In the early 1980s, a group of artists took their talents to the streets of Baie-Saint-Paul, a beautiful village near Quebec City. Known to the public as Les Échaissiers de Baie-Saint-Paul (The Stilt Walkers of Baie-Saint-Paul), this group would form the nucleus that eventually became the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil.
That cast offered an eclectic show, where jugglers, dancers, fire-eaters and musicians stood out, enchanting those who contemplated their numbers at street level. As one of its founding members, Guy Laliberté, explains, “the sun symbolizes youth, energy and strength, which is why we chose this name for our companyâ€. A whole new dawn in the world of circus arts, free of animals and with emotional stories, full of energy and strength.
There are many acrobats who dream of being able to join the ranks of this circus that causes furor, innovates and tells moving stories with each new show. We are also talking about exclusive numbers that sell out tickets wherever they go. However, if someone travels to Montreal, in Quebec, during the summer, they are almost guaranteed a pleasant surprise: seeing these gymnasts practicing their shows on the streets of the city.
This magic around the corner is almost unheard of in the world. But it is not the only one. In this resurgence of the open-air circus, there is another town that will delight all passers-by: the Swiss city of Basel, capital among cultural capitals in the world, where one of the most important art fairs in the world was born and continues to be held in June. planet, Art Basel, with its branch in Miami every December. Although, as in the case of Cirque du Soleil, many shows are paid for, there are also days in which circus, dance, theater and street music flood the idyllic squares and winding alleys of this enchanting city. banks of the Rhine.
“Young Stage was born and continues to be an NGO with the desire to serve as a platform for contemporary circus. Our goal is to help young artists achieve their dreams and get contracts with big producers and companies. In Switzerland many children grow up doing acrobatic gymnastics as a hobby. We have a long tradition in this type of artistic disciplines. That is why when we created our non-profit organization we were clear that it had to function as the perfect gear so that new talents could come into contact with agents and promoters. This year we have received more than 500 applications to participate in the Festival, coming from more than 50 countries around the worldâ€, explains the director of Young Stage, Nadja Hauser-Berger to the Magazine.
Under the motto “Fantastic Art”, from May 6 to 15, 2023, great shows can be enjoyed in Basel both on the street and for free, as well as during the competition that has been held for 13 years at the Messeplatz venue, with a jury of experts from the fields of circus, television and professional sports.
“On the 6th and 7th, the city hosts the Festival with a series of numbers in the center of the city. They are free shows and for all ages. Then, from 11 to 15 we have a selection of six exclusive shows with young circus performers who, in this edition, come from Switzerland, Ukraine, Chile, China, Ethiopia and Canadaâ€.
In the 2014 edition, the Canarian acrobat Saulo Sarmiento was present, whose specialty is aerial pole, and who, in addition to having participated in television shows such as Britain’s Got Talent and La France an Incroyable talent, has won awards in Monte Carlo, China, Switzerland and Canada. Currently, Sarmiento is in Orlando with a Disney resident show in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, with whom he had previously worked.
“Nadja Hauser-Berger contacted me and invited me to Young Stage. It was one of the best experiences of my life because their Festival is one of the most professional in terms of organization, production, choreography… In addition, to help us achieve other professional commitments, they promote networking events such as discussion panels, workshops to find out how managing social networks, how to negotiate a contract… Being there and winning the silver star opened doors for me in countries like Belgium and Germany, where the circus is more consolidated as an art form than in Spain and other countries,” he explains by phone. Sarmiento.
Young Stage also has the so-called speed dating circus, where artists, bookers and producers have the opportunity to meet each other in an easy and fun way.
Sarmiento remembers how, at the age of twelve, he saw the Cirque du Soleil AlegrÃa show on DVD at his home in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. “That day I knew that this was what I wanted to dedicate myself to and, even more, it was clear to me that I wanted to be a soloist and aerial acrobat. I started training in a very rustic and traditional gymnastics club, but it is what was in my land in those years. Then, thanks to a coach from the traditional Chinese discipline, I began to specialize in aerial pole dance, when this form of gymnastics was still quite unknown, it was hardly practiced by men and it had not been exploited in the circus before. In 2012 I won the pole dance world championship and began my journey around the worldâ€.
Today, his solo in Orlando, called Aerial Pencil, because it moves in the air as if it were only held by a light pencil, is one of the most acclaimed and is beginning to train new generations of acrobats and to work as a choreographer for different numbers. .
His story demonstrates the constancy and perseverance of those who, like Guy Laliberté from Cirque du Soleil, are clear about their passion and, despite the difficulties, have managed to turn their lifestyle and what they most enjoy into a lucrative profession. participating at the same time in the reinvention of the circus as an art form, just the leitmotif of Young Stage.
