16x9 - Getting into Cirque Du Soleil [Audition Documentary]

[Music] tonight on sixteen by nine what up they call it circus NASA bruises it muscle soreness flutter rips its normal part of our days it's a Cirque de Soleil training ground the weirdest the wildest and the best in the world do anything and everything for a chance to get to perform on this stage [Applause] here's Carolyn Jarvis with 22 shows on stage around the world Cirque de Soleil has become an international sensation born out of small-town Quebec with only 20 street performers today more than 1300 artists perform under the big top year-round but arguably the largest production Cirque de Soleil puts on is the one behind the scenes in its casting Department it is an intricate web of talent scouts auditions and an annual training camp at its headquarters in Montreal for four months we were granted unprecedented access into the world of casting a circus and over the next hour we're gonna take you with us for a journey we call getting into Cirque [Music] [Music] if you've ever stepped inside the world of cirque du soleil you will know its mystic intoxication a place where the imagination is in overdrive where the circus meets the abstract and where audiences clamor 100 million people have taken in the experience and as we learned it's a performance as entrancing for those who watch it as it is for those who aspire to be a part of it [Music] I think consulter disorder estúpido best in the world I want it really bad and then one of my dreams every year that dream becomes one step closer for an elite group of athletes who arrive here [Music] [Applause] at circs headquarters on the east side of Montreal [Music] [Applause] they call this place Circus NASA a creative hub as otherworldly as assert production shows are conceived here costumes are hand sewn and careers are built and this past summer 28 athletes entered this building for the first time to begin four months of intensive training each of these athletes has already made it through a successful addition some have been scouted others have spent years submitting demo reels [Music] the training camp that lies ahead will be their final qualifying hurdle before being cast in a show among those hoping to make it Trisha whoo Andrew price and Justin Laprade I feel like it's not real I feel like I need to pinch myself being in this part is almost like you made it how's your French I can say bonjour je m'appelle Andrew Lu a leave on safety is number one priority around here they are all high-performance athletes Andrew a world champion from England Trisha a recent NCAA grad from the University of Nebraska and Justin a performer at Walt Disney World justin has been working for nine years to be accepted after a disappointing first edition in Orlando I sent in like 2020 demo like DVDs full on DVDs I sent it to my friends that were in Cirque and they gave it to their coaches I handed it off in person you sent in twenty DVDs but I gave it to everybody that I knew that you wanted this badly of course despite their years of training on traditional apparatus like high bar pommel horse and rings what these athletes are about to learn is entirely new like a glove it's very cozy new apparatus like Chinese poles essentially pain inducing steel beams they learn to climb up and go using only friction and sheer muscle power and Russian swing a rocking pendulum that combines a powerful pusher with a high-flying aerialist their coach is Mitch head most of these athletes I would say 9 times out of 10 have never done what they're about to do in their life I usually talk about a window of error and we need to get that as small as possible especially with something like Russian swing Russian swing you only fall once and it came over pretty much finding athletes of this caliber to fulfill surf's constant requirement for new performers is no small feat that's why behind the scenes Cirque has the biggest casting Department in the world Scouts in 8 different disciplines scour the globe looking for gymnasts singers dancers actors talented enough to make it onto a surf stage and they see everything in fact the company operates like its own agency compiling a roster of talent to draw from at any moment when you go to a Cirque edition the prize at the end is not being cast in a show it's making it in to SERPs Data Bank of talent we will look anywhere we need to look to find the most exciting best technically best innovation whatever it is all over the world more than half of all search performers come from a sport background [Music] and that's where Scout Stacy Clark comes in today Stacy is in st. Paul Minnesota meeting with gymnasts on their final day of training before the US Nationals they're making a run for 25 [Music] at this level all of the athletes here already have a high degree of technical skill what stacy is looking for is a certain sparkle a performer to get a sense of how how someone carries themselves how they react to stress how they handle themselves under pressure you can see all that in an arena the same way that in the long term we'll see it on stage [Music] they went over the show many of these athletes Stacy has been tracking for years I have notes like like you know great line great extension good luck all that kind of stuff we're really really conscious of not wanting to pluck athletes out of sports they need to be done it needs to be post competitive they need to be emotionally ready to put sport behind them but when they already an audition will see them through to the next round of this lengthy application process an audition that fittingly this year is being held in the city home to more Cirque du Soleil shows than any other Las Vegas [Music] performing a Cirque production in Las Vegas and you're signing up for an exhausting 476 shows a year sound enticing apparently it did to the dozens who lined up on a Saturday morning for a shot at getting in they've come from all over Japan Mexico Belgium England and across North America all to make it into that golden data bank of talent hopefully one day into general training I'm Stacy I'm an