30 years ago, Jeannot Painchaud and a group of young dreamers from Quebec, Canada, imagined a company that would come to push limits, broaden horizons, and create a balance between circus, music, dance, technology, and theatre. A driving force in the evolution of the circus arts, Cirque Éloize has been creating award-winning entertainment content since 1993. It is one of the world’s leading contemporary circuses and has taken part in several prestigious international festivals.
As well as its touring shows, over 1,800 events designed by Cirque Éloize have taken place across the globe, including the 2022 GCC Games in Kuwait and the 2021 IHF World Handball Championships in Egypt.
Cirque Éloize was a pioneer for the ‘new circus’ era in the 80s and 90s, leading the way in bringing circus from the Big Top to proscenium theatre venues, democratising and driving the evolution of contemporary circus. Since that point, they have continued to push the boundaries of contemporary circus and live entertainment through creative diversification.
Over the last 30 years, the innovative and diverse company has toured all over the world, building its reputation on iconic touring shows such as Excentricus (1997), Nomade (2002), Rain (2004), Nebbia (2007), ID (2009), Cirkopolis (2012), Saloon (2016), and Hotel (2018), attracting more than 5 million visitors across 60 countries, and 600 cities.
Since 2017, with the introduction of NEZHA, The pirate child, a permanent nighttime outdoor live and multimedia show with a state-of-the-art rotating bleacher offering sceneries at 360°, the company has launched ambitious diversification plan, broadening its reach in fields such as destinations (theme parks, resorts, cruise lines, hotels) and special events (ceremonies, one-off celebration, festivals) to develop bespoke shows. However, Éloize is not a new player in the ceremonies field – its experience in large-scale sporting events dates back to its work on the Torino Winter Olympics in 2006.
Alongside diversification, Cirque Éloize is adopting technology, creating shows that evoke emotion and wonder through a fusion of live performances with multimedia tech.
What makes Cirque Éloize unique?
Jeannot Painchaud, the visionary at the heart of Cirque Éloize, has leveraged a fusion of creative vision and pragmatism to build a company characterized by dynamism and flexibility, as well as its trademark spectacle and technical expertise.
Building on that success, Painchaud has transformed Cirque Éloize into a multidisciplinary powerhouse specialising in large-scale performances and major events augmented by technical innovation and visual effects.
Defining the elements that make Cirque Éloize unique, Painchaud says:
“What sets us apart is our ability to truly captivate and connect with our audiences in an intimate, human way, delivering shows of deep, lasting meaning. What we do is about alchemy more than chemistry. We want to capture people’s attention, but the real challenge is to capture their heart and soul.”
The company focus on creating bespoke, tailor-made concepts and delivering memorable performances that play out on the frontiers of technology and art, poetry and performance.
A passion for the circus arts
Painchaud grew up on a tiny island, part of the Magdalen Islands off the coast of Quebec. He tells blooloop:
“My goal was to get off the island and to see what was beyond the horizon. It was my desire to travel that made me dive into the world of performing arts.”
He discovered, quite by accident, Cirque du Soleil’s first official production in the summer of 1984:
“Three months later, I discovered – also by accident – the National Circus School in Montreal. That was it. This was my life – I wanted to run away with the circus. I wanted to go around the world.”
Shortly afterwards, he started doing street shows in Montreal.
I travelled in Europe, on the Cote d’Azur and St Tropez doing some juggling and acrobatics, sleeping on the beach, and passing the hat, very much part of the counterculture vibe of the late 80s in Europe that created the movement of the street festivals, rocking the frontier of the different art forms.”
Poised between the Baby Boomers and Generation X, Painchaud fused hippy vibes with a longing to conquer the world.
“That is the context in which it all started,” he explains.
From there, studying at the National Circus School, travelling in Europe, and discovering Avignon Theatre Festival all contributed to his desire to create a circus.
“From that point, it was clear to me that I wanted to do my own circus.”
A defining moment
Returning to the island where he grew up, he met Daniel Cyr, who would go on to be the inventor of the acrobatic Cyr Wheel and a co-founder of Cirque Éloize.
“Daniel came with me, and we cast a couple of friends to do our first show.”
A defining moment for Éloize was to bring acrobatics and circus performance into proscenium theatre. This was a revolutionary concept driven by a desire for innovation and to tour the world.
Cirque Éloize’s first tour started in the US in 1996:
“We had a review in the New York Times that called it ‘A Circus in a Suitcase’, and that was it, for me. We are a circus in a suitcase that will travel from theatre to theatre around the world.”
