DRAGONE Announces “Creative Collective” to Continue Franco Dragone’s Legacy

Circus News

DRAGONE Announces “Creative Collective” to Continue Franco Dragone’s Legacy

Legendary Entertainment company Dragone will now be led artistically by a group of leaders from within the Dragone organization referred to as the “Creative Collective.”  This announcement follows the tragic and unexpected passing of Dragone founder and Artistic Director Franco Dragone, who invented the contemporary hybrid theatrical spectacle by combining post-modern dance, cutting-edge theatrical technology, traditional folk and circus disciplines, and a unique in-the-room approach to creation.  Before founding Dragone and creating shows like The House of Dancing Water (Macau), The Han Show (Wuhan), La Perle (Al Habtoor City, Dubai) and Celine Dion’s A New Day (still the highest-grossing resident performance in Las Vegas History), Franco Dragone directed Cirque du Soleil’s first 10 shows including O, Mystére, and Alegría.

Dragone CEO Francois Girard explains, “Franco is irreplaceable, so we will not attempt to replace him…the creative collective consists of carefully selected artistic and strategic leaders from within the Dragone family, each of whom has worked for and with Franco in various capacities.  All these members have been by Franco’s side for many years and each of them embodies a part of Franco’s creative leadership.”

In early 2022, Dragone established new permanent offices in the Arts District of Las Vegas, USA.  The new headquarters of operations arrives at the climax of a two-year expansion of Dragone’s work into location-based, immersive, and emerging entertainment.  Dragone as a fully realized experience design company is a product of evolutions undergone throughout the pandemic, developing techniques for applying Dragone’s signature creative process to an expanding collection of experiences, while maintaining the organization’s theatrical core.  This process was enthusiastically fueled by Franco himself and has led to numerous projects in various phases of production in the Middle East, Asia, and the USA.  Francois Girard goes on to add that “The Creative Collective will be responsible for preserving the legacy of Franco’s voice, methods, philosophy, process, and aesthetic” across the projects currently in development and all new initiatives.

Dragone Chief Operating Officer Anna Robb expands, “We have a wonderful team of passionate people who have worked with Franco for many, many years.   Franco was always the figurehead, but there were also the people behind and around him, supporting the process and executing the projects…. while the Creative Collective is new, the projects have always been created collectively.”

The members of the Creative Collective will be shared with the public soon.  The group brings its combined expertise in the Dragonian approach to theatre, the Dragone brand, Dragone’s signature creation and production process, and practical live show leadership across the artistic community.

By the yardstick of brotherhood, the world is still largely a mysterious continent to be discovered.  This task requires many explorers.-Franco Dragone

Main image: Courtesy of Dragone. Source: Dragone Website

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