From New York to Melbourne, Paris to Amsterdam, artists dream of seeing their names in lights, belting show tunes, tumbling and pirouetting across the stage. These artists are most often steered away from who they are for marketing reasons.
One of the most important things to do as a gymnast or a performer is basic daily tracking and body monitoring. I have our competitive gymnastics team journal some very simple aspects of how they feel before each practice. Each of our gymnasts has an individual journal with all of their strength programs, educational handouts, and […]
Our names are Chris and Iona and we are an Acrobatic Duo from the UK. We have been working together for seven years now and spent four years training in The Netherlands specialising in a skill called Hand to Hand. Hand to Hand is a circus discipline that has grown from a form of gymnastics.
In The British Journal of Sports Medicine, there was a paper titled Is there a correlation between coaches leadership style and injuries in elite football teams? It looked into the correlation between different head coach leadership styles and the rate of injuries across 37 football (soccer) teams in 17 countries.
Seeing a singer breastfeeding in the dressing room or a composer writing with one hand and wiping her toddler’s face with the other has become very common nowadays, especially since paid maternity leave isn’t common for those who like to perform.
My name is Ryan and I’m 21 years old. I was introduced to gymnastics at a young age and as a teenager I competed in both Sports acrobatics and Diving. I eventually decided to focus on sports acrobatics and won medals at the European and World championships competing for Great Britain.
My name is Alanna Baker, I’m an energetic, fun and lively woman, who’s focused, determined, motivated and goal driven. I’m an acrobat and gymnast who used to compete for Great Britain and I’m now currently working for Cirque Du Soleil’s touring show OVO as an acrobatic character, with a back up aerial act.
What does a Talent Scout look for when searching for cast for Cirque du Soleil? What do they want to see in a Show Reel. Charlie Burrows, Acrobatic Casting Advisor and Talent Scout shares his thoughts.
“How long can I do this?” and “Why am I doing this?” are very important questions that every artist should be asking themselves. Nothing is more ephemeral than a live performance, no curtain will fall twice on the same show, if only because of the cast who, in spite of being the same as the previous night, will be in a different state of body and mind, just like their audience.
I’m a dancer born in the South of France.
I started my career after school at 18 years old in a French musical in Paris. I worked for different events and TV Shows, and in 2012 I started a tour in Asia with another musical, Notre Dame de Paris.
My first steps into the show business were in Las Palmas. While there is not much to do there, I was lucky to find my first gymnastics coach. I was on the Canary Island gymnastics team and I participated in international competitions and festivals. I learned a good base of gymnastics, but it was not what I was looking for.
New York City has the Actors Studio, there is the National Theatre School in Montreal, others will go to the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Australia, three well-known institutions to learn about a director’s various hats when giving life to a script, guiding actors and creating a new world with a team of designers. The tools, the teachers and the techniques are there for theatre directors, but what about circus directors?
When I was first learning how to “be” a stage manager, I learned how to properly record blocking, how to lay out spike tape, and the best way to distribute a schedule. Nothing prepared me for having a direct impact on the physical well-being of my performers.
In January, I packed up my many bags and said good-bye to Dubai to go back out on tour as head of automation with Cirque du Soleil’s Kurios. I was to join the tour in Tokyo, the first city of the Japan schedule. This meant that I had to do the visa run before hand. Whilst the UK Japanese embassy is located London, there is a consulate in Edinburgh so I didn’t have to do the long schlep down south to get that sorted. This is a good reminder that you should always check for both embassies and consulates and the services they provide. It was far easier and cheaper for me to take the hour-long train ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh than the five hour one to London!
Many will tell you that professions in the arts come with an early expiry date, without any retirement plan nor guaranteed success. Some will wait for what feels like a lifetime to get their break-through or even to be noticed. If those first steps are the hardest to take, what about the long run? Is longevity in the arts just as real as it is for those who teach literature or perform open heart surgeries? How does one remain in the lights, living the dream, while others are taking an early final bow?
Our show was called The House of Dancing Water. Geysers shot sixty-five feet high and could catapult a person into the air if they happened to stand in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Jets and rain were additional attractions augmenting the – in itself breathtaking – pool which was hidden under eight hydraulic lifts. They could be moved at any time to reveal either a flat surface or a body of water, alive with bubbles.
“Ugh, why are they making us rehearse this again?” “I can’t believe I have to come in early to train this act, they’re just wasting my time.” Hearing these words filter from the hallway into my office forces me to remember the few mindfulness techniques I’ve learned – deep breath, then focus on the breath leaving my body.
In an industry that is evolving, competitive and demands so much of an individuals passion, creativity and attention, it can be near impossible to recognise that we lose sight of our personal needs, putting ourselves second, if not even in our top 5 priorities. Which industry am I talking about? Well, to be frank, all of them.
Cross training is inevitable in this industry. Whether it’s something that is sought-out by individuals, curious to learn new skills or something that circumstances make a necessity we will all encounter it at some point or another. The differences come when it’s a vocational challenge versus an operational demand.
Casting directors, coaches, and productions companies are scanning the internet for their next great performer. They watch demo reels by the thousands and know exactly what they are looking for in performers. Is your demo reel getting noticed? TheatreArtLife spoke with industry leaders who are hiring the top athletes, gymnasts, aerialists, acrobats, and performers from around the globe. They are sharing their secrets of what they notice, what they skip, and their advice to job seekers.
One hour before curtain, and my assistant, Tara, appeared to be a bit apprehensive. Knowing that I had given her a note for one of our show’s more difficult personalities, I asked her if everything was alright.
“Yes, it’s alright,” she announced, “I just…” Her words broke off. And to be fair, I already knew.
In 2017, things have to go fast, as time goes by, our society is becoming less patient and it’s no secret that attention deficit disorder is a growing concern, not only among kids, but also for grown-ups. As a result, people are now watching excerpts of TV shows on Youtube instead of full episodes, most shows (circus, dance or plays) are now requested to not run longer than 90 minutes plus intermission and we, as artists, are directly affected by this shift: Some producers and directors prefer to watch a demo reel online than to attend a full show, 2:30 is the maximum time allowed for an act on those “Got Talent” shows and most Specialty Acts on cruise ships don’t go longer than 3 minutes (nor do most songs for vocalists).
The ambience and aroma of sweaty athlete’s clad in dirt and mud, or the squeaks and chirps of basketball sneakers are characteristics, audiences associate with the pinnacle of a career in athletics. But, becoming versed in High Heels or Air Jordan’s, Aerial Rigging and humans lofted 40-50 feet in the air, was much more enlightening. The magical nature and whimsy working with an internationally acclaimed troupe surpassed any experience on a field or court.
As you have no doubt heard, a mass shooting occurred at an open-air music festival in Las Vegas. So many of the people working in entertainment have ties to Vegas – here’s how you can help.
© 2021 TheatreArtLife. All rights reserved.
Thank you for your interest in the TheatreArtLife Archives, this area is for members only.
Our contributors are currently writing more articles for you to enjoy.
To keep reading, all you have to do is become a subscriber and then you can read unlimited articles anytime.
Your investment will help us continue to ignite connections across the globe in live entertainment and build this community for industry professionals.