Leaving Traces: Looking at the Anatomy and Health of Circus Artists with Faon Shane

Circus News

Leaving Traces: Looking at the Anatomy and Health of Circus Artists with Faon Shane

Astronomers, dancers, carpenters, jugglers: everyone wants to be healthy. There are vitamins, supplements, diets, and countless forms of exercise and of physical therapists to choose from. Many believe that a circus career is a physically damaging one that comes with an expiry date before it has even begun. A deep dive into circus anatomy with an artist-turned-osteopath shows that, when it comes to the circus, it ain’t all bumps and bruises. One’s mental health is tightly linked to their physical.

Standing in the wings and finishing pulling her wheel apart, Jenni looks at all the circles and curves that she drew on that Swedish theater’s stage this past month. She’s leaving traces of her stay behind. In his dressing room in Ticino, Gerardo plays with his messy hair to cover a scar before the show call. A surgery following the spotlight that fell on his head left its trace on the clown. As the cast gathers for their opening night picture, Mayka plants a huge kiss on the show’s poster, leaving her trace on the colorful artwork. Every artist wants to be remembered and leave a trace, but few are those who think of the ones that their practice leaves within. Some coaches maintain that the circus artist who wakes up without feeling any pain is probably dead. That’s just the reality of doing what the human body isn’t naturally designed for. If bruises and aches are as common as mats and makeup for the twisting and tumbling crowd, if one can easily spot an unusual shade of blue or a crooked joint, what about those traces that the circus leaves below the surface?

After spending 33 years on stage, performing on stilts, teeterboard, Spanish webs, hand-to-hand, Chinese pole, and aerial chains, Faon Shane stopped looking out at the audience to see what was going on inside. “I entered Montreal’s Osteopathy College and saw the life I led in a whole new light. I realized the significant amount of harmful things that we do to our bodies and how deep they leave traces. The kind that goes above your head in your 20s but can really impact your quality of life 20, 30, or 40 years later. I first wanted to know how each muscle and every fiber works. I realized how impactful a fascial tension can be to the vascular, neurological, or lymphatic system. Over time, the simplest thing can become the root of blockage and pathology. This knowledge has changed my vision of the circus and the human body,” says the former aerialist.

She candidly admits to having heard “No” many times and having to prove that she wasn’t too young or not flexible enough, and that she could raise the bar from one show to the next. Having made her stage debut at the age of seven with a small troupe that became Cirque du Soleil, Shane became very disciplined and developed the highest form of respect for her body. She never saw the circus as her job nor did she treat her anatomy as a simple tool. Wanting to have a lasting career and surrounded by older acrobats who offered guidance, she understood that taking excellent care of her body was the key to reaching as many goals and spectators as possible.

“I was extremely disciplined. In order to maintain my flexibility and be fitter than what my acts required of me, I planned two to four weekly training sessions on top of my shows. My warm-up and cool-down were essential, as if I was already aware of the traces that this lifestyle leaves on the human body. I wanted to protect mine as much as I could, but I too went through questionable cycles,” she admits.

It’s no secret that circus artists tend to be night owls, that many like to go out and party late after a show. Acrobats are often linked to bars, gatherings, and excess. Generalizing by saying that “all circus artists like to stay up and party” is easy, but Shane’s studies hint at a more comprehensive view: the necessity of turning it all off and calming down. The nervous system goes into survival mode when the curtain rises. The adrenaline and a sense of hyperawareness go up when one pushes their limits and faces danger. As enjoyable as performing an act can be, the possibility of a fall or some injury is somewhat omnipresent in the artist’s subconscious. Their nervous system engages at full speed to assure that they will get through their performance. Filtering out the cortisol and the adrenaline that go through every cell and vessel before and during a show can take up to five hours. Shutting down and falling asleep while the liver is detoxifying itself and the mind is running at full speed is practically impossible. Consequently, many stay up long after the stage has gone dark. Some feel the need to fill themselves after giving everything. Drinks, copious meals, junk food, long discussions, and sexual intercourse are what many rely on to come down… before tomorrow’s high!

Even if she now has far more empathy for the artists who embrace excess, Shane affirms that the repercussions of post-show habits and the traces that they leave on one’s anatomy can last as long and be as deteriorating as what they do on stage. Since there are no two people who sleep in the exact same position, perform identical acts, or follow twin diets, being aware of and understanding the body’s signals is crucial.

“I must admit that my ego made me move forward. I wanted to excel, to top myself, and explore different disciplines. I wish I had listened more to my body, to what it tried telling me. I would probably have stopped performing earlier and would be dealing with fewer repercussions of shows, stress, and excess,” she calmly explains, without a hint of sadness or regret.

