| NICOLAS BOIVIN-GRAVELBack to Top | |
| Juggling, teeterboard. strong acrobats number, banquine & Russian bar, triangle | |
was already dreaming of touring the stages of the world when he was just 6 years old. He began his studies at the École de cirque de Verdun where he dabbled in all the areas the circus had to offer. After ten years of training and performing throughout Québec, he decided (with help from his trainer Krzysztof Soroczynski) to register for the National Circus School after his high school studies in order to perfect his technique and further develop his skills. During this time he specialized in juggling and clowning and perfected his general circus abilities. Today in the production Rain, he has achieved his childhood dream. |
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| IRINA BURLIYBack to Top | |
| Double fix trapeze, teeterboard, swinging clubs, tissue, banquine & Russian bar, Roue Cyr | |
was born in Kiev in the Ukraine. Irina began Acro Sport at the young age of 4. When she was 16, two Polish artists from the Varsovie circus invited her to work with them as an aerial artist. They formed the Trio Ares and performed throughout Europe for over ten years. A multidisciplinary artist, she excels in many acts, including the banquine, the Russian bar, aerial contortion on ring, straps and the swinging trapeze. In 2005, Krzysztof Soroczynski, Cirque Éloize’s head trainer, invited Irina to join the company. Daniel Cyr offered to teach her the basics of the Cyr Wheel so that they could form a duo. In 2006, she was given a role in Rain and so joined her younger sister, Oksana, who has been evolving with the troupe since its creation in 2004. Irina now perfects her art through the new circus genre. |
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| OKSANA BURLIYBack to Top | |
| Juggling & swinging clubs, tissue, triangle, aerial hoop, teeterboard | |
studied acrobatics with her sister from the age of 6, in the city of Kiev, in Ukraine. Since that time, her passion for the discipline has never faded, and through her skills she has been able to discover the world. She has performed her Russian bar act with many international circus companies such as Zaparojia, the Cirque Gasser Olympia (Switzerland), the Cirque Arlequin (Poland), the Cirque Imagine and Zavata (France) and finally Cirque Voyage in Germany. Oksana was also a trainer for École de cirque Michellete in France. She is now a member of the Cirque Éloize’s production Rain. |
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| JEAN-PHILIPPE CUERRIERBack to Top | |
| banquine & Russian bar, teeterboard, juggling, strong acrobats number, saxophone | |
was introduced to the circus arts at the age of eight when he attended the Verdun Circus School. There he discovered a passion for acrobatics and juggling, and ten years later he entered the National Circus School in Montreal. While perfecting his skills in his favorite disciplines, Jean-Philippe also mastered other apparatuses, including the aerial cradle. After graduation, he flew off for an 8-month tour in Switzerland with the Circus Starlight. Today, in addition to being part of Cirque Éloize's latest creation, Jean-Philippe tries to pass on his first passion to young people of the coming generation by teaching at the Verdun Circus School. |
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| ANNE GENDREAUBack to Top | |
| Double fix trapeze, tissue, teeterboard, strong acrobats number, solo rope, violin | |
A graduate of the National Circus School of Montreal in 2000, specializing in rope web techniques, Anne Gendreau has been able to use many aspects of her acrobat training with different companies. From children’s acrobatic theatre (Dynamo Théâtre) to concerts (aerial rope act during shows with Jorane, singer-cellist) to equestrian shows (Cavalia), her stage experience has included acrobatic bungies with trapeze, triple rope and aerial hoop. For the Rain show, she was able to enjoy a couple of childhood pastimes: violin and acting. |
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| STÉPHANE GENTILINIBack to Top | |
| Juggling & object manipulation, teeterboard, strong acrobats number | |
a native of France, Stéphane began his training with street theatre groups. In order to specialize in juggling, he entered the École nationale de cirque de Châtellerault in 1998, which in turned gained him admission to the National Circus School in Montreal; he studied there from 1999 to 2002. Since then his work has focused on manipulation of objects, which led to appearances with various circus and dance companies. |
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| CATHERINE GIRARDBack to Top | |
| aerial hoop, double fix trapeze, tissue, teeterboard, swinging clubs, saxophone | |
started training at the age of four in classic ballet, rhythmic and artistic gymnastics, and theatre. After graduating from college in dance, she concentrated on the only discipline that combines all her interests: the arts of the circus. She is a graduate of the National Circus School where she studied three years with Jean-Philippe Cuerrier, another member of the Cirque Éloize. Since then the two artists have combined their talents in aerial cradle acts. Since her encounter with this marvellous world, her passion for the circus has never left her. Subsequently, she worked with the Circus Starlight in Switzerland, then in France and with the Tout Fou Tout Fly. After winning in 2003 a Piste de bronze (Bronze Award) at the Festival de Tournai in Belgium, she has finally come and joined the Cirque Éloize. |
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| KRIN MAREN HAGLUNDBack to Top | |
| Roue Cyr, tissue, swinging clubs, teeterboard, dancer, saxophone | |
fell deeply in love with the circus as a little girl. After years of ballet, modern dance, gymnastics and climbing everything in sight, she discovered an emerging voice in physical performance. While continuing to dance, Krin studied in Japan for two years and completed her B.A. in pre-med and Asian languages at Smith College in Massachusetts. Krin was satisfied with her academic pursuits, but she knew she had to give her childhood dream a chance. Krin headed for San Francisco to train at the Circus Center, where she attended the Clown Conservatory. In the Bay Area she danced, acted and performed in circus shows, including two seasons with the New Pickle Circus. Krin has many loves and interests in her life, but nothing inspires her as much as the circus. |
