WAG Joining Cirque du Soleil when I'm older?

[Sarah_the_gymnast]

Hey everyone.

So, obviously I have a while to go before I get a serious job, but I saw that Cirque hires artistic gymnasts. I think it'd be cool to work for them.

It says when you apply to include footage of your bar skills, including releases, dismounts, etc.

If any of you guys have experience in this sort of thing, do you think you could tell me what they look for? As in, say by that time I have a Tcatchev and a double back, do you think I'd have a chance at getting in?


I know that you guys probably have never auditioned, but then again, a coach who used to work at my gymauditioned for Cirque (unfotunately he was a guy, so I can't ask him, as the requirements are different), so you never know.

Thank you

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Watch a few cirque show. Do you have the base skills to be able to do some of their innovative modifications? Are you a performer? Are you generally pretty fearless? I imagine cirque not being a enjoyable place for someone who is a is tentative with trying new things.

 

[txgymfan]

Google Cirque audition. I've seen a few videos and blogs about the audition process. It looks fascinating and extremely difficult.

 

[fuzi]

I've had friends/colleagues who worked for Cirque and other circuses, as well as friends who auditioned, and friends on the technical side. Short answer: it's really hard, you have to be really good, and you have to have the right body type (often they have very specific height/weight requirements for prexisting roles). Even then: nothing is a guarantee.

Generally those who get cast as "artistic gymnasts" were elites or very good level 10s- often post NCAA. They tend to cast tumblers (Airtrak) and Trampoline specialists (again elite level skills) and those that can swing bars (giants, single bar and between bar moves, ext.)

A group of friends went to an open casting once for gymnasts and aerial artist. They had people improv dance/movement to music with different cues ("you're wandering through a scary forest alone" sort of thing). Many were cut after this. Most everyone was eliminated when they tested strength: pull-ups, leg lifts with feet passing under the bar to an upside down like, press handstands, rope climbs. They tested flexibility. They looked at basic tumbling and body awareness: handstand hold, handstand walk, standing tucks. I don't remember that any of my friends got callbacks after that open audition: and some were former level 10 gymnasts and all were doing aerial stuff with a college circus.

One guy I know got a contract after working on a duo aerial act for many years. They sent in video and applications many times, and eventually got a live audition and he and his brother were invited to train as part of a show in development. He tore his labrum some months into the training, and that was the end of that.

That said, you could always send in a video if you meet the application standards: but usually they are looking for national champions and international competitors. You could also start training a circus discipline and try that way. Maybe you'd be fabulous at aerial silks, or on the flying trapeze. Another friend who was a level 9 gymnasts started flying trapeze in college. She got a touring contract with another circus after college and (last I checked), is still doing it 5 years late.

 

[LindyHopper]

I can't help you with the requirements, but I can share a success story (I will be vague to protect her privacy).

A classmate I graduated with competed for one of the top NCAA teams, and when she graduated, went on to Cirque, which led to other things that helped create the life she lives today.

 

[ayyyrial]

Keep in mind that Cirque du Soleil is the elite level of circus, and they are a touring full-time company. Wanting to join Cirque du Soleil is like wanting to go to the Olympics. However there are plenty of circus-related opportunities in several major big cities in the U.S. and Canada - I know many people in my area who are professional circus performers who get hired on a freelance basis to work at company events, nightclubs, burlesque clubs, smaller circus shows. A lot of these people have been training for circus since they were children, but others come from a background of dance/theatre/gymnastics or adult performance. The people I know who have worked for Cirque or other big touring companies generally start training for circus very seriously as children, just like elite gymnasts.

It's very possible to get involved in circus arts - even if it's not Cirque du Soleil. I personally love the creativity and focus on performance that isn't really present in artistic gymnastics, plus the intense physical requirements and cool acrobatic stuff that I loved in gymnastics. If you are outside of one of these major metropolitan areas, then it is harder to get involved. I personally know there is great professional and semi-professional stuff in San Francisco and Minneapolis-St. Paul, as well as a great but smaller/less professional scene in D.C. I have also heard secondhand of schools in New York and Chicago. Other than that I am not sure. If you are near Minneapolis at all I would recommend Circus Juventas's youth summer camp, which takes people up to age 20 and is a great primer into the world of circus.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Hey everyone.

So, obviously I have a while to go before I get a serious job, but I saw that Cirque hires artistic gymnasts. I think it'd be cool to work for them.

It says when you apply to include footage of your bar skills, including releases, dismounts, etc.

If any of you guys have experience in this sort of thing, do you think you could tell me what they look for? As in, say by that time I have a Tcatchev and a double back, do you think I'd have a chance at getting in?


I know that you guys probably have never auditioned, but then again, a coach who used to work at my gymauditioned for Cirque (unfotunately he was a guy, so I can't ask him, as the requirements are different), so you never know.

