CIRCUS COLLECTIVETHE
Photo: Michael Meseke / Cover: Riaz Oozeer a winning advertisement for versality, creativity and circus arts. new york times (usa)
7 artistic directors, 7 visions: The 7 Fingers is a collective that is at once unified and multi-faceted. In 2002, 7 circus artists came together and became The 7 Fingers. Over the course of 15 years, the collective has grown. Every year, projects have given way to new projects, as diverse as the very artists themselves: original productions, Broadway shows, artistic collaborations, project direction, custom designed events, performances for Olympic ceremonies, televised creations, immersive performance experiences and much more. Every one of these projects carries The 7 Fingers unmistakable mark. Ambassadors of diversity, the artists have consistently spread their horizons, mixing genres to better tell their stories. Fascinated by the human condition, the 7 Fingers create performances that speak about our world and our time. Their works reach audiences across nations, with over 500 shows a year. In 2017, The 7 Fingers will inaugurate their Centre of Creation and Production. Situated in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles in Montreal, the new centre will house all of the company s activities, departments and dreams under one roof. THE
««TOURING CREATIONS For the past 15 years, The 7 Fingers have been producing, directing, and touring their original creations. RÉVERSIBLE TRIPTYQUE CUISINE & CONFESSIONS TRACES PATINOIRE PROJET FIBONACCI INTERSECTION REPERTORY Le Murmure du coquelicot (2013) Séquence 8 (2012) Amuse, Un Dia (2013) Amuse (2012) PSY (2009) La Vie (2007) Loft (2002)
» ARTISTICS COLLABORATIONS Direction, choreography, acrobatic conception, artistic consulting. The 7 Fingers collaborate on numerous projects, bringing a human and inspiring mark of excellence and creativity to each shared endeavor. CIRCUS PRINCESS BOSCH DREAMS NOLALUNA PARAMOUR OLYMPIC GAMES PETER PAN QUEEN OF THE NIGHT PIPPIN...
3 participations in the Olympic Games celebrations 2 invitations to appear on America s Got Talent (USA) Staging of the circus performance at the Academy Awards Ceremony (USA, 2012) Awards Winner of the Grand Prix du Conseil des Arts de Montréal (2016) Evolving Circus Award (USA, 2016) Artiste pour la Paix (Artist for Peace) (Canada, 2015) 2 Drama Desk Awards (USA, 2013) 3 Gold Medals at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain (France) Outer Critics & Off Broadway Alliance (USA, 2013) Named in the Top 10 Plays & Musicals by Time Magazine (USA, 2011) 3 Applied Arts Photography awards for Psy (2010) Newcomer s Award at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal for Loft (2002). 14 years of existence 6 creators 1 collective 1 team, 150 people 7,800 performances 480 cities, 35 countries
IN 2016... Premiere of new touring show Réversible in Montreal. Staging of the Viennese operetta The Circus Princess in Moscow. Creation, co-direction and co-production of Bosch Dreams in Denmark. New visual identity for the collective. Renovation of the new Creation & Production Centre The 7 Fingers won the Grand Prix du Conseil des arts of Montreal. Three-month run of Traces at the Bobino hall in Paris for over 33,000 spectators. Fibonacci Project residency in Marrakesh, Morocco. Tours of Triptyque, Patinoire, Traces and Cuisine & Confessions with 350 performances booked. Performances during the celebration of Canada Day in Ottawa. Direction of acrobatic creation and choreography of Cirque du Soleil s Paramour on Broadway. Photo: Lionel Montagnier