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| AIMÉE JANAAN HANCOCK Back to Top | |
found gymnastics too scripted and classical violin too subtle, Aimée found contentment in the crazy world of the circus: the perpetual challenge of being and living ever more intensely, the commotion of the lights, the applause and all the visual pleasures. Firm in her belief in the potential of circus training, Aimée has flown with people from all walks of life in the pursuit of trust, confidence, humanity and passion. Her intense circus training began at age 15, and she has continued accumulating new skills and growing through professional experience across Europe, America and the Caribbean. In each moment of her circus performance, Aimée strives to rediscover the details and delve into their broader significance |
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| JEAN-PHILIPPE LABELLEBack to Top | |
| Banquine & Russian bar, strong acrobats number, teeterboard, saxophone, juggling | |
From a very young age, Jean-Philippe showed an extraordinary theatrical sensibility joining Montreal National Circus School at the age of 12. Under the tutelage of trainer André St-Jean, he refined his talents as an acrobat, a flyer and an actor. When he was only 16, he experienced his first professional tour, which lasted eight months, through Switzerland, performing in more than 200 shows in 80 cities with Productions Starlight. The company invited him to stay on to train for another show, Cavalia, as an acrobat, performing in 320 shows in 18 months. He filled in for a Cirque Éloize artist in the production Nomade at the end of the 2006 season, and then joined the production Rain. |
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| NADINE LOUISBack to Top | |
| Prologue, strong women acrobats number, teeterboard, contortion, tissue, swinging clubs, suitcase contortion, tambourine | |
began training very young at the National Circus School in Montreal, then toured with the Cirque du Soleil for seven years in the shows Nouvelle Expérience, Fascination and Saltimbanco. One of a quartet of contortionists, she and her three partners jointly received many recognition awards: the Golden Clown at Festival de circus de Monaco, the Gold Medal at the 13ème Festival du cirque de l’Avenir in Paris, the Silver Crane at the Wuhan Circus Festival in China and a Gemini Award for the best performance in a variety program on Y.T.V. She has appeared on many television broadcasts, including the “Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” and performed the main role in the film Satie and Suzanne (Rhombus Media Inc.). Following her circus experience, she completed her studies in arts and communications at Collège Jean-de- Brébeuf, then trained for four years in acting at the National Theatre School of Canada. |
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| SANDRINE MERETTEBack to Top | |
| Double fix trapeze, solo trapeze, tissue, teeterboard, strong women acrobats number, saxophone, swinging club | |
was introduced to gymnastics at a very young age and, at age 9, this sport led her towards the circus arts, which she mastered with great enthusiasm. Since entering the École Nationale de acrobat, this contortionist and actress has shared her talents between the circus, acrobatic theatre for children (DynamO Théâtre) and various television appearances. Sandrine is pleased to join Cirque Éloize’s Rain, an opportunity to express her many artistic talents. While attending Cirque’s preparatory program for professional training, She, decided to make the circus her trade, completing her secondary and college-level studies there. She graduated in 2003. |
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| BARTLOMIEJ PANKAUBack to Top | |
| Hand to hand, banquine & Russian bar, teeterboard, strong acrobats number | |
was born in Poland, and began doing Acro Sports at the age of 8. 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, M a s t e r. 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 handbalancing 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. |
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| SAMUEL ROYBack to Top | |
| Juggling, teeterboard, strong acrobats number, banquine & Russian bar, bass drum | |
discovered the circus arts at 7 years old. Passionate for all things circus, he trained for over eight years at the École de cirque de Verdun, and then went on to perfect his skills at the National Circus School in Montréal. His five years as a student there whetted his appetite for discovering new cultures and sharing his passion. Specializing in juggling, he also honed many other acrobatic techniques, especially as a porter. His greatest pleasure is dazzling his audiences and making them dream for a moment suspended in time. |
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| JONAS WOOLVERTONBack to Top | |
| Roue Cyr, strong acrobats number, teeterboard, rolling globe, suitcase contortion, accordion | |
is a native of New York City. He studied dance, theatre, played accordion in a circus-rock band, Circophonique! and graduated with a B.A. in film production from Vassar College. While working as a filmmaker in San Francisco, Woolverton saw Cirque Éloize’s Excentricus and his life and his career path were forever changed. He knew that he had to find a way to work with this theatrical circus company and dedicate himself to the study of the enigmatic Cyr Wheel. The Clown Conservatory at the Circus Center in San Francisco gave him the formal circus training he needed, and he was hired to perform German Wheel and play accordion in the New Pickle Circus’ Circumstance, directed by Gypsy Snider. Ecstatic to now be a part of the international ensemble of Rain, he is living his dream of performing with Cirque Éloize. One day Woolverton plans to combine his passion and experiences in the circus with his love for making films. |
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| JACEK WYSKUPBack to Top | |
| Hand to hand, teeterboard, banquine & Russian bar, strong acrobats number, cymbal | |
was born in a small town in Poland. Jacek 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. |
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