Songs Lyrics Writer
Music Composer & Arranger on recorded soundtrack
Music Composer & Arranger for live music
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Acting Coach
Moving Lights Programmer
Make-up Designer
Assistant Director & Stage Manager
Assistant Director
CREATIVE PRODUCTION TEAM
Julie Hamelin
Benoît Jodoin
Marc-André Charron
Nicolas Jobin, Louis Côté
Marc Gauthier
Éric Beauséjour
Anne Séguin-Poirier
Jacqueline Rousseau
Sylvain Labelle
Julie Sauriol
François Guay
Francine Poitras
Johanne Raby
Marie-Claire Séguin
Nathalie Jacques
Elena Fomina
Daniela Arendasova
Anik Généreux
Executive Producer
Production Director
Production Director
Technical Coordinators
Rigger
Graphic Artist
Assistant Set Designer
Assistant Costume Designer
Cutter
Cutter
Violin Teacher
Vocal Coach
Vocal Coach
Vocal Coach
Dance Coach
Aerial Silk Coach
Contortion Trainer
Hair Styler
SOUNDTRACK
Maria Bonzanigo
Le Divan Vert
Michel Lambert
Banquine, Teeterboard, Aerial Silk, Swinging Clubs
Strong Acrobats Number, Teeterboard, Hand To Hand, Cymbals
Bartlomiej Pankau
Hand to hand, banquine & Russian bar, teeterboard, strong acrobat numbers
Jonathon Roitman
Banquine & Russian Bar, Strong Acrobats Number, Cyr Wheel, Teeterboard,
Contortion Number, Juggling, Saxophone
Anna Ward
Prologue, Boots, Cyr Wheel, Aerial Silk, Swinging Clubs, In the Suitcase,
Pandeiro, Trumpet
Jacek Wyskup
Hand to hand, teeterboard, banquine & Russian bar,
strong acrobat numbers, cymbal
TECHNICAL TEAM ON TOUR
Stéphanie Rodemann
Bruno Delisle
Colin Gagné
Francis Hamel
Dominique Mercier
Émilie Thomas
Technical Director & Head Carpenter
Head Rigger
Sound Technician and Assistant Technical Director
Head Electrician
Stage Manager
Tour Director
PRODUCTION TEAM
Jonathan St-Onge
Pascale Bélanger
Isabelle St-Louis
Simon Nadeau
Executive Vice President & Delegate Producer
Production Manager
Project Manager
Production Accountant
ALLIGATOR LLC
Jeffrey M. Markowitz
Sarah Davis
FKKS / Jean Ward
JP MorganChase / Allen Yurko
Robbins & Piemonte
Serino Coyne, Inc., G Creative
General Manager
Executive Assistant
Legal Counselor
Banking Counselor
Accountant
Advertising
THANK YOU
Thanks to Doug Rankin, President of the Irvine Barclay Theatre for his unconditional support during the creation of
this production. Additional thanks to Ronald Wilford, Aldo Scrofani, Gary McAvay, Alain Simard, Margaret Cotter.
RAIN PROJECT MANAGER
Soundtrack Coordinator
Recording & Mixing studio (Montréal)
Sound Engineer
Recorded in Switzerland at Matteo Mazza's La Scìma Studio and in Montréal at Le Divan Vert
ISABELLE ST-LOUIS
Project Manager
[email protected]
+1 514 596-3838 ext. 249
Musicians in Switzerland
Pre-Editing: Rino Ross / Mezzosoprano: Yiping Li / Violins: Chunhe Gao, Yoko Miyagawa, Luisa PRESS & PUBLICITY
Moraru / Violas: Gian Paolo Guatteri, Nancy Benda, Yoko Miyagawa / Cello: Johann S.
NICOLE BOUCHARD
Paetsch / Double bass: Anton Uhle / Accordion: Marco Fratantonio
Communications Director
[email protected]
Musicians in Montréal
Violin: François Pilon / Viola: Marie-Claire Cousineau / Cello: Sheila Hannigan / Double Bass: +1 514 596-3838 ext. 240
Yannick Chênevert / Accordion: François Covan / Percussions: Josianne Laporte
MARIE-MICHÈLE DUBEAU
Communications Coordinator
BOOKING
[email protected]
+1 514 596-3838 ext. 228
USA
INTERNATIONAL
Columbia Artists
Productions Éloize
We would like to thank all the artists and technicians of RAIN’s troupe since 2004:
Theatricals
Sylvie Baumann
Natalia Adamieka, Nicolas Boivin-Gravel, Iryna Burliy, Jean-Philippe Cuerrier, Daniel Cyr, Leilani Franco,
Gary McAvay
Director, International Development Michal Furmanczyk, Anne Gendreau, Stéphane Gentilini, Catherine Girard, Krin Haglund Maren
Touring Shows
Aimée Hancock, Jean-Philipe Labelle, Josianne Levasseur, Nadine Louis, Sandrine Mérette,
+1 917 206-4600
+1 514 596-3838 ext. 226
Samuel Roy, Lukasz Szczerba, Jonas Woolverton
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.cirque-eloize.com
Dec. 2011
Daniele Finzi Pasca
Julie Hamelin
Jeannot Painchaud
Krzysztof Soroczynski
Josianne Levasseur
Tomasz Ludwicki
15