ROCCO PRIOLETTI
Staff Writer
This evening, the circus will jump through the silver screen and come alive on stage.
At 8 p.m. Saturday in the Amphitheater, Troupe Vertigo will walk the tightrope with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra for a night full of film-inspired performances.
Their program, titled “Cirque Cinema,” celebrates a wide variety of film genres by “harmoniously” pairing the circus acts to move with the music. From fantasy to sci-fi to Broadway musicals, a wide-spanning reel of Hollywood classics will be at full display onstage.
“We have ‘Mission Impossible,’ which is super fun and dynamic. And then, we drop it down to a little ‘James Bond’ and ‘Pink Panther.’ And then, we do ‘The Incredibles,’” said Aloysia Gavre, Troupe Vertigo’s co-founding artistic director. “So, that’s kind of our spy suite. And all of those pieces have very unique acts that go with them that help accentuate the drama of each of those pieces.”
Prior to Troupe Vertigo’s establishment in 2009, Gavre was a tenured performer in the circus — traveling all throughout the United States and Europe with the Cirque du Soleil. However, Gavre wished to express her own artistic individuality without the spectacle to “bring it down to the human element of … ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”
Gavre began her foray into the circus recreationally, attending the circus school in her neighborhood while also being involved in sports, dance and theater. However, the circus resonated with her above the rest.
“I personally loved the intense physical challenge. But, then, the ability to perform and present, instead of it being about competing,” Gavre said. “All types of bodies are needed in the circus. So it feels, in general, very inclusive, and that passion led to a 30-year career.”
Now, Troupe Vertigo wishes to marry the eccentricities of circus performance with an orchestral flair. The process to meld the two together, albeit long, is ultimately free and creative once limitations are overcome.
Gavre emphasizes the “internal dynamics within the piece: making sure that there’s tension that builds. That kind of helps focus the audience’s eye on the high level of technique that the circus artist might be doing,” Gavre said. “So, whether that’s up in the air, or hand-balancing and going from two hands over to one hand, or somebody, you know, juggling three balls to seven balls — all of that needs to be supported by the music.”
Gavre sees a symbiotic connection between circus performers and orchestral musicians, one which reaches beyond their synchronous stage act. She views musicians as athletes, respecting the work they do to keep the humanities involved and appreciated.
“Our work is very much about celebrating the union between those two art forms and blending them into a way that feels very respectful and has reverence to each art form at the same time,” Gavre said.
This evening, the relationship between circus and music is harnessed and strengthened by Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz.
“The relationship with him is very artistically fruitful, and we’ve been working (with Chafetz) for a long time,” Gavre said. “So, he was really, really excited to bring our company there so we could share it with his community there.”
Although Gavre jokes in hopes that audiences return home wanting to stand on their hands, Troupe Vertigo truly intends to spread concertgoers with joy, reminding all ages of the simple benefits of play.
“Being playful in our lives isn’t just relegated to children; adults can do this too,” Gavre said.
