I’ve always been optimistic...
So it’s no wonder I found myself making the most of the information Eric Deschenes (Cyr Wheel coach at Ecole Nacional de Cirque & friend) gave me about the upcoming cirque auditions for Montreal Completemente Cirque 2017 – Montreal’s annual circus festival. The companies that would be hosting the auditions had not announced the event yet, but Eric let me know the moment the post went up. I’d been working on the Cyr Wheel piece I’d decided to present. My custom act to Pure Imagination - voiced by Josh Groban. In not too long, I shot an act audition video with the help of my friend Cyril James and sent it in weeks before the deadline. I was taking no chances.
Much to my surprise, I heard back quickly...
Well before the deadline, in fact. I was overjoyed and began making plans for my trip immediately. Which coaches and friends to visit now that’d I’d be back, what to wear, what to see & do – and figure out who else was auditioning! I still had a month to go…
Before I knew it, I was in Montreal, QC. Performers came from all over to enjoy the festivities, professionals performed in shows at Tuho, and graduating students showcased their work up and down Shrebrooke Street. My girlfriend and I arrived a couple days early, so I’d have time to rest and train before the audition. We saw a bit of the city and had early nights. I had to be up at 6AM to perform!
The auditions were held at Cirque Eloize – a place where friends of mine had trained during their professional tours! Also among the 10 companies viewing the performers were Cirque du Soleil, Les 7 Doigts (The 7 Fingers), and Cirque Eloize, of course! With all the casting directors present, saying the atmosphere was tense would be an understatement. And I was the second of 50 performers to go. 8:10AM performance, here we go…
Incredibly, and much to my satisfaction, my audition went about as smoothly as it could have! My execution was close to perfect, all my skills landed, and there were no falls or errors. It was everything I wanted to showcase the casting directors for 10 of the most reputable companies in circus. All that was left was to watch the others, grab lunch with new friends from other countries, and socialize with the casting directors at the mixer that evening… It was an excellent event. Natalie, my girlfriend, could even attend! We chatted, danced, and took in the ambiance before returning to the Air BnB for the evening. I will always remember what it felt like to be surrounded by so many talented people. Some who were already in Cirque, some with dreams of touring. And now I was there too. Upon returning home, it was a couple weeks or so before any of us were informed of results. But it was completely worth it. I received an email letting me know that I’d been officially accepted and entered into the Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Eloize, and Les 7 Doigts databases. My near-two years of work had paid off. I had legitimately completed my dream to make it into Cirque du Soleil’s database. Next steps: relocate to their busiest cities and join a show!
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