News/Feb 21, 2017

INTERVIEW WITH THE NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF CIRQUE ÉLOIZE, ÉMILIE ÉMIROGLOU

It was a few months ago that Émilie Émiroglou joined the grand Cirque Éloize family. A circus artist, actress, singer, director’s assistant, acrobatic designer, social circus activist and now artistic director, this woman of many accomplishments has worked both on the stage and behind the scenes.

Why did you choose this industry and what’s kept you here at Cirque Éloize?

“At the time that I began, everything needed to be made, created and constructed. I was a young twelve-year-old girl who arrived in a world in full swing, falling in with a group of pioneering artists from all kinds of backgrounds who wanted to change the world. It was an extremely fertile, inspiring and motivating context. I was drawn into this world and completely inspired by this sacred fire that burned within us. Of course, the circus has evolved since then, but it remains a popular art that’s accessible to everyone. The community is open and the spirit of comradeship is still very much there. Éloize was born in this fecund period and continues still today to create significant, human works of art.”

What’s your big challenge as the artistic director of Cirque Éloize?

“I would like to open our studio doors to creators to make it a fertile space and a place where artistic creation is the central focus – a human environment, sensitive and open to the artistic community.

I would also like to continue to push the bounds of our thinking about acrobatic movement and the art of narrative, to empower interpreters and creators to put all of themselves, all their soul into the artform.”

Where do you get your inspiration from? Who are the people and sources that inspire you most in your work?

“Working together toward a common goal is what most inspires me. Inspiration comes from everywhere, including photography, film, music, travel, everyday life and the people around me.

Circus artists inspire me. I’m obviously very close to them as I myself come from the scene. Ariane Mnouchkine of the Théâtre du soleil is extraordinary; she inspires me enormously. I like the fact that she doesn’t use the word production but rather creation.

As Robert Lepage says, ‘the end result of your show will be the image of your process.’ I find it essential to give the creative process room to breathe so that it can become a work of art that is one of a kind.”

Why is it important to make more room for artistic creation in the circus world?

“Artistic creation brings us closer to the audience. It keeps us moving forward and empowers us to transcend our limits. It’s also important for us to stay open and creative. It’s risky to clearly define it or put our work in a given framework, or even seek to give it a name. New circus? Contemporary circus? Acrobatic theatre? Whatever the definition, it still comes down to the capacity of a body to say things or express ideas through acrobatic movement.”

 

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