At that point, he says, it was a battle to have their art recognised for what it was – an art form:
“We weren’t just a bunch of people doing tricks. We wrote, we brought dance and dramaturgy, and we had composers, choreographers, and directors. And we fought to be recognized as a proper art form.”
Creating unique shows
When developing bespoke shows for destinations and special events, the creative process is always the same, Painchaud explains:
“We work hand in hand with clients to find out what kind of story they want to tell, before searching for the right expression of that story, in true Éloize form.”
The result is invariably a unique show, adapted to the specific setting. Whether it is indoors or outdoors, by day or night, as part of an event, a tour or a permanent location, Cirque Éloize, Painchaud contends, adds extraordinary value. The shows combine the latest in technology with the ultimate in live performances to create something of lasting beauty:
“I’m a firm believer in beauty,” he says. “I’m always in search of new ways to bring that beauty to life. Not for the sake of beauty itself, but to create a deeper sense of meaning. Anyone can capture an audience’s attention. We strive to capture their imagination, their hearts, their souls.”
Cirque Éloize in Montreal
Montreal, the home of Cirque Éloize, is a vibrant hub of creative talent. The company has built the credibility to attract the cream of that talent both at home and abroad. This means, says Painchaud, that every project, no matter where it is staged, will have the perfect cast, and the right creative resources:
“If people have fun working together and have this feeling of exchanging expertise, then one plus one can equal three, or four, or five.”
“We add the best people, and they know their business. My favourite time in a creative process is when all the experts are sitting around a table, trying to find solutions together. It is beautiful because it is all about human beings, and how we share. It’s about finding a balance between ego and listening. Everybody needs the ego to say, ‘I’m the best at doing this…’ At the same time, you learn from listening to others, who are the best at what they do. When you find that balance, there’s a lot that you can do.”
In short:
“Put love on the table, make sure everybody helps each other and gives the best of what they have. Our marketing tagline says, ‘Meaningful entertainment, for sure.’ It sounds simple, but it says everything.”
Meet the Cirque Éloize team
Other team members offer their perspectives on Cirque Éloize:
David Wirtgen, VP executive producer & chief of innovation, started as a sound engineer, touring Europe and the world. His collaboration with Cirque Éloize began in 1997. He tells blooloop:
“I got a call from Cirque Éloize to collaborate on their very first international production, Excentricus. I toured with that show for four years. Then I took part in the creation and touring of Nomade, the first show directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca for Éloize. At that time, I was involved in mixing the album, sound concept design and technical direction. After Nomade, I joined Franco Dragone for about ten years, working on ‘Le Rêve, Vegas;’ ‘The House of Dancing Water’ in Macao, then ‘Wuhan’ and others.”
After working with Franco Dragone, he returned to his first love, Éloize, in 2014. He has been full-time with the team since 2019.
Richard Dagenais, VP of creation & executive creative director, started as a dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. He spent 18 years with Cirque du Soleil and moved to Dubai to work on Franco Dragone’s La Perle before finding a home with Cirque EloizeMusic has always been an intrinsic part of his life:
“No other medium connects with me the way music does. I’ve tried to learn to play an instrument, but it never stuck. One day, I realised that dance was my connection to music, so I performed professionally for 12 years. Nothing makes me feel the deep emotion and passion of music like dancing does. I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
A passion for storytelling
Claudia Couture, creative director, is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada. She draws on 15 years in the live entertainment industry and has worked for Cirque du Soleil, Moment Factory and Onyx Film, to name just a few. She comments:
“Throughout my career, I’ve gained a wealth of managerial and artistic experience in the live entertainment industry, contributing as assistant director and general stage manager to complex, innovative and story-driven projects. In 2006, I graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada. Then, in 2019, I became Creative Director for Éloize Entertainment, guiding creative teams and implementing memorable live experiences for worldwide audiences with a clear, vital goal of connecting with audiences in authentic, meaningful ways.”
Pascal Auger, VP of live shows & touring exhibitions, has a background in theatrical production, lighting design, and immersive experiences:
“I first studied theatrical production and then began my career on tour as a lighting and technical director with Cirque Éloize and others. In 2016, I co-founded a start-up. There, I developed touring immersive experiences, harnessing my skills and knowledge to benefit this emerging entertainment vector.
“Later, I leveraged my studies in management and marketing in a new position at Cirque Éloize. I now work upstream of the creative process, initiating projects by forging new partnerships around the world.”