Thank you

I auditioned about 10 years ago. The process has changed slightly since then, but I suspect what they're looking for is largely the same.

First, take a look at their website. They have a section for submitting audition material online, and they give a pretty good description of what they're looking for. Some additional things to keep in mind:

1)They want good form, precise control, and spotless basics. Include basic skills in your audition. Handstand work, strength, walkovers, cartwheels, tap swings, handsprings, etc; don't just try to wow them with the big flashy stuff.

2) They are looking for elite-level athletes. I can't give you a specific list of skills, but in general I'd say you want to be comfortable showing a number of D-difficulty skills with flawless form.

3) They want style and personality. If you don't already have experience in dance and theater, I recommend taking classes in both. Even if your gymnastics skills are top-notch, they won't take you unless you have a big stage presence. You need to be able to move gracefully to music, and to capture an audience's attention.

Hope this helps. It's very difficult to get in (I didn't make it), but I hear it's great fun working for them. Best of luck!

EDIT: To add, even if you can't get into Cirque, there are plenty of other circuses that hire gymnasts. There are also circus schools that might be able to help y ou out and point you in the right direction. If you have further questions, let me know; even if I can't answer them, I have a few friends who might be able to give you more info

 

[amiandjim]

DD says this is her life goal (she is 7 though) and we watched a YouTube documentary about becoming a performer and their "boot camp." Maybe try to watch that and see the expectations....it's very difficult.

 

[Aussie_coach]

It is very unlikely that you would be considered on selection for Artistic Gymnastics unless you are an elite level gymnast.

Being able to do Tcatchev's and double backs are not even close to the standards they are looking for. Working in cirque is also an extremely demanding job.

There are other circus's with much more realistic requirements, but I would suggest you get some specific circus training to be considered.

 

[fuzi]

Ringing Brothers Barnum & Bailey also just announced that they are closing. That means 500 or so less circus jobs, including one of the ones I referenced in my above post.

Doom and gloom aside, circus arts are a great way to stay in shape and challenge yourself athletically and artistically into adulthood.

 

[dancingimmie]

My dd auditioned for Cirque last year, she had just turned 8. They were involved in putting together a show called Circus Kids. She had to put a video together that had specific skills testing; chin ups, rope climb, handstands, flexibility, etc... dance improv, tumbling skills and read lines. She got two call backs!! I thought she was moving to Montreal but she didn't book the job in the end. It was all very exciting.
If your really interested in Circus. Check out the National Circus School in Montreal. It's on the "Cirque" campus!!

 

[blue_5678]

I second the suggest for the national circus school in Montreal! You don't have to speak french to attend, although it may be helpful. They have a great summer program, as well as junior high/high school and even college. You do have to audition (by video or at a stop on their tour, which are only in Canada if I remember correctly), even if you only want to go for the summer. The "in person" audition includes strength, flexibility, dance, acting, and very basic tumbling (nothing beyond a back tuck). The video audition is more broad, it still has strength and flexibility, but then you can choose anything to show for the rest of it (ex gymnastics). Hope this helps!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Hey everyone.

So, obviously I have a while to go before I get a serious job, but I saw that Cirque hires artistic gymnasts. I think it'd be cool to work for them.

It says when you apply to include footage of your bar skills, including releases, dismounts, etc.

If any of you guys have experience in this sort of thing, do you think you could tell me what they look for? As in, say by that time I have a Tcatchev and a double back, do you think I'd have a chance at getting in?


I know that you guys probably have never auditioned, but then again, a coach who used to work at my gymauditioned for Cirque (unfotunately he was a guy, so I can't ask him, as the requirements are different), so you never know.

Thank you

go for it WHEN you've graduated college.

 

[Sarah_the_gymnast]

go for it WHEN you've graduated college.

Yeah, definately No way I'd go over college

 

[Flippingout]

HIGHLY suggest you watch this video:

 

[Sarah_the_gymnast]

Thanks to everyone who replied. Ahh well, I guess the circus isn't really in my future. But it's fun to dream, right?

 

[blue_5678]

You can still take recreational circus classes! They're quite fun and a good way to stay fit if/when you move on from gymnastics.

 

[ayyyrial]

You can still take recreational circus classes! They're quite fun and a good way to stay fit if/when you move on from gymnastics.

Amen to that! I've been taking circus classes for 1.5 years and they're a great way to continue gymnastics-like things that really challenge you to think and move in a different way. I've mostly been doing aerial classes which is great because it doesn't stress my feet and ankles, which had lots of injuries in gymnastics.

 

[Aero]

Ringing Brothers Barnum & Bailey also just announced that they are closing.

NOOOOOOOOOO!!! Dislike!!!

 

[Iwannabemargo]

my boys first gym coach spent a few years working for Ringling Bros, she was/is an amazing acro gymnast