acrobatic talent scout out of the Montreal office the standards for making it are speak but the only problem when you set the bar this eye is a lot that falls short [Music] [Applause] [Applause] 22:23 is cut loose by the end of day one gather up grades right in front here a pack emerges number eight number twelve among them Niels Valkenburg three-time national champion I come from a hostile Belgium it's like 80 kilometers from Brussels for 19 hours together Las Vegas and this is just like this is already a reward getting here trying out and then hearing that I'm through to the next round that's again a gift a powerful all-around athlete from Texas has also caught Stacy's attention as well as Austin ray but while Austin makes it through the first day his knee braces flag a serious concern for the scouts now I'm not gonna make that judgment now that's not mine to make but you do need to have that awareness that we have an extremely stringent medical process that every single artist coming through our doors needs to pass it's our job to bring in people who can sustain ten shows a week what's going on good morning good morning on day two Austin returns knee brace free but there's another obstacle waiting and it has nothing to do with gymnastics because circ isn't simply a showcase in sport athletes are required to show their flair their acting skills their dance ability [Music] it's the part of the audition process where some will be saved and others will end their day I have intense that are advanced before it really hurt me so it's a major disappointment especially coming all the way out here and you know getting so far for Austin he's dancing isn't enough hey well it's always next year right at the end of two days thirteen people leave the city of entertainment with a piece of paper their entry into that data bank of talent and a chance and one day being on stage relaxing and I think so much and I guess they'll call me in the future from one of the shows they want to do Amy CBC really really glad it has me quite sunk in yet all the way but just yeah happy all the way [Music] [Applause] next on sixteen by nine pain bruises and muscle soreness for circus gain [Music] [Music] at training camp at Cirque du Soleil headquarters this is the face of week three pain it only gets better it's the new reality for our three gymnasts Justin Trisha and Andrew who have left the world of sport for a chance at joining the circus it's coach Mitch heads job to ease them through that transition fast as you can go it's a race and go week three is when the adrenaline starts to kind of wear off a bit then they start to really feel the fatigue from the previous weeks the payee needs no more explanation than a quick glance at what they're doing take this move called the Superman that takes near superhuman strength to pull off just wrap your arm around and your whole body is just hanging off of here like pressing against it and this guy can go it doesn't even hold this other hand just go straight and it's it's it looks fantastic it doesn't make sense when you look at it you just watch and you how does this happening but the toll goes beyond fatigue this one feels the worse their bodies are taking a beating bruises and muscle soreness you know blood or rips it's all normal part of our days and it just kind of you just have to keep going in if it's so hard to explain that to someone back home so what do they say to people back home I say I'm in banking no nobody I had to say yeah you probably won't believe it but I'm in the service while the men are excelling in the early weeks Justin with his strength paying off on Chinese polls and Andrew fast tracked on the Russian swing it's the guys who are stumbling when it comes to this dance class I don't forget to know [Music] they may not have come here to be dancers but this class like several others is mandatory for anyone inserts general training the point is to gauge their coordination and skills and build the base to work from should they be cast in a show [Music] [Music] you cannot be inhibited if you want to be performer if you the shyest person on earth I don't give a fine let go for me the fact of the matter is neither Justin Trisha nor Andrew has ever studied dance I see myself Amir and like you shouldn't be doing this it's so fair to say hanging sideways on a pole he's an easier task than this [Music] I just made sure I had five coffees perfectly ready for it you just come in and it's like buying straight away you're leaping around and you've got yam I suppose screaming and swearing yeah of course there are professional dancers in Cirque de Soleil but they too come from a specialized world with its own set of grueling standards to find them you have to go to a cirque dance edition [Music] you think that we need to have recruiting people but actually be what you are of the hundreds who have shown up at this open audition in Montreal only a handful will make it to the end and into cirques talent Data Bank then you go one two three four the man with their careers in his hands Julio's khatola dance scout for Cirque du Soleil we're looking for the Paris of the world we're looking for the diamonds in the rough Julio's team will look at hundreds of dancers every year and so the slightest millimeter in a hand position or extension can make the difference between a yes and a no right here we go [Music] before him eager young limber dancers [Music] moving seemingly effortlessly through intricate choreography all trying to impress [Music] there are a ton of people I have no idea I just went out there and did my best and okay sometimes even the most unthinkable moves still aren't enough advancers that fit the closest to the profile that we need now or in the near future 16 in only a matter of hours there will be a series of cuts quick and precise so we start with the number 9 paul nina 29 said yang brittany 31 will no.13 mister her 15 [Music] obviously upset but there's always next year or another audition that I can come to through Sark so I'm gonna try getting keep chain come day to hundreds are down to only 30 all right