Staying on course during the pandemic
The company not only managed to stay on course with the diversification plan during the pandemic, but the enforced hiatus also afforded a space for reflection and consolidation. The projects delivered during his period attest to the success of diversification:
Projects Cirque Éloize has delivered in 2022 include Celeste, a unique cabaret experience presented exclusively at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel in Montreal. The show plunged audiences into a mysterious and sensorial universe of nocturnal starscapes led by unusual characters performing a unique collection of circus and live music.
The idea was to participate in the post-COVID recovery of the downtown area.
“It’s a perfect example of our vision of strategic partnerships between entertainment and destination attractions,” says Auger. “During the pandemic, the iconic Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel in Montreal had a dire need to fill their conference rooms and hotel rooms. We, at Cirque Éloize, had a creative and production team eager to share our creativity with the world.”
“Together, we defined an innovative concept featuring the idea of “augmented hospitality”. It was a unique resident show that became a huge success, running for seven straight months in 2022. It attracted locals and tourists alike with enhanced room packages and promotional offers, featuring special menus and cocktails inspired by the show itself. The collaboration offered a perfect cobranding opportunity for both partners.”
Couture agrees, adding:
“Celeste was a great opportunity to partner with one of the most prestigious hotels in Montreal. For us, it was a chance to give people what they needed during those dark days: world-class entertainment. Éloize transformed a standard conference room into a warm, cosy, immersive speakeasy. The cabaret-style show combined humour, live singing, and high-level circus performances.”
The 3GÉANTS
The 3GÉANTS project, which ran at the Jardins Gamelins from 7 – 17 July was a unique summer event. In the evenings, performances, music, sound, and light took Montreal by storm to offer a spectacular, unusual, and unifying experience, as three 50-foot-high acrobatic arches in the shape of giants were installed in three locations across the downtown area.
“Les 3 Géants was a series of shows created for the Completement Cirque festival in Montreal,” says Dagenais. “As the flagship event of the festival, three of Quebec’s finest circus companies joined forces to offer iconic shows inspired by the giants of Quebec culture. The shows were presented outdoors during the festival at three different strategic places throughout Montreal.”
Éloize at the 2022 GCC Games
Cirque Éloize created and presented the opening show for the 2022 GCC Games in Kuwait, on 22 May 2022. This took the crowd – along with live television and social media audiences around the globe – on an immersive journey through the history, culture, and evolution of sports across the Gulf nations.
“GCC Games was a bespoke, large-scale show to celebrate sports. It flowed so naturally because sports, acrobatics and human performance are all so interrelated,” Wirtgen says. “It’s part of what helped make our opening ceremony show such a huge success.
“Both the 27th Annual IHF World Men’s Handball Championship ceremonies in Cairo, Egypt, and the 3rd GCC Games opening show in Kuwait, were produced and performed during COVID. That allowed us to prove how well we can deliver, no matter what the challenge. In fact, for the GCC Games, we even performed the greatest number of flying drones at an indoor event. They were all choreographed in perfect sync with the acrobats, stage performers and visual technologies.”
Couture adds:
“GCC Games was a giant celebration of the history, culture, and evolution of sports across Gulf countries. Because Kuwait was hosting the GCC games for the first time, we animated the space to create a more powerful and engaging visual experience than ever before, focusing on acrobatics as a symbol of athletic excellence.
“Our choreography was designed with perfect synchronicity between our performers, who looked skyward to our drones, which sparkled above—hundreds of glowing lights in a conversation between young athletes and their bright future. Thanks to our collaboration with local composers, the show was set to authentic, locally inspired music, both traditional and modern.”
Cirque Éloize brings the circus arts to Futuroscope
This summer, the French family theme park Futuroscope was home to three performances of Cirque Éloize’s Plage au Cirque each day.
This was an original product designed and produced for the venue. Coinciding with the school break, the show recreated the atmosphere of a summer seaside resort. It featured memorable characters and spectacular theatrical and acrobatic routines.
“Plage au Cirque was our first collaboration with the Futuroscope theme park in France,” Wirtgen says. “It was a free, outdoor, 25-minute show. It became an oasis of rest and fun for guests during their day-long journey throughout this iconic European park.”
Entre Ciel et Mer
Another successful project was Entre Ciel et Mer. This union between storytelling, circus, and music, was presented at La Seine (Au Pied des Desmoiselles) in the heart of The Magdalen Islands, QC, from 9 July 9 to 13 August 2022. Led by storyteller Cédric Landry, the show was a complete immersion in island stories that have passed from generation to generation.
