Leap of faith
March 2013
National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) graduates are directed by former Cirque du Soleil Artistic Director, Matthew Jessner in Leap of Faith
“Leap of Faith is both the start and finish line for a group of highly motivated semi-professional circus artists,” explains Director Matthew Jessner. “It’s the starting line in that they are completing a three year degree and will be going out into varied and challenging careers. It’s also the finishing in that this show is a culmination of the preparatory work done at NICA and earlier in their lives.
“By virtue of the personal importance of the show for each of these performers, the stakes for them are high, the energy will be electric and audiences will be able to share in this highly charged experience. There is a wide range of ground-based and aerial circus apparatus in the show, high-level skills as well as humour, stunning visuals and great music.
Jessner was introduced to NICA during a trip to Australia to see Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco in July 2011. A few months later NICA Director & CEO, Pamela Creed asked Jessner to direct the 2013 ensemble show. Jessner met the students for the first time at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris in February 2013, a week before he arrived in Australia to start on the show. “I was impressed by the students’ participation in that professional environment,” he says.
In order to design the show, Jessner needed to be familiar with the students’ specialties. “When working with a set group of performers it is crucial to get to know their abilities and strengths. This is a different work method to devising a concept and then selecting the cast in order to realise an artistically constructed vision. So, I found out as much as I could about the students before I arrived at NICA and allowed space for the concept to evolve.”
“The performers will be taking a Leap of Faith, metaphorically speaking, by stepping out of their collective and individual comfort zones and into the process of developing this show and subsequently into the professional sector. Even if those in the audience are not athletes, the skill and athleticism of these young performers will speak to them and they will be able to identify with the experience of ‘putting yourself on the line.’ The impact will be very visceral, powerful and emotional.”
In addition to understanding each performers’ skills, Jessner says to direct them effectively, he needs to know more. “Directing circus performers requires a great deal of ‘getting under their skin’. Each person has a very individual motivation to put themselves on the line as they do in circus and in this show in particular, so tapping into that is essential.”
Whilst Jessner has worked with both narrative-led performances (like the high profile Cirque de Soleil pieces) and other styles, he says he doesn’t have a particular preference. “There are definitely trends in circus performance just like there are styles and periods of opera. The purpose of NICA is to expose and impart a gamut of these to their students and audiences over time and not to try to stay with market trends.
“As for my preferred style, my preference is that any style is confirmed for whatever its identity is and not to attempt to mix it to cater to an audience target. If the style of the company is narrative, go there. If the style and skill set of a company is ‘feat driven’, well go all the way there. I prefer neither over the other if they make a firm commitment.”
The show is suitable for all ages and because it is on during the April school holidays, NICA has scheduled A Day at the Circus packages with circus workshops in the morning and a ticket to the matinee performance in the afternoon.
National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) presents Leap of Faith: Circus in Motion, from April 4 – 13 at NICA National Circus Centre, 41 Green Street, Prahran. For all sessions, concessions and booking details, please visit nica.com.au