should we start here we go they get the chance to try out some original choreography from circs production of The Beatles love intricate incredibly fast and leaving no margin for error [Applause] keep in mind dancers normally do all of this for a job this is merely a chance at a job and getting into that golden Data Bank that list is very a very coveted space to be I think it is mama but everyone on it is extremely extremely talented so you're in kind of a circus inner circle in a way so it's I mean it's an amazing place to be to get there the demands are exceptional [Music] the narrowing group is pushed even further tested on acting now one is spider-man and the other one is Batman and II improv at the end of two exhausting days of sweat and hope a once crowded room is left with four [Music] [Applause] [Music] you are now part of the circus of a bank of potential performers for roles and our current shows an upcoming creation hi my name is Christian Denis I come from Los Angeles California I'm Jeff wolf on illusion from Florida my name is Kerry gene green it feels beautiful I feel it's just amazing because I follow my work is paid off [Applause] next on 16 by 9 a job audition like no other so I thought what would be the most dangerous outrageous thing that I could do [Music] [Music] when Trisha Justin and Andrew were hand-picked for circs training program none of them thought it would mean this [Music] welcome to voice class another mandatory component of their training regimes if you try and have fun and forget that you look like a complete idiot he kind of helps a little bit it's difficult to let yourself look ridiculously stupid [Music] but after a while you're just like alright I don't care anymore it's all about making the transformation from competitive athlete to performer the hardest part for most to come here it's the fusion of those two worlds that makes them artists worthy of a Cirque stage welcome everybody from voice and percussion our trio moves on to acting today they're putting on a mini performance to showcase their new skills and Trisha has the starring role oh gosh I feel as nervous as I would be for as if I was at a competition for gymnastics [Music] while the training continues at circuit quarters circ Scouts are out looking for a different sort of talent the types that goes to the roots of the circus the clown I don't know hoping they'll make the cut dozens of performers have shown up in downtown Toronto for circs acting auditions you only have to sit in on this edition for mere minutes to realize anything go so I thought what would be the most outrageous thing that I could do in a group audition situation where people would be and that's when I came up with drinking my own urine and cutting you know red wolf in my body and standing naked with the knife head on [Music] the man sorting through the talent today is acting scouts marc-andre raw they have to touch the people by their emotion they have to touch the people about their presence on stage [Music] actually got nothing for me now for me it's a hobby for Lauren now she's too young just really green she's a young flower there are a hundred and twenty roles within Cirque for actors and clowns but this is a very different type of stage performance for an actor there's no Shakespearean monologue in fact there are rarely any words so performers have to be able to express themselves using only their body [Music] a high level physical actor is someone that can touch an audience just by a movement just by changing expression of the I too early standouts are Peter and Chris a duo from Vancouver who were scouted at the Fringe Festival no no we just like moving but only one will be good enough Princess Margaret is the last one Peter is less in his body people that would say you're not staying with me this afternoon but thank you very much casting for circ goes against the grain of what most think of I'll be back in short this isn't Hollywood yes is still gorgeous it's a beautiful actors cut because they are too pretty old weathered character faces offering more appeal instead of the one thousand people mark Andre looks at every year he's lucky to find thirty who will make it and once again that simply means making it into that data bank of talent [Music] [Applause] [Applause] at the end five people remain it could take weeks or in some cases years for a phone call to come for an actor to actually be cast in a show but today they are one step closer next on 16 by 9 ever had to take a flying leap without a safety net [Music] [Music] until they came here for circus training Tricia Andrew and Justin had always been solo athletes now learning how to be part of a team means learning how to trust like letting your partner whip you around from a steel pole tethered only by their foot this is called the spin now what we're having is a little issue with the Porter I'm trying to figure out whether it's the porter making the mistake or if it's the the person being spun she's swinging out too far and she's coming back and she's hitting the pole again coach Mitch head flips the partners around to try to figure out why the girls are heating the pole I see what you're doing that he's not actually what he was doing that you're not actually comes off the pole you don't stand up right away you let her come off you crank her and you then up she comes with him she comes off the pole but he stands up immediately so that actually one sweep around swinging through keep that knee bad let her come off everything that you can feel me squeezing then you just stay tight and spin the hell out of it [Music] this is the end of week six of general training and as the skill level ramps up so too does the risk factor today Tricia will be jumping off the Russian swing for the first time without a harness no safety net no bungee cord just the landing she has to mail [Music] and she makes it look effortless [Music] while Andrew is still in the harness he's exceeding expectations just need to know that landing he's doing tricks off of Russian swing which in my job training here I've never had anyone do so