“Entre Ciel et Mer is a show inspired by the local culture of the Magdalen Islands,” says Auger. “That also happens to be the birthplace of Cirque Éloize itself.
“For the first time, we included a live storyteller who complemented our stage performances with movement and music. This created a spellbinding show for both tourists and the local community.”
Exploring the connection between people and nature
Meanwhile, Arctic – A Man Under The Ice invited its audience to explore the world of the Canadian Arctic and observe it through the lens of world-renowned diver, filmmaker, and photographer Mario Cyr. Visitors exploring the large, immersive exhibition experienced the feeling of being on the actual expedition. They were able to perceive the underwater world uniquely.
“Arctic – A Man Under The Ice was another creative production, born at the very start of the pandemic from our desire to expand our skills in the world of exhibitions,” says Wirtgen. “The result was an artistic rendezvous, without live performances, which opened the moment COVID restrictions were lifted.
“For years, our founder had been toying with the idea of creating an experience about the interconnection of man and nature. This new immersive exhibition turned out to be the ideal format for us to inform, amaze and reflect upon the nature of nature itself.”
Painchaud elaborates on this:
“For the past ten years, we have been focusing on diversification. Even before the pandemic, we were exploring the notion of an immersive exhibit. When the pandemic arrived and all theatres were closed, the first thing I said to my people was, ‘We cannot be together all in the same room anymore. Why not push the immersive exhibit right away and generate an opportunity for people to be together again?'”
Éloize Expo
The immersive exhibition Arctic – A Man Under The Ice drew 100,000 visitors to the Canadian Arctic through images from the expeditions of filmmaker Mario Cyr.
“It had been in my mind for a couple of years,” he says. “But the exhibition marked the birth of the Éloize Expo division.”
Éloize Expo started in 2021, brings compelling immersive and educational experiences to spellbound audiences.
“The first year of the pandemic gave us the chance to reflect on the future of Éloize, after all those years of travelling round the world,” he explains:
“We came up with the idea of pushing Éloize Expo, and Éloize Entertainment, offering our services to people that needed not only the help of creators but also great production and technical teams to reach their goals.”
Accordingly:
“We pushed the idea of creating things for permanent venues. We brought new people to join the company, so we would have someone from this industry permanently installed in Europe, offering our creativity, expertise and services to destinations, to amusement parks, to sports ceremonies.”
The Cirque Éloize creative process
There is, Painchaud contends, a creative process common to all these artistic projects.
“The initial step of our creative process is always the same,” he says. “We work with our clients to find out what is the story they want to tell and then we find our unique way of telling that story. So, in that sense, we create performances that are true to our host’s brand personality. But we do it in our own, personal Cirque Éloize way.”
“One common thread for all our Cirque Éloize projects is the importance of casting,” Dagenais adds. “Our creative team is tightly curated for each project to help ensure that our creative energy remains at its peak and that all our efforts are focused on a singular goal. The success of any creative process is in its leadership. It’s a delicate balance between freedom and confinement that needs to be managed with respect, empathy, and trust to create an environment where risks become assets. It’s something we strive for at Cirque Éloize.”
“We begin at the end,” Couture says. This means we like to ask ourselves what we want the audience to feel during the performance. What do we want them to leave with? No matter what type of project it is, exhibitions, large-scale sports events, or signature shows, we spend a lot of time thinking about the legacy for the spectators.
“The result is two or three keywords that the whole team will reflect upon, refer to and build from throughout the creative process. There are countless trials and errors along the way as we push the limits of creativity and technological innovation. But these detours are essential. Incredible ideas often lie just beyond the boundaries of what we think we know.”
Finding inspiration
When it comes to inspiration, Painchaud says:
“We draw inspiration from all around us, from books, movies, and historical figures. We are searching for the ties that connect the story we want to tell with the ways we think would be best to tell it. And those ways always link back to the nature of our client’s realities and the story itself. I strongly believe in the beauty of things. I search for that beauty, looking for new ways to bring it to life in our shows… but in meaningful ways.”
Dagenais agrees:
“Once we get the creative brief from the client or partner, inspiration comes from everywhere. It can be our lives, current events, or things we see, read, hear or experience. Inspiration comes literally from the world around us.”
Unforgettable experiences
Cirque Éloize shows add value to theme parks, resorts, hotels, casinos, cruise lines, and so on in so many ways.
“Anyone can capture an audience’s attention,” Painchaud says. “At Cirque Éloize, we strive to capture their imagination, their hearts, their souls.”
