Ever wonder what it would be like to become a Cirque du Soleil artist? Of course you have! Who hasn’t? Wonder no longer! Through a series of interviews on their casting website, Cirque du Soleil invites us to get to know some of their performers (past and present), and discover how each of them went from a career as an athlete, circus performer, instrumentalist, singer, dancer, actor, clown, or in another specialty to becoming a Cirque performer. They’re fantastic reads if you’ve had the pleasure, and if you haven’t, well, don’t despair. We’ve collected all 30 artist interviews for you to peruse in this series, which, due to the page count, we’ve publish in six parts.
In September, we began with Q&A’s from Anthony Gatto, Claudel Doucet, Denise Stefanie Gonzalez, Eric Scribner, and Eve Castelo Branco. Then Hassan El Hajjami, Jean-François Houle, Jeanne Dioman Gbou (Ethnic & Traditional dance), Julia Lopatkina, and Kristin Allen in October. We continued in November with Lionel Hamel, Lisa Skinner, Marco De Santi, Melissa Urbano, and Michael Joseph Hachey. And last month with Miho Kono), Miro Lacasse, Noriko Takahashi, Odmaa Bayartsogt, and Oleksandr Pylypenko. And now in Part Five: Paulo Lorador, PJ Bogart, Raphaël Sanchez, Ross Gibson, and Sabú Alegría.
PART FIVE
PAULO LORADOR | Portugal
Hand to Hand
Q. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND PREVIOUS TO JOINING CIRQUE:
I was performing Hand to Hand with my brother, Marco (we are third generation circus performers).
Q. WHEN DID YOU JOIN CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
April 1992.
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE ORGANIZATION? WHAT WAS THE CONTEXT?
My brother and I were performing in Monte Carlo at the Circus Festival when Cirque du Soleil approached us.
Q. WHAT KIND OF AN EXPERIENCE WAS YOUR AUDITION?
Because our act is so specialized we did not have to audition.
Q. HOW DID YOUR INTEGRATION GO (EITHER IN MONTREAL OR IN A SHOW)?
We arrived before the premiere of Saltimbanco and only had to make changes to our costumes and music.
Q. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT BEING PART OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
The work conditions are great.
Q. HOW DID THE TRANSITION GO BETWEEN YOUR FORMER CAREER TO YOUR CURRENT CIRQUE CAREER?
For us there was no transition in our career because we were already performing in a circus setting, we just moved into better working conditions.
Q. WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AN ARTIST TO JOIN CIRQUE?
It’s a great company to work for.
Q. HOW IS LIFE ON TOUR AND IN LAS VEGAS?
I enjoyed touring but I prefer being in Las Vegas.
PJ BOGART | United States
Diving
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT PRIOR TO JOINING CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
Alternate 2000 Olympics 3m, 3 time NCAA Champion, 7 time National Champion, 1998 World Championship team member
Q. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR ATHLETIC BACKGROUND PREVIOUS TO JOINING CIRQUE:
I have been a diver since I was 11.
Q. WHEN DID YOU JOIN CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
November 2001.
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE ORGANIZATION? WHAT WAS THE CONTEXT?
I saw Saltimbanco in 1998 in Australia.
Q. WHAT KIND OF AN EXPERIENCE WAS YOUR AUDITION?
I loved every minute of it but it was very challenging.
Q. HOW DID YOUR INTEGRATION GO IN MONTREAL AND IN THE SHOW?
Being in Montreal was an adjustment, but joining “O” was easier for me.
Q. HOW DOES BEING PART OF A CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SHOW ALLOW YOU TO EXPRESS YOURSELF IN YOUR DISCIPLINE?
I’ve always considered myself a showman, and Cirque du Soleil gives me an outlet for that.
Q. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT BEING PART OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
I love that I can earn a living doing what I love to do!
Q. HOW DID THE TRANSITION GO BETWEEN YOUR FORMER CAREER TO YOUR CURRENT CIRQUE CAREER?
Before Cirque I was working as a waiter/bartender so I really enjoyed the change.
Q. WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AN ARTIST TO JOIN CIRQUE?
It is the best job in the world and who wouldn’t want to be able to say that they get paid to do something they love.
Q. HOW IS LIFE IN LAS VEGAS?
There is always something to do in Vegas at any time of day, so I love it here!
Q. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
Once you join the Cirque du Soleil team, you will never want to leave!
RAPHAËL SANCHEZ | France
Music Conductor
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT PRIOR TO JOINING CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
My ten-year artistic collaboration with Annie Fratellini (Cirque Fratellini, Paris) as composer and music director
Q. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR ARTISTIC BACKGROUND PREVIOUS TO JOINING CIRQUE:
Composer for movies, theatre and traditional circus (Annie Fratellini)
Conductor for many productions including, Les Miserables, Cats, Chicago, Hello Dolly, 42nd Street and Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
Conductor, arranger and/or orchestrator for many movie soundtracks, albums and other experimental projects
Pianist with a strong classical background, I also play jazz, fusion, and traditional music like Argentinean tango
Q. WHEN DID YOU JOIN CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
November 2004.
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE ORGANIZATION?
I met the Cirque casting/scouting team in Paris while they were auditioning singers.
Q. WHAT KIND OF AN EXPERIENCE WAS YOUR AUDITION?
I didn’t really do an “audition”: I gave Cirque a DVD of my work and they called me a few months later for Varekai. They sent me the DVD of the show and a CD with 4 songs on which I was to record some keyboard parts.
Q. HOW DID YOUR INTEGRATION GO IN MONTREAL AND IN THE SHOW?
It went very fast. I spent 3 days in Montreal learning make-up, getting fit for my costume, having meetings with the composer and the artistic director, finalizing my contract and getting up to speed on administrative procedures. Then I flew directly to Dallas, TX where Varekai was performing for its last 10 days with its former bandleader Michel Cyr. The artists, the coaches and the technical team were very helpful and I’d like to thank them for their kindness.