he's really setting the bar huh the unsung hero of the group is the one who keeps the swing movie the pusher but don't be fooled by the simplicity of the name this job requires equal parts brute force and intuition it's the little things that you get used to just like pumping pumping the swing with somebody on it if they like to push that a certain time or not it's quite difficult to learn everybody but once you start getting used to it you just you go into kind of like an autopilot in a matter of weeks Tricia Andrew and Justin will find out who will receive a show contract and who will be left waiting still being this close is a position of envy for many [Music] especially those who are lining up today for yet another edition but this audition is one of the weirdest of all they call it open sport because not even the scouts know what to expect and anxious I call it nerve anxiousness I'm a wushu performer from England so I came here from Korea some years it's been sumo wrestlers and a unicycle basketball troupe this year it's parkour wushu freerunning and hand balancing [Music] once again Stacey Clarke is scouting the talent I think all of you can afford to take your tops right off please we want to see lines where this fits into a Cirque show you might be wondering well weaved into the choreography of six current productions you'll find traditional martial arts freerunning parkour and inline skating [Music] early on it's easy for the Scouts to see there is only one real standout a wushu gold medalist sang-mook Oh who's traveled all the way from Seoul to try out the cuts are Swift [Music] son Luke oh stays on but the news isn't as good for Stefan Vickers who also traveled quite a distance to be here we will not be keeping you at this time after a test of dance and acting ability [Music] the pack is narrowed to only two and inline skater and mission specialists sign move Oh congratulations both you guys well done very clean the long journey from Korea has paid off thank you next on sixteen by nine graduation that whole cliche and dream come true surf style [Music] it's been four months since our athletes first entered this building to begin general training and their evolution since then has been nothing short of remarkable from putting on a harness for the very first time a lot of screaming the first time down to this both fliers on Russian swing Trisha and Andrew are now jumping without safety gear the strong a risky move that leaves no room for error what would you call yourself now are you an athlete are you an artist are you a performer I'm not an athlete anymore I can say that yes performer in training their abilities have changed and so have their bodies andrew much leaner is down six pounds justin has gained 20 pounds of muscle and Trisha has had to buy new clothes my shirts are tighter right around my arms and in right here on my chest these rings didn't fit before I came here so even your fingers where's my fingers are little tiny sausages today is a special day at Cirque headquarters the athletes will put on a final performance with a proud coach Mitch head looking on well today marks the end of the general training program and this is what it all leads up to Wow there are nerves ahead of Showtime there is also an unspoken reality to what this day means the athletes know that not everyone who arrives here at general training leaves with a contract if you are cast in a show what will that feel like that whole cliche dream come true I saw my first Cirque show when I was like 10 and from then on it's like how do I get into something like that justin is one of two athletes vying for the same position in a show and on the day of his final performance he still hasn't heard Trisha has even less news no word if there's even a potential position out there for her it's the harsh reality of training camp right now I'm still waiting to hear so I don't know if I will get one I don't even care if I don't get a contract right now or later because this whole experiences is unlike anything else it can come down to many different factors just physical personality it's who fits a costume better but there is one athlete who is walking away with a guarantee of being in a circle our high-flying aerialist Andrew because I'm thinking about it I'm so excited andrew has been signed to the touring show sultan banco and is slated to join the cast in march he said in our first interview that cirque was the top and you've made it that must feel pretty incredible yes I feel so good but for those who are still waiting today's final performance could help set them apart one last time I said present as something I'll the last for my songs and I'll do middle bones [Applause] it is the culmination of all their work and for many here a mere taste of what's to come of the nine athletes who enter general training in the same class as Trisha Justin and Andrew only three at the end of this show are walking away with a contract but just as we were about to say a final farewell a surprise a visit from the senior advisor in artist training looking for Justin it's to announce that you have a contract for Sultan Lanka congratulation thank you of the two candidates in training for one spot Justin has been selected to join circus production of Sultan Bali you're on the verge of tears it's been nine years since Justin first audition for Cirque de Soleil nine years that he's been working toward this your life is about to change drastically you will officially be in a circus elation what a journey yeah right so far he like so many who come through this building will very soon be able to experience the thrill of being on a cirque stage it's that thrill that every year has thousands of hopefuls lining up at auditions around the world and pushing themselves to the limit at training camp all for a shot at running away with the circus [Applause] [Music] [Music] and that is our show for this evening for more scenes from cirque du soleil head to our website at global 16 by 9 com I'm Carolyn Jarvis from all of us here thanks for watching and have a great weekend [Music] [Music] you