“When a show succeeds in captivating the public, unforgettable memories are forged, contributing exponentially to a heightened perception of value for a destination,” says Auger.
Commenting on the eternal appeal of the circus arts, he adds:
“Circuses have always captivated audiences through their displays of physical prowess or by pushing the limits of physical performance. Today, we enhance and complement those physical performances with a team of creators and storytellers who capture the essence of the destination and communicate it in a whole new way that goes beyond the possibilities of people and technology, to create real, lasting connections with our audiences.”
Couture elaborates:
“Circus performances push boundaries like no other medium can. Nothing else amazes us the way humans do when they take incredible risks that defy the limits of what’s possible. Seeing humans achieve the superhuman plays with our fears and our dreams. It makes our hearts ache and our adrenaline spike like nothing else can. Circus taps into bottomless wells of joy, fear, and sadness —all in two short hours or less.”
Technology is a tool for Cirque Éloize
Éloize has become adept at fusing technology with live performance. The shows are a seamless interaction between circus arts and multimedia technology.
“One thing that’s crucial for us is that we don’t use technology as an end unto itself,” Painchaud explains. “We use technology as a complement to human performances. The technology serves creativity, and we draw upon our creativity to use that technology in ways that help us connect with audiences.”
Auger adds: “I love how multimedia in live shows is used with more artistic subtlety than before. This quest for the perfect balance between multimedia and live performance is a very interesting challenge. And it inspires us to create like never before at Cirque Éloize.”
“Technology is a language, an incredible way to communicate. It’s a powerful tool to help craft truly engaging visual experiences,” Couture says. “But multimedia technology by itself has its limitations. Sure, it can give us a jolt of adrenaline but that fades quickly. However, when it’s blended intelligently with performing arts and storytelling, it elevates the dramatic journey and the emotional impact while keeping the person-to-person dialogue central to the moment.
“That connection is our dearest goal. And when it’s authentic, it lasts long after the show has ended; it stays with the spectators, becoming part of their lives.”
Painchaud continues:
“Technology is something that I ask my people to be careful with because there must be a reason for it. What is its point; what is the signification; what is the value? What, besides the costume design, the scenographic design, the acrobatic structure, and the dramaturgy, is the purpose of the technology in the storytelling?
“Only if there is a place for it will we add it.”
Looking ahead
Now, there are new challenges on the horizon, thanks to the global economic and political situation. However, with its touring shows as the artistic flagship of the company, Cirque Éloize will keep working to keep its artistry alive and to reach new audiences around the world in the process. The group is, at its heart, driven by a team that wants to keep doing something new and exciting.
Next year marks Cirque Éloize’s 30th Anniversary. From that perspective, Painchaud envisages and is exploring a myriad of new opportunities for Cirque Éloize. The firm is planning to connect with people in ever-more innovative, creative, and inspiring ways.
“We’re going to continue growing, innovating, diversifying,” he says: “Wherever people feel the need for deep, meaningful connections, well… that’s where you’ll find us. One thing’s for sure, you’ll never be able to fit us neatly into a little box. We’ll go wherever our muses lead us and our audiences need us.”
Expanding on this, Painchaud adds: “I believe that Cirque Éloize offers one of the most complete creative and production platforms in the world. Our 20,000 sq. ft. studios are home to 3 rehearsal studios and a wide variety of working spaces for our teams.”
The company will also be leveraging a recent massive investment in cutting-edge multimedia equipment in its studio, not only to define the next generation of corporate events but also to stimulate a rich community of creators in the Montreal ecosystem and improve R&D processes.
Cirque Éloize: what’s in a name?
Cirque Éloize has two new immersive exhibitions in development:
“One will open in Montreal next year, and will last for two years; another one is also in preparation with international partners, says Painchaud. It also has several projects in development in the attractions and destination industries, with opportunities to create performances for theme parks, hotels, cruise lines and more. When it comes to touring shows, he adds:
“Next year, after almost three years, we will do an international tour with a new show. Not touring was tough, especially as it used to be the core business of the company.”
Painchaud concludes by explaining the company’s name:
“It’s simply a question of identity. I grew up on an island of 12,000 people. We have a relationship with nature and with the people of the sea because we’re in the middle of the ocean. Éloize is an old Cajun expression that means heat lightning, where you see a strange light on the horizon, but you don’t see the lightning.
“So that strange light you see, coming from far away – that light that might be unusual, but it is also beautiful – that’s us. That’s Éloize.”