To face the rest of the world, we all create our own character, our better self. But who are we really in the privacy of closed doors? Through a unique, riveting mix of theatre, circus, dance, music and acrobatics, Reversible takes a peek through the keyhole. Eight outstanding performers slowly reveal their inner selves in an exploration full of poetry, imagination, passion and staggering virtuosity. Where do these characters come from? How many lives have they really lived? How will they evolve into the future? With The 7 Fingers Reversible, be prepared for the best in contemporary circus: moments of pure grace yielding to rushes of adrenalin, as a cast of multi-talented performers travel through time and space. Be part of a vibrant journey that will give you goosebumps: enter a Reversible world, where everyday life blossoms into new spectacular, universes filled with beauty, emotion and yes- hope. 8 artists 1h30 Photos: Francisco Cruz
conception & artisitc direction Gypsy Snider associate director Isabelle Chassé co-production Tom Lightburn (Vancouver, Canada) Théâtre du Gymnase (Marseille, France) TOHU (Montreal, Canada) CREATION
The 7 Fingers have brought together three internationally renowned choreographers for a triple creation under the artistic direction of Samuel Tétreault. Set in three parts, Triptyque explores the human body s many languages. Anne & Samuel, a duet directed by Marie Chouinard, looks at the effects of gravity on moving bodies. In Variations 9.81, directed by Victor Quijada, a quintet of virtuoso hand balancers search for absolute control of gravity, testing the relationship between stillness and movement. Dreamlike and nonsensical, Nocturnes, choreographed by Marcos Morau, subtly mixes circus and dance, freeing eight artists of their physical constraints. 8 artists 1h30 + intermission (20 min) Photos: Alexandre Galliez
CREATION poetic, beautiful, funny. absolutely magnificient. - Radio-Canada (Canada) a surrealist and impressive result! - Le Devoir (Canada) a perfect marriage of circus arts and contemporary dance. - Le Journal de Montréal (Canada) originality, homogeneity, poetry. a magic fusion. - La Presse (Canada) totally mesmerizing. - DF Danse (Canada) created & directed by Samuel Tétreault co-production Sadler s Well (London, UK) TOHU (Montreal, Canada) Danse-Cité (Montreal, Canada) Albourne (Norwalk, U.S) Tom Lightburn (Vancouver, Canada) Les Nuits de Fourvière (Lyon, France) Les Théâtres de Luxembourg this project was an open invitation from Daniel Soulière (Danse-Cité).
Life happens in the kitchen. Late night confessionals over tea and a jar of Nutella. Elaborately choreographed family meals. Lessons learned, secrets exchanged, bonds forged, reenforced by our most visceral of senses. Accompanying the usual eye-popping flight of acrobatic choreography and pulsating music are the other three senses the touch of hands in batter, the smell of cookies baking, the taste of roasted oregano leading us through a span of times and countries, all the while the iconic kitchen our common meeting point. As individuals, we are ourselves composed of ingredients, a unique recipe of blood memories. High-flying acrobatics and live cooking co-exist in one intimate space 9 artists 1h30 no intermission Photos: Alexandre Galliez
CREATION a winning recipe. - La Presse (Canada) it is a new genre - Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russia) a remarkably familial, interactive ensemble piece. - Montreal Gazette (Canada) an infallible circus-dance-theatre-rock recipe that brings us right back to our hearts while warming our stomachs! - Le Monde (France) a delicious evening in every sense of the word. a perfect blend with just the right dose of ingredients, like in the very best recipes. - Huffington Post (Canada) directed & choreographed by Shana Carroll & Sébastien Soldevila co-production Thomas Lightburn (Vancouver, Canada) Châteauvallon - Scène Nationale (Ollioules, France) TOHU (Montreal, Quebec) Espace Jean Legendre, Théâtre de Compiègne, (Compiègne, France) Grand Théâtre de Provence (Aix-en-Provence, France).
