Circus

Impeccable elegance, an inimitable voice, unrivaled knowledge of the circus world... In a nutshell: extra soul! Clearly, this man in red and black has the gift of making himself indispensable while being discreet! In his ceremonial attire, he enters the track to enlighten us on the numbers. Behind the scenes, he never takes his eyes off his artist friends. He LIVES the show from A to Z. He has the gift of sharing and always manages to slip in an anecdote, to cite a reference... Mr. Loyal is not a presenter. He is much more than that: a guide, a friend, an accomplice and an artist who serves the circus in a masterful way!

What could be more legitimate, for the Bouglione family, than to put the flying trapeze in the spotlight? This art, “invented” by Jules Léotard, is part of the circus legend. On November 12, 1859, the Toulouse artist performed a first passage between two trapezes by performing a somersault at the Cirque Napoléon, renamed Cirque d'Hiver. Two centuries later, the discipline inspires circus artists around the world. The American troupe, made up of 4 funny ladies, twirls in the air without giving us any respite. We salute their triple somersault, a feat performed at a frantic pace that will give us the thrill.

On the bill for the Fantaisie show, Les mangeurs de montagne was a huge hit. This trio, composed of Dominic Baird-Smith, Jean-Philippe Buzaud and Sigrid La Chapelle, blurred the lines and mixed genres: from the absurd to the crazy, including burlesque and poetry. Inspired by Anglo-Saxon humor and acclaimed by the public, the troupe explores a new universe that transports us to a world where laughter is completely revisited. The secret of such success? Sigrid may have the answer: “No one told us it was a job to make people laugh. And by having fun on stage, talent comes...". And, precisely, when it comes to talent, they have nothing to envy of the hilarious Monty Python!

Eliza Khachatryan is a child of the ball. She was just three years old when she made her debut on the track. A junior contortionist dressed as a doll, she already shows talents as a circus performer. His father, Gevorg, from the Moscow Circus School, received the prestigious title of National Artist of Russia. His mother, also a circus performer, performed a pigeon act. In 2010, with the help of her father, the young artist created her magnificent and unique solo wire number. We follow, stunned and admiring, her dancer's slippers sliding on the wire. Doing points in the air to the jerky sound of the bandoneon is almost like magic! In October 2013, Eliza won the Golden Idol trophy at the Moscow International Circus Arts Festival.

Rarely have artists proposed such audacious figures, between technical prowess, dazzling flights and devastating charm. Anne-Charlotte Joguet, the Berckoise, and Hélène Kolessnikow, the Juanaise, form Sweet Darkness. Literally “sweetness” and “darkness”. These young women are not only high-flying acrobats, they have sought to surpass their limits, as they themselves confide: “It was necessary to go even further. We really wanted to put ourselves in danger and get out of our comfort zone.” Thanks to their audition described as “absolutely perfect”, the tandem won a place in the semi-finals of the show “France has an Incredible Talent”.

Who hasn't, in their younger years, tried to juggle in the playground to amuse the gallery? But to admire the dexterity of David Pierre Larible is... to give up juggling forever! The artist is out of competition. And as the young audience would say: “There’s a level!” ". It must be said that this son of a great, internationally renowned clown spent his entire childhood in the circus world. If he is upside down, it is to better master bowling, hoops or hats. All these objects obey him at his finger and eye regardless of their number. Impossible to count them as the pace is so frenzied!

This young artist from the Netherlands knows how to take care of his entrance! He appears, mysterious, dressed in a dark cape and his face protected by an iron mask, worthy of futuristic series. Michael is not only a circus artist, he knows how to create universes! Once rid of his modern-day Templar trappings, he shows us what it means to wield a diabolo. So, obviously, we bow. A true showman, he has performed in 17 countries to date and is among the youngest diabolo players in the world. Specialists say that he revisited the genre by making the discipline more fun, more playful...

