The modern ringmaster
FOURWAYS - Director of the urban dance and gymnastic extravaganza that is Cirque Éloize, Jeannot Painchaud describes the joys and challenges of modern circus.
NOTE: Please link this story to a previous one about Cirque Eloize: https://www.citizen.co.za/fourways-review/179823/cirque-eloize-dazzles-at-teatro/. It is the second in a series of profiles of performers etc in the production. Others are about Emi Vauthey, Baptiste Montassier and Conor Neall.
Asked which Cirque Éloize show was his favourite, company co-founder and director Painchaud laughs. “It’s like you asking me which of my children is my favourite one,” he explained.
Painchaud fell in love with the circus on witnessing the first performance of Cirque du Soleil in Quebec. He began to practise circus arts as a hobby, before travelling the world as a performer. He believes that what makes the circus special is its positive energy, connecting people from all walks of life.
“The circus carries values like discipline, confidence, teamwork and a desire to push your own limits,” he added.
Teamwork is essential at Cirque Éloize, where Painchaud and his team seek out multi-talented, adventurous performers to combine traditional circus arts with modern dance, music and visual effects technology.
“It was a big challenge to… combine the world of urban dance and the world of circus in order to create a unique and original way to present the circus acts. I think that making the acrobats dance and [partially integrating] the dancers into the acrobatics was the biggest one,” disclosed Painchaud.
Before performers hit the stage, production design can take years, from casting to the development of a basic script, aesthetic setting and acrobatic skeleton. At the heart of the structured design process, however, lies Painchaud’s artistic vision, drawing inspiration from his very surroundings.
Of Cirque Éloize’s latest production, iD, he said, “I was in Korea. From my hotel room, I had a view of buildings all around me. And I started to imagine artists jumping all over the city… I was struck by the idea of freedom, the notion of going down into the underground and [letting] the young generation take over the city… I sought to create an aestheticism at the crossroads of comic books, science-fiction movies and the rich universe of graffiti.”
After touring the world since 1993, Cirque Éloize now brings iD to the Montecasino stage where Johannesburg audiences have the chance to see Painchaud’s vision come to life for themselves.
