A graduate from Montreal’s National Circus School, Jeannot Painchaud started his career as a performing artist, working with various circus companies and multidisciplinary artistic troupes for 12 years. He performed on stage as part of a trio, a duo and as a soloist, touring the world constantly. As a multidisciplinary artist, he was an acrobat, a juggler and an actor, with a specialty in artistic bicycle. In 1992, he won a bronze medal at the prestigious Festival Mondial du Cirque de demain in Paris for his artistic bicycle act.

He is one of the founders of Cirque Éloize in 1993. In the early years, he performed on stage, while providing artistic direction to the company. He left the stage in 1998 to devote himself to the direction of Cirque Éloize.

As the artistic director and director of creation of all Cirque Éloize’s shows in the last 17 years, Jeannot has known how to assemble the best designers and performers required to create exceptional shows.

In 2001, Jeannot staged the first version of the show entitled Cirque Orchestra which innovated by mixing contemporary dance, acrobatics and classical music performed by a live symphonic orchestra that was integrated to the show. The incorporation of other forms of entertainment to acrobatics is a driving force for Jeannot, and his vision has always been to assemble creators from different art forms such as theatre and contemporary dance.

2002 marks the moment he met Daniele Finzi Pasca, a director whose poetic style was an important influence to Cirque Éloize. He staged three of Cirque Éloize’s shows from 2002 to 2007, Nomade and Rain for Cirque Éloize and then Nebbia, in coproduction with Teatro Sunil, Finzi Pasca’s own company.

In 2006, Daniele Finzi Pasca and Teatro Sunil invited Jeannot to join the creative team of the 20th Olympic Winter Games’ closing ceremonies in Turin, Italy. As assistant-director, Jeannot was in charge of the ceremony’s acrobatic components.

Jeannot is also head of the special events department at Cirque Éloize, where he oversees the stage direction and development of tailor-made concepts for large-scale international shows, galas, corporate events, special television presentations, and more. Since 2009, he is also the president of the board of En Piste, the Circus arts national network.

With 24 years of experience in the new arts circus, Jeannot has made Cirque Éloize one of the world leaders in contemporary circus movement.

Having extensively traveled to more than 30 countries since he began as a street performer, he continues today his dream, to bring the world to discover the new circus art form. Jeannot is back to directing with iD, a truly dynamic and powerful show that will bring new ideas by mixing the world of urban dance, with the new art circus universe. iD is the 7th creation of Cirque Éloize.