- 2,000 performances in front of one million people - 30 countries & 200 cities - Featured at the Union Square Theatre in NYC for one full year - On TIME s top 10 list in 2011 - Invited to America s Got Talent twice - Performed at the Royal Variety Performance in London Traces takes place in a make-shift shelter, an unknown catastrophe waiting outside the doors of tarp and gaffer tape. In the face of an impending disaster seven individuals have determined that creation is the only antidote to destruction. Combining traditional acrobatic forms with street elements such as skateboarding and basketball, mixed in with some theatre and contemporary dance, it surprises, awes and delights at every turn. Poetic and explosive, humorous and thoughtful. 7 artists 1h30 no intermission Photos: Valérie Remise
10 years of success around the world! CREATION a fix of pure urban adrenaline. mad, pulse-raising, magic. - New York Times (USA) a thrillingly modern brand of circus. - Time Out New York (USA) a whole kind of awe-inspiring theatre. - NBC TV (USA) instantly addictive. - Toronto Stage (Canada) it will surely make an entire generation run away and join the circus. - Guardian (UK) directed & choreographed by Shana Carroll & Gypsy Snider Acrobatic Design Sébastien Soldevila With the support of SODEC Originally coproduced by Centre National des Arts (Ottawa, Canada)
An audience. A frog. A fork. A ukulele. A touch of entertainment, vulnerability and despair. A body that cracks. A blue jacket. A table. Laughter. Tears. Skating between circus, theatre, dance and music, Patinoire plays in fragile, moving sands, in the joyful despair inside of us. A fanfare for a solitary man, an unfortunate circus, a factory of jokes: how far are we willing to go in order to love and be loved? Created and performed by Patrick Léonard, Patinoire has been touring across the world since 2011. 1 artist 1h15 no intermission Photos: Roland Lorente
masterful. monumental. unique. a breathtaking one-man show, a peter sellers of sorts. - La Provence (France) a tremendous athlete and outstanding actor. - La Presse (Canada) CREATION a worthy descendant of buster keaton or charlie chaplin style silent films. - Le Journal du Dimanche (France) patrick léonard skates away with panache. - Le Figaro (France) invariably brings us to the very edge of our seats, mouths wide open, awaiting the inevitable moment. - Mon Théâtre (Canada) léonard hits the bull s eye - Le Devoir, Isabelle Paré (Canada) Co-direction Nicolas Cantin created by Patrick Léonard
An ambitious initiative of international collaboration, the Fibonacci Project is driven by the belief that through artistic expression, we can build bridges between cultures and promote a greater sense of solidarity. The objective of the project is the creation of a multidisciplinary show based on collaborations between artists from different cultures. The project s name refers to the famous Fibonacci sequence discovered by Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci in the early 13th century. {0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 } This sequence and the Golden Ratio it produces form the project s narrative thread. A constantly evolving show executed through a series of creative residencies around the world. Photos: Andrrea Lopez & ODC Photos
a wonderful proposal of experimental circus that plays on chaos and differs from conventions. the stage is transformed into an intimate space as classical visions of creation and interpretation are put to the test. - Mileno (Argentina) residencies Marrakech (Morocco), April 2016 Buenos Aires (Argentina), June/July 2012 Copenhagen (Denmark), April/June 2011 Barcelona (Spain), Nov. 2010 Copenhagen (Denmark), Nov./Dec. 2009 Veracruz (Mexico), Feb. 2009 Montreal (Canada), July 2008 Igloolik (Canada), June 2008 CREATION directed by Samuel Tétreault
INTERSECTION Intersection was created in 2013 upon invitation of the TOHU for the opening of the fifth Montreal Completement Cirque festival. Each of our lives follow a path, and are constantly crossing the paths of others. These intersections are meeting points that force us to slow down, stop, make a choice, keep going, transform and eventually move on. Intersection tells the story of 6 individuals, their pasts and their paths, and finally their altered destinies, after these fateful, irreversible crossings. But the indelible crossing is not just between the characters within the show. Immediately upon entering, the audience is plunged into an immersive space, and is guided to move about the scenic area, to meet the characters of the show, to taste, to smell, to touch... This proximity plunges the audience into their stories, attaching themselves to certain details of history or secrecy. Once this connection is established, the audience stays active throughout the performance.the stage shaped like an X, the audience quartered and facing each other, the intersection before us is both geomatric and metaphorical. Interactive & Immersive
CREATION the beloved quebec collective doesn t hesitate to keep pushing audacity even further, offering once again a show marked with humanity, reaching the height of our expectations. - Le Journal de Montréal (Canada) all these parcels of the past and the present illustrate some of the quebec circus troupe s greatest strengths: its humanity, its ability to tell a story, and the care it takes to weave a relevant narrative through different acts - one that is clear without being simplistic. - Huffington Post (Canada) directed by Samuel Tétreault & Gypsy Snider With the support of SODEC
IMMERSIVE JOURNEY direction artistique sébastien soldevila An original concept created for the 375 th anniversary of Montreal, This immersive journey celebrates the city s people and their origins. In this journey and participatory trail into the heart of Montreal, each spectator will ultimately determine his or her own path. The Parcours brings the neighbourhood s buildings, roofs, crossroads, public gardens, windows, and facades to life. Thirty artists dive into four centuries of history, recounting the tale of our city. The 7 Fingers new Creation and Production Centre will host over three weeks of shows in July 2017.
