Share Your Love

Below is an article that first appeared in the Winter 2011 issue of JUGGLE magazine.

Share Your Love

Along with being the first Artistic Director for Cirque de Soleil, Guy Caron was one of the founders of the École National de Cirque in Montréal, Canada. He was also the Executive Director of the Centre National des Arts du Cirque in Châlons-sur-Marne, France, when he hired me to be the juggling instructor.

In this position, I was able to watch as Guy worked with students in the school to help them develop their choreography, characters, and routines.

One day, Guy shared some of his thoughts with me regarding some important elements he used to create a great act. At the time, he was working with a couple that was developing a fixed-trapeze number. The two aerialists were assuming the characters of a pair of male and female love birds for the act.

Guy pointed out that it was important for the performers to remember that they were not just playing birds. They also needed to keep in mind that they were people, as well. In fact, they were a young, attractive couple that were in love with each other.

Guy thought that the act would be much stronger if the audience could see and share in that human love. Along with all of the fancy acrobatic moves on and off the trapeze, and the bird mannerisms they were learning to incorporate into the routine, he was asking them to remember to play the role of young lovers. The combination of all three of these elements would make for a fantastic circus act.

But those three factors weren’t all of it. There was one, final ingredient to add to the mix. Guy also wanted each of the partners to explore their motivations for learning the trapeze. He asked them why they spent all of those hours training and practicing to work with that particular piece of equipment? Surely, there were easier things to do.

To Guy, a performer himself, with enough soul searching the answer is always obvious. Circus performers, regardless of the specific skill, spend all of those countless hours in practice and training because they love what they do. If they didn’t love it, they would give it up, specialize in something else, or quit the circus altogether.

Understanding and incorporating this last awareness is the ultimate component of putting together a world-class act. What really moves audiences is the realization that they are watching performers who love what they do and share that love. Sharing the love is the magic that audiences seek. It sells tickets and brings standing ovations.

As fellow jugglers, we know that you love juggling. You wouldn’t spend the hours it takes to get good if you didn’t love it. Please remember and share that when you create your act and perform in the front of the public. We will feel that much more special when you invite us into your personal, loving relationship with juggling.

Guy had one last point to pass on. He explained that sometimes he works with people who aren’t there yet. Guy’s advice is: If you aren’t yet in touch with the fact that you love what you do, and/or you aren’t ready to share your love with strangers, smile. Smiling can cover a lot of lacks.