42nd Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain - Silver medal.

Three years of process, rehearsals, and soul-searching, which allowed me to be entirely myself—vibrant and whole—on one of the most beautiful stages in the world, Circus Phénix during the 42nd Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain. Five minutes and 48 seconds of artistic expression.

Today, I have reached the end of a beautiful journey. There was no goal for a specific result, only a quest for sensation, feeling, and freedom. I succeeded in living a dream wide awake. And I am certain I could not have hoped for anything better. 

If I lived this dream in the flesh, it is only because I wasn't alone in living it. Circus, performance, and the stage are about sharing and combining skills... on your own, nothing happens. I entrusted myself to others and gave of myself with passion.

I would like to thank Laurence Auerswald , who gave me the keys to express myself authentically and freely on stage. Laurence’s magic is "seeing the beauty in each of us and sublimating it. Then, she sharpens the diamond."

The great thing about paths is that even when you reach the end, they lead somewhere else.

Genesis of the adventure that led me to the ring of the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain

In May 2019, I dropped everything and threw myself into the world of performance without knowing anything about it (relying on my background as a high-level gymnast). I tried my hand at various disciplines and almost immediately felt a pull toward the Aerial Straps. To satisfy my thirst for learning and to perfect my skills in this specialty, I went to Canada for two months of training , until December 2019.

Following this training, I set myself the challenge of creating a solo act, with no ambition other than to prove to myself that I was capable of it. To do this, I contacted Laurence Auerswald, who would accompany me until the very end as the choreographer for this aerial piece. We began an in-depth process: she questioned me, and I answered. We aimed for accuracy, focusing on intention and the relationship between music and movement... She asked me: "Where do you want to perform this circus act? What is the goal? The wildest goal?" I replied naively: "To take part in the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain."

It was the beginning of 2020: Covid. Pause.

When the lockdown ended, I was more determined than ever. Being held back made me realize the internal urgency I felt to express things on stage.
To feed this need, I searched desperately for a place to train, rehearse, test movements, and continue progressing on the aerial straps. I found a small circus tent in Fontenay-sous-bois, not far from my home, which gave me that opportunity.

Cancellation(s), Covid, or a lesson in patience…

By the end of the summer, I had a first draft of my act, which I filmed. I submitted my application to the festival in late September 2020.

In November, I received a call announcing my selection for the 42nd edition of the Festival du Cirque de Demain, which was supposed to be held in January 2021! However, it was postponed to January 2022, as capacity restrictions and pandemic-related uncertainties made it impossible for the festival to take place. I was a bit disappointed, but in hindsight, it almost suited me! To be honest, I wasn’t ready; I lacked practice and stage experience. This gave me an entire extra year to continue the journey toward creating a straps act I could truly be proud of.

In 2021, it was all about the stage and the straps, over and over again. I stepped away from my act slightly to test new things, but I always returned to it with fresh ideas. In December 2021, I began the final preparation for the festival. I felt ready; I worked hard and pushed myself to ensure I would be as composed as possible when the time came. Just as I was entering my "festival bubble," Covid resurfaced, though I didn't pay it much mind... Then, two weeks before the event, I got the call: the festival was canceled. This time, the disappointment was immense.

The best things take patience

One more year to hold on... I let off some steam, but I didn't give up. I was well-supported. The act evolved and changed; I kept the core intentions in mind, but the form shifted. I sought to deconstruct it further and lean into where I felt most comfortable. At the end of 2022, I started the final preparation once more... but without truly believing in it, for fear of being struck down by disappointment again.

On Monday, January 23, 2023, I was under the Cirque Phénix big top. Rehearsals began. I was there—for real, for good.

"Now, the present is enough"– my leitmotif.

Below is the video of the act I performed during the 42nd edition of the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, on the evening of Saturday, January 28, 2023. The show was broadcast live on Arte Concert.

Act of Aerial Straps An aerial straps act specially conceived and created for this major contemporary circus event.