Q. HOW DOES BEING PART OF A CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SHOW ALLOW YOU TO EXPRESS YOURSELF IN YOUR DISCIPLINE?
After more than 850 performances of Varekai I still feel the same as when I began 30 months ago. Every show is a “Premiere” that requires the same awareness, sensitivity and energy…
Q. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT BEING PART OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
The quality of everyone’s involvement… from all the “dreamers” and performers, to the amazing support staff: technical, logistics, wardrobe, concessions, administration, Tour services, Food & beverages, Information technology, VIP, carpentry, rigging, schooling, kitchen, security, cleaning, etc. I am part of an amazing team!
If we could collect and transform the energy that everyone gives on Varekai into electricity, we could light a city!
Q. HOW DID THE TRANSITION GO BETWEEN YOUR FORMER CAREER TO YOUR CURRENT CIRQUE CAREER?
For me to have to concentrate my energy on one only project was kind of new and almost scary! My former career was very eclectic… in a typical day I could be conducting a recording session in the morning, rehearsing with a traditional tango orchestra in the afternoon, conducting a theatre show in the evening and finally composing, or writing arrangements and orchestrations for my next project at night! Fortunately, given the complexity of the show, the interaction between departments during the show and the fact that there are plenty of adjustments to do all the time, my role as bandleader keeps me really busy!
Q. WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AN ARTIST TO JOIN CIRQUE?
It is a very unique experience you’ll never forget.
Q. HOW IS LIFE ON TOUR / IN LAS VEGAS / IN ORLANDO?
“Intense” doesn’t begin to describe it, but traveling with my family makes a big difference compared to everything I knew before. I’ve never had so much time with them! Also, I’d like to mention that Cirque provides schooling for the children on tour with the best teachers, better than we could have ever dreamed of. In the past 18 months my son has learned English, is learning Russian and taking lessons in juggling and acrobatics.
ROSS GIBSON | United Kingdom
Tumbling/Dancing
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT PRIOR TO JOINING CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
Tumbling: 1997 – Ranked # 3 Junior in World, 1999 – Team Silver Medal Champs, 2002 – Finished second in the World Cup Final
Dancing: Backing dancer for Anastasia and for Will Young in the 2002 Royal Variety Show
Q. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR ARTISTIC BACKGROUND PREVIOUS TO JOINING CIRQUE:
I was an international tumbler for 6 years and a professional dancer in various UK productions.
Q. WHEN DID YOU JOIN CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
March 2006.
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE ORGANIZATION? WHAT WAS THE CONTEXT?
After Cirque saw me in the World Championships I was invited to audition in 2000.
Q. WHAT KIND OF AN EXPERIENCE WAS YOUR AUDITION?
The audition was grueling. After that it took many years until I the right role came along.
Q. HOW DID YOUR INTEGRATION GO IN MONTREAL AND IN THE SHOW?
It was very quick! I spent 2 weeks in Montreal, 2 weeks in Vegas and then I was performing in the show.
Q. HOW DOES BEING PART OF A CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SHOW ALLOW YOU TO EXPRESS YOURSELF IN YOUR DISCIPLINE?
Cirque takes a sport and makes it into an act, something I could never do in competition.
Q. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT BEING PART OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
Being a part of Cirque gives you a certain sense of pride and sort of makes you a celebrity in the art world.
Q. WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AN ARTIST TO JOIN CIRQUE?
They give you many opportunities to expand, grow and create new talents.
Q. HOW IS LIFE IN LAS VEGAS?
Life in Vegas is very different from touring; it gives you a stable lifestyle.
Q. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
Be prepared to work, push yourself and to never give up!
SABÚ ALEGRÍA | Mexico
Wheel of Death
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ACROBATIC ACHIEVEMENT PRIOR TO JOINING CIRQUE?
For over 20 years I performed in Europe with some of the best circuses in the world like the Circus Knie and the Circus Krone; I also participated in the Festivals of Monte Carlo and Paris.
Q. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND PREVIOUS TO JOINING CIRQUE:
At 9 years old I began performing in my family’s circus, Circo Alegría, as a trapeze artist as well as an animal tamer (I worked with elephants, lions and tigers). I also played a lot of soccer and other sports.
Q. WHEN DID YOU JOIN CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
I started in Montreal in 2004.
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE ORGANIZATION? WHAT WAS THE CONTEXT?
Through my brother, Octavio, who is a juggler in Varekai.
Q. WHAT KIND OF AN EXPERIENCE WAS YOUR AUDITION?
For me it was a great experience, different from anything I had done before. The facilities, lodging and very kind staff were all wonderful.
Q. HOW DID YOUR INTEGRATION GO IN MONTREAL AND IN THE SHOW?
Everything went very well. It’s a fantastic organization. Everybody made me feel very welcome, both in the offices and in the theatre.
Q. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT BEING PART OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL?
Everything. I love being an artist at Cirque du Soleil.
Q. WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AN ARTIST TO JOIN CIRQUE?
Because Cirque du Soleil has a culture of creativity and provides many opportunities for its artists.
Q. HOW IS LIFE IN LAS VEGAS?
I like it in here Vegas because I am stable. After traveling so much all over the world I feel more relaxed and am now able to concentrate on my work more.
Q. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
I would like to thank all my team-mates and all the staff for everything.
Next month we’ll conclude this Q&A series by hearing from Suo Liu (Martial arts), Tumelo “Michael” Moloi (Other dance styles), Vanessa Convery (Jazz & Tap dance), Zara Tellander (Female vocals), and Zeng jiao JIAN (Martial arts).