THE CIRCUS PRINCESS artistic direction sébastien soldevila The 7 Fingers are directing a contemporary version of the cult operetta The Circus Princess, written by Emmerich Kalman and presented for the first time in 1926 in Vienna. The show will incorporate a cast of forty artists including actors, singers, acrobats and dancers and an orchestra of fifteen musicians. In addition to the staging of the show, The 7 Fingers will design the set, costumes and lighting. COLLABORATION Showing at the Musical Theatre Moscow, Russia NOLALUNA artistic direction gypsy snider A culinary and theatrical experience inspired by 1920 s supper clubs, Nolaluna will be created and performed within the Scottish Rite Temple in New Orleans. NOLALUNA CIRQUE SUPPER SURRENDER Originally built in 1851, the building was purchased by the Freemasons and converted to the Scottish Rite Temple in 1905. The space is currently being renovated to host the new dinner show, a performance featuring twelve actors, dancers, acrobats and jazz musicians. VIEUX CARRE Opening in 2017, New-Orleans Louisiana, USA M I S S I S S I P P I R I V E R
BOSCH DREAMS concept and co-direction samuel tétreault The year 2017 will mark the 500 th anniversary of the death of the painter Hieronymus Bosch. For the occasion, the Republique Theater of Copenhagen and The 7 Fingers are co-producing Bosch Dreams, a celebration of the artist s life and creativity. The show questions contemporary interpretations of Hieronymus Bosch s art. Bosch Dreams premiered in September 2016 in Copenhagen. PARAMOUR acrobatic choreography and design by shana carroll Paramour is a rapturous and passionate new experience that unites the signature spectacle of Cirque du Soleil with the storytelling magic and music that define Broadway. Set in the glamorous world of Golden Age Hollywood, this ground-breaking event spins the tale of a beautiful young poet forced to choose between love and fame. Featuring a cast that blends the best in circus arts and musical theatre, Paramour transports the audience to a world of sublime beauty and emotion as it walks the exhilarating tightrope of the heart. Showing at the Lyric Theatre, New York New York, USA
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT artistic direction & choreography shana carroll Closed to the public for several decades, The Diamond Horseshoe reopened in 2013, to be home to Queen of the Night. The evening of decadence, debauchery and abundance is carried by a powerful circus show at the centre of it all, inches away at your table, or traveling through corridors. A fusion of theatre, music, circus, magic, haute cuisine, and design that welcomes the audience into a wholly immersive theatrical experience. PIPPIN circus creation gypsy snider COLLABORATION COLLABORATION The 7 Fingers co-founder Gypsy Snider collaborated with director Diane Paulus to create the most complete circus/musical theatre fusion the Broadway stage has seen. Tony winner for Best Revival of a Musical in 2013, Pippin was presented at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway from April 2013 to January 2015. PETER PAN choreography and movement direction gypsy snider A spectacular, innovative live stage production that combines intimate theater-in-the-round and overhead surround CGI projection; with actors in dazzling flying sequences forty feet in the air and whimsical puppets that bring J.M. Barrie s classic tale to fantastical life, creating a truly unique environmental theatrical experience! The show welcomed over 230,000 spectators during its 2015 US tour.