Natalia Egorova and Sampion Bouglione have developed a complicit harmony on the track and in the city. Both children of the ball, they have two sons who will certainly follow in their footsteps. In the meantime, Sampion, an eclectic artist, showed off his talents as a juggler, tap dancer, etc. and his wife, Natalia, his gifts for turning his aerial straps into poetic accessories! He at the piano, she at the top of the marquee; the couple takes us into a magical whirlwind conducive to daydreaming. A lover who joins his beloved near the stars, it's romantic as can be!

First of all, don't be prone to vertigo! Then resist the centrifugal force. To spin like tops on a circular platform at high speed, you must meet all these conditions, without forgetting elegance so that the performance of these extreme skaters remains engraved in the memories! Eugenio Nistorov and his wife Alina and their partner, Lara, combine all these talents. The trio made a splash last year at the 2nd Hauts-de-France international circus festival and are looking forward to getting to know the French public better.

These Ethiopian tightrope walkers belie their track name. “The bad boys” are above all excellent, recognized artists. Their surname is a little nod to Dire Dawa, in Ethiopia, where they grew up. These artists, defectors from a troupe of more than a hundred members, first joined a circus school and worked together for a long time, winning medals, prizes and trophies which reward their acrobatics and box jumps. Not to mention their famous, very spectacular lifts which build their legend.

When Matteo hands the pole to his partner, Lusesita, she flies away, graceful, to reach the stars. Straight from Poland, these two artists are regularly engaged in coves and festivals where they win award after award. Lusesita Farrell is a dancer and choreographer. In the circus, she specialized in flexible balances. Matteo, whose real name is Mateus Krajewski, a juggler who graduated from the National School of Circus Arts in Julinek (Poland), discovered the circus during a tour of the Italian circus Medrano Casartelli. He learned juggling from Alfred Malecki, one of his country's greatest artists. Their fabulous pole act earned them the chance to be selected for the Polish version of “France has an Incredible Talent”.

Hula hooping was all the rage in the sixties and it would have been a shame to throw the discipline into oblivion. Victoria Bouglione wanted to bring it up to date and she did well. Seeing the impeccable technique and grace of this young artist, we might consider trying the experience. But try rotating a hoop, then two, then several, around your waist with an incessant swaying and without losing the rhythm! By her own admission, Victoria learned this new discipline “quite quickly” and managed to create a romantic climate which, as the number progressed, got carried away and became more rock. Hats off to this elegantly revisited art!

We no longer present Régina, daughter of the patriarch Émilien Bouglione, legendary squire! Although she has led an eclectic career and has performed in the most prestigious marquees, particularly across the Atlantic, the artist enjoys returning to the family track and her horses. Cirque d’Hiver aficionados always appreciate the complicity that the rider knows how to create between the horses, the ponies and herself. In this maxi-mini, always majestic, with a proud bearing, Regina delights and captivates us. We almost forget the months of training essential to achieve these equestrian acts as flamboyant as they are tender!

The music at the Cirque d’Hiver is a performance every time! A renewal and a challenge. “We play the same piece 200 times and... it’s never the same! », confides Pierre Pichaud. The 9 musicians he directs must be able to express everything and above all translate the immense range of emotions (laughter, wonder, suspense, fear, tenderness, poetry, etc.) that the numbers arouse. The osmosis with the artists is total! At the helm, a maestro experienced in all world music and who leaves no respite for his musicians and... spectators. When it swings at the top of the stands, all eyes converge on the 10 musicians and loud applause rings out!

The Cirque d’Hiver-Bouglione gives pride of place to all the arts and dance is not the least. To join this exceptional corps de ballet, Alec Mann, the choreographer, hired 6 dancers and 3 outstanding male dancers from France, Great Britain, Brazil and the United States. Spectators are demanding and scrutinize the ballet from its first steps on the floor. Technology is not enough. You need charisma, aesthetics and dreams. Fond of choreography that is always at the top, the public gives a warm welcome to this discipline that is inseparable from the Cirque d'Hiver!