Former Trampoline World Champion works for Cirque du Soleil

Emmanuel Durand

The 'flying aesthete in the air”, former several-time trampoline World Champion Emmanuel Durand from France, has been the talents’ scout of the World- famous Canadian company Cirque du Soleil which in Berlin this Sunday has looked for new talents for the various shows. With three permanently based shows and world-wide five touring ones the Cirque du Soleil has a permanent need of high-quality and motivated sportsmen and -women.
More than 20 candidates from various European countries traveled to this test in Berlin on Sunday – in the end three of them were chosen to be included in the file of Cirque du Soleil for a more detailed future selection, among them also a gymnast of the host city Berlin…
Read the GYMmedia Report...

Durand in TV-Interview

A long and hard Day...!
They travelled to Berlin from Sweden and Norway, from France, Romania and all parts of Germany. Among them were acrobats, dancers and gymnasts. Many of them had read the online- ad at GYMmedia and then sent their application to Cirque du Soleil.
“This selection process today doesn’t mean we are judging about your talents or your performance abilities!“, said former trampoline World Champion Emmanuel Durand from France who now is an acrobatic scout for Cirque du Soleil. “We don’t presume to do that as certainly you all present great performances in your special fields. Our selection process is based on the specific needs of the Cirque du Soleil and its’ 3 permanently based and 5 touring shows and on the need to fill new casts.“

Romanian applicants (v.r.): Christian Ursu, Mihaela Marcu, Nicolae Sherban, Valentin Badea, Tudor Mercuta.

Several former members of the men’s national team and one gymnast from the women’s team arrived from Romania, Mihaela Marcu and her male colleagues Nicolae Sherban, Valentin Badea and Tudor Merevta as well as the acrobat and dancer Christian Ursu. It may seem that the sportive performances should have spoken in favour of the former elite gymnasts. However, in the same way the Cirque du Soleil is something special, it is also looking for something special in its’ future performers, something creative-artistic which is here and there hidden in a personality...

Ursu: Dance impressions

...and although Christian Ursu struggled at the athletic parts, e.g. at climbing the rope, - which in contrast to him the former gymnasts handled easily – in the end he nonetheless was one of the three applicants chosen for a future selection. The scouts especially liked his creative and expressive dance elements.

Mathieu Bolillo (FRA)

A relaxed impression was left by the French gymnast Mathieu Bollilo already in the first round where all applicants were asked for a statement in front of the camera in which they should present themselves with their characteristics, aims and wishes. As requested by Emmanuel Durand he then created, following the “normal“ gymnastics elements, on floor also a perfect breakdance....
....he also was chosen for a future selection for a possible career at the Cirque du Soleil.

Tony Mevius (Berlin)

Tony Mevius gained his gymnastics experience in the club SC Berlin for which he earned medals in national German competitions, he also had been a member of the German junior national team. Still today he is very active with his show team “Cosmic Artists“ which he founded together with fellow former competitive gymnast Peter Nikiferow.
Tony presented himself as the gymnast with the best shape of this audition and left a sovereign impression to the scouts who think that this might be a good basis for a successful future work.

Three from more than twenty...
.....managed to be included in the file of the Cirque du Soleil for a future selection. This is not yet a fixed engagement but still a big chance to be invited for a longer training camp in the headquarters in Montreal which might lead to a definite future selection. Three from more than twenty – in the end of a hard audition day a lot of applicants travelled home disappointed but maybe also with the decision in mind to try it again at a future audition.
One thing is certain: the current need decides the criteria of selection and this can be quite different next time...
Report/ photos: gymmedia: Eckhard Herholz;
translated by Lisa Worthmann.

>> ...next auditions will be held 2003 in Nov - Dec in
London (GBR) and Orlando (USA)