OLYMPIC GAMES The 7 Fingers have been involved in three Olympic Games. They have collaborated, performed, designed and choreographed major ceremony segments, reaching millions of viewers across nations. In 2014, Sébastien Soldevila, co-founder of The 7 Fingers, staged the first segment of the opening ceremonies at the Sochi Olympic Games. In 2010, the collective hosted daily live shows in the Maison du Québec during the Vancouver Olympic Games. In 2006, they participated and staged a segment in the closing ceremonies in Turin. CUSTOM-MADE
FASHION SHOW Bench/ denim and underwear show was presented Sept 19, 2014 at the Mall of Asia (Manila) in front of 15,000 spectators. The fashion show, directed by Gypsy Snider, consisted of five tableaux and starred 45 Filipino celebrities, 80 fashion models, 11 circus artists and one DJ. Photo: Stéphane Cocke
2012 ACADEMY AWARDS Shana Carroll staged the Cirque du Soleil performance at the prestigious 2012 Academy Awards in New York, directing over 50 artists. C2 mtl AMERICA S GOT TALENT In 2011 and 2012, Gypsy Snider and Shana Carroll selected excerpts of the show Traces and created performance medleys especially for the famous TV show America s Got Talent. BAUME TRADE FAIR Caterpillar shared its 360 degree solutions at a trade show. Film, animation and outstanding acrobatic performances were used to interpret Caterpillar s message. Two 40-foot-high towers, a four-story stage and a stretched LED screen provided a powerful performance space for the film and live performers. SUR MESURE Bench CANADA / The DAY Naked Truth The collective has participated twice in the celebration of Canada Day in the capital city of Ottawa. The collective represented Quebec in this exciting lineup of Canadian artists. The artists performed multiple circus acts. LUCES FUGACES The 7 Fingers performed Luces Fugaces, a show created especially for the Festival of Lights of Medellin (Colombia), in a series of eight performances in December 2014. The show was created in Montreal and directed by Samuel Tétreault.
CREATION AND PRODUCTION CENTRE For the past several years, The 7 Fingers have been working on building a creation space specially adapted for circus arts. The centre will bring all creation, production and administration under one roof all creation. Following 18 months of renovations, the new centre will open in 2017 at 2111 St. Laurent Boulevard in Montreal. A place open to the community just above Montreal s Quartier des Spectacles. Education, workshops, classes and training areas. A space for the exchange of knowledge and expertise. Resource optimization with various community pillars. Alliances and partnerships with other artists, creators, producers and agencies. An optimal space for custom events.
SPRING 2017 AUGUST 2015 FEBRUARY 2015 JULY 2014 DECEMBER 2013 FEBRUARY 2010 FEBRUARY 2008 Pre-opening of the Creation & Production Centre Beginning of the renovation. $1 million grant from Canadian Heritage Lupien+Matteau wins the architect contest. $9.5 million grant for the project announced by the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec. Acquisition by The 7 Fingers of the former Just For Laughs Museum. Delivery of technical operating plan. Contribution from the city of Montreal for the development of a technical operating plan, a preliminary study and a search for a suitable space.
The «Fingers» artistic directors shana caroll Shana codirected Loft and La Vie with the other members of the collective, Traces with Gypsy Snider, Séquence 8, Le Murmure du Coquelicot, and Cuisine & Confessions with Sébastien Soldevila and Psy, Cabaret (2010 ) and FeriAmuse on her own. She staged and directed the circus component of Queen of the Night at the Diamond Horseshoe in New York City (2013) and is also known for her choreography and circus staging, having won 4 gold medals at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris. She directed Il fait Dimanche for Montreal s National Circus School and is responsible for the acrobatic design and choreography of Cirque du Soleil s Paramour (2016) and Iris (2011) as well as their performance at the 2012 Oscars. isabelle chassé codirected Loft, La Vie, and Cabaret 2011, and was featured in all of these shows. She also codirected Reversible, the third piece of Triptyque, Amuse un Dia (2013), participated in the Fibonacci Project and assisted the directors on Psy and Amuse 2012. Isabelle has directed many special events, including the lighting of Montreal s Vitrine Culturelle for its inauguration. In 2013, she served on the jury of Quebec s Conseil des arts et lettres. Isabelle is the aerial coach on most of our productions and the link between the artistic directors and administrators of the company. In 2015 she codirected the acrobatics in Moby Dick directed by Dominic Champagne. patrick léonard codirected Loft and La Vie and performed in both. In 2011, he created Patinoire, his first one-man show, and has been touring it ever since. He regularly participates in the Fibonacci Project and was cast as the main character with his two daughters in Amuse Un Dia (2013). Patrick directs, stages and performs in many of our social cause events and special events. In July 2014, he played Patinoire for one month at the Avignon Festival. In 2015 she codirected the acrobatics in Moby Dick directed by Dominic Champagne. He has been traveling to Nunavut in the Far North since 2014, collaborating with ArtCirq.
