Those first few years in the performing arts industry are seen as those to try anything and everything, to experiment it all, and get as many shows as you possibly can on your resume. At a time where most artists can’t get busy enough in between time zones, welcoming a child into the world and investing more energy in being a good father rather than a seasoned performer can be seen as putting the breaks on your career.
Whether they’ve been naughty or nice, it does feel like the most wonderful time of the year for theatre enthusiasts as they are impatiently waiting for a new load of surprises, to know more about the good times ahead, and excitement fills the air while theatres are preparing and release their new programs for the season to come.
Your have one of the most coveted jobs in the world on the newest show in town. You have the money, the skills, the role that thousands of other performers would kill for and yet, you are standing in the spotlight and you realize that something is missing.
Cirque du Soleil’s latest touring show, VOLTA premiered on the 28th April, 2017 in Montreal. Johnny Kim, the Assistant Artistic Director of Operations shares with TheatreArtLife details on the transition process from VOLTA’s creation into the daily operations and what parts of the show he loves the most.
Patrick Rochette began working as an ironworker on high rise buildings and bridges in Quebec when he was subcontracted by Show Canada for a job in 2006. A few years later, Patrick was looking for a change and approached Show Canada for possible opportunities. They took hired him full-time and since then Patrick has been applying his skills to the world of entertainment. Patrick spent some time with TheatreArtLife on his one day off while on assignment with a theatre installation in Macau.
Authors note: During the summer of 2015 I met David Girard while he was performing in the Cirque du Soleil show Le Monde Est Fou in Trois-Rivières. He performed in several acts including Trampowall (trampoline wall) and air track but that does not begin to tell of the talents of this incredible performer. He is a world class gymnast in many disciplines and has transferred those skills into the circus arts. Now a Cirque du Soleil veteran, having worked for shows like Zaia in Macau and La Nouba in Florida, He has now moved into developing an act on his personally designed apparatus cirQle (think of a human-sized hamster wheel.) David is an inspiring person relentlessly pushing what is possible for himself but also in the world of circus arts. This is his story… in his own words.
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