Channel: 16x9onglobal

Views: 4,350,035

Rating: 4.8853106 out of 5

Keywords: Cirque du Soleil, Saltimbanco, Mystère, Alegría, Quidam, La Nouba, Dralion, Varekai, Zumanity, Kà, Corteo, Delirium, Love, Koozå, Wintuk, Zaia, Zed, Criss Angel Believe, Gymnastics, Circus, Ovo, Banana Shpeel, Viva Elvis, Totem, Zarkana, Iris, Amaluna, Floor, Vault, Bars, Magic, Beam, Trick, Balance, Rhythmic, Routine, Las Vegas, Montreal, Vegas Shows, Las Vegas Shows, Cirque de Soleil, Alegria, Audition, Trial, Idol

Id: BLouxprAHtQ

Length: 45min 1sec (2701 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 11 2012

Reddit Comments

[u/smellybulldog]

I used to be a technician with Cirque.. Here is a very good (very long) article about recent goings on.

[u/TitaniuIVI]

Here's another Cirque documentary that might interest you. It's more about the people behind the scenes like the crew that sets up the tent, the costume department, and other cool stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eonmTVz6faM

[u/WhatsThatSkaSong]

I really love the subject matter. I felt off put by the narrative. It sounded more like a news report and it was harder to engage into the content.

[u/Auriora]

That was very insightful. I have much more respect for the Cirque performers right now. Thank you for sharing, OP!

[u/direwooolf]

watching all these people with their positives attitudes is actually a great way to start your day. reminds me of what a negative cunt i can be, and that i shouldn't.

[u/SaintsRowFox]

Wow! What a wonderful documentary. I've always been fascinated by Cirque du Soleil, so this was some amazing insight. These athletes are impressive people.

Was Trish offered a contract or were her results mentioned? Thanks for sharing, OP!

[u/Galahad_Lancelot]

I need to get off my ass and start training :P

[u/[deleted]]

Seriously though, if you've never seen a Cirque show you owe it to yourself to experience one. I saw Totem a few years ago and was absolutely blown away.

[u/shortstranger]

Watching Cirque perform is amongst the top 3 things on my bucket list. What these artists do is nothing short of magic!