gypsy snider wrote, directed, and choreographed Loft, Traces, Amuse, Un Dia, and Intersection. She is currently creating and directing the company s upcoming touring show, Reversible. Gypsy has also choreographed televised feature performances for America s Got Talent, Her Majesty s Royal Variety Performance, The illusionist: Darcy Oake s Edge of Reality and the Underwear and Denim Fashion show for Bench Philippines. In 2013, working with director Diane Paulus on a new vision of Pippin, Gypsy integrated circus into the narrative and choreography of the Broadway musical. Gypsy s work on Pippin earned her a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award. Originally from San Francisco, Gypsy is the daughter of the founders of The Pickle Family Circus. She received her degree in Physical Theater at the Scuola Teatro Dimitri in Switzerland in 1993, and then continued to perform internationally for 18 years. Gypsy is also a guest teacher and director at the National Circus School of Montreal. In 2015, she received the Evolving Circus Award in New York City. sébastien soldevila codirected Loft, La Vie, Séquence 8, Cuisine & Confessions and Le Murmure du Coquelicot, which he also wrote. He is an acrobatic coach for Montreal s National Circus School and on most of the Company s shows. In 2007 he won a gold medal at the Festival Mondial de Cirque de Demain in Paris with partner Émilie Bonnavaud for a hand to hand number choreographed by Shana Carroll. He choreographed the first part of the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, which was viewed around the world by three billion people. Sébastien is directing the opera Circus Princess for Moscow Musical Theatre (2016) as well as an immersive journey for Montreal s 375 th anniversary (2017). samuel tétreault has collaborated on the artistic direction of all of the company s shows as well as many special events. He is the creator and director of Triptyque and the Fibonacci Project and was a featured artist in Loft, La Vie, and Le Murmure du Coquelicot. He is currently President of En Piste (Canadian National Circus Arts Association) and is often asked to speak at conferences as well as head workshops at both Montreal and Quebec s circus schools. He is involved in research and development with the CRC Industrial Chair in Circus Arts in collaboration with key academics and industry leaders. In 2014, Samuel co-directed Intersection, the opening show of the fifth edition of Montreal s Complètement Cirque Festival (Canada) and directed Luces Fugaces, a special creation for the Festival de las Luces in Medellin (Colombia).
nassib el-husseini c.e.o. Political scientist, author (L Occident Imaginaire, PUQ Editions), advisor and volunteer for dozens of national and international organizations, Nassib fell under the charm of a modern day tribe: The 7 Fingers. He ran away with the circus, as the saying goes, and took on the general direction of this jewel of the Montreal stage. Nassib is currently President of the International Exchange for the Performing Arts (CINARS) and member of the board of the Conseil des arts de Montréal (CAM). tina diab touring, developement and special events director. After several years in the tourism sector New York City, in addition to extensive experience in communications and in advertising, most notably with agencies in Lebanon and Toronto, Tina was conquered by the unique artistic style of The 7 Fingers. She joined the collective in 2003 and has since been focusing on the development of the company across five continents.
founders and artistic directors Shana Carroll, Isabelle Chassé, Patrick Léonard, Gypsy Snider, Sébastien Soldevila & Samuel Tétreault touring and development director Tina Diab projects manager - partnerships Joanie Leroux-Côté (Maternity Leave) touring and development coordinator Claire Thomas artistic director s assistant Sabrina Gilbert first assistant / artistic directors Francisco Cruz administrative director Richard Gagnon financial analyst and project manager Lynne Ter Metz administrative assistant and public funding Camille Pilawa project manager - operation Kevin Bissonnette tour coordinator Lou Chartrand production director Luc Paradis prouction manager Chloé Rondeau technical director Olivier Rosa technical coordinator Karine Lefebvre communications manager Marion Bellin communication collaborator and social media Fanny Perret accounting supervisor Sandrine Hubert accounting technician Marie-Christine Cyr funding campaign director Danielle Sauvage c.e.o. Nassib El-Husseini LES 7 DOIGTS DE LA MAIN IS SUPPORTED BY
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