Touring is rough, especially with smaller, less organized companies. Finding a rhythm and getting all the sleep one needs is hard with build-ups, tear-downs, hitting the road, and unpacking relentlessly. Every circus artist needs some downtime in order to rise up again. Resting enough and properly is challenging, as challenging as feeding an athlete’s body the way it wants to be fed. The digestive system stops working properly once the body gets into prep mode and the adrenaline rises. If some can’t cope with their nervousness and focus on what their system needs before a show, others physically can’t process food before a performance. That’s why their biggest meal often takes place late at night, once their body is back to neutral. Since bedtime digestion isn’t ideal either, Shane believes that each must listen to their body and figure out when and how it wants to be fed. There are no definitive rules, only physical and scientific facts that one can consider to make the right choices.

Growing up in Baie Saint-Paul, Quebec, little Faon Shane befriended twins whose dad had co-founded a stilt walkers company. “Les Échassiers de la Baie” crossed Quebec’s roads to bring their show to the population and the little girl was the troupe’s youngest member. She wasn’t a natural on stilts, didn’t have the strength nor the flexibility of an acrobat. However, she had will and determination, and her on-stage colleagues guided her in a quest towards excellence. As “Les Échassiers” became “Cirque du Soleil” in the early 1980s, the young artist grew and kept on learning. She toured the globe with “Cirque RĂ©inventĂ©,” “Nouvelle ExpĂ©rience,” “Fascination,” and “Quidam,” wowing crowds with her performances and stage presence.

What started out as fun and games turned into a lifestyle and a family. The young woman always saw the circus as the place where she belonged, could learn, and face her fears. Getting injured being one of the latter, she worked at finding the balance between training as hard as she could and preserving herself for the long run. Being on stage with those she loved was the priority.

“These people were my family. I never had to work at keeping the passion alive. When I became a mother and found myself at the head of another family, it changed a bit. I wanted to be present for my child but still needed to express myself. The circus had always been a form of expression, an art form, never just a job. Having to work to earn a living, for reasons that went beyond my passion, was a concept that I initially struggled with as a new mother. What inspires me in my day-to-day life? Do I still have something to share? How can I touch someone’s conscience and move audience members the way I hope to be moved myself?” says the former aerialist softly, as if those questions just crossed her mind.

Her family’s reality and the responsibilities that come with raising a child brought more questions in regard to her professional future and how she would provide for her daughter. She had spent well over a decade performing with Cirque du Soleil, co-founded and toured with The 7 Fingers, moved to Berlin and integrated with the German market: now what? Some old injuries kept coming back; her ego and the desire to be in control had been preventing her from resting and being humble towards her body. The biggest difference between getting injured at 20 versus 40 might be in the recovery level. There are treatments and specialists for all ages, but thirty-plus years of shows and a body that was starting to feel its age only allowed for a 70% recovery in Shane’s case. Her curiosity about the human body, a desire to help fellow artists, and most importantly, being able to look after her daughter’s needs prompted the move from a makeup chair to the student’s desk.

“My studies confirmed that endless repetition of the same movement, at the same speed, and often on the same side is harmful to the human body. Being devoted to a discipline is essential to reach a certain level of performance, but engaging in other forms of physical activities that aren’t linked to a specific act is healthy, necessary even, and can have a drastic impact on someone’s physique, energy, and drive. That keeps us balanced! I’d also recommend having pleasant tricks, moves that are just for fun, to even things out and bring the pressure down. Being a circus artist means pushing limits and living to the extreme. However, there are vital needs that must be fulfilled and an inner self that requires to be listened to. There are all forms of deficiencies that we can all learn to be more aware of,” she explains in a somewhat maternal tone.

Having barely caught her breath, Shane urges artists to stop seeing themselves as “just a body” or “a vehicle.” Being a circus artist is as emotionally demanding as it is physically. Having a good, well-kept body starts with the mind and the ability to feel, recognize, and connect with one’s emotions. There are tons of online resources: articles and essays to read, blogs and vlogs managed by health professionals, and artists’ communities. Unlike in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, one has access to and can talk with a therapist regardless of where they are in the world. Contrary to popular opinion, asking for help is no sign of weakness, but a real desire to become stronger. A single piece of advice can utterly change one’s vision of their ideals, nutrition, and training regimen. Feeling outsourced and reaching out for tools is something normal and nothing to be ashamed of. Nobody can train, perform and study full-time all at once!

“This is such an intense life, one filled with wonderful moments. On counterpoint, each has its share of goodbyes, heartbreaks, and abrupt endings. We can all make better use of the resources out there to ensure that there will be a mat waiting if we shall fall. Listen, share, ask questions, give advice, look at and for those who are around you,” whispers Shane.

Lastly, as her dryer goes off and brings her back to her household duties, she stops and answers one final question without hesitation: what’s a healthy body?

“One that is looked after and listened to. A body that does things that it enjoys. This joy connects body, heart, and brain, and the heart is what keeps us balanced on every step.”

All images courtesy of Faon Shane
Martin Frenette
Circus Artist, Writer -Canada
Impassioned by performing arts, Martin Frenette started intensive dance training at a very young age before trading pliés and barres for ropes and somersaults at Montreal National Circus School. He has spent a decade performing in several shows in Europe, such as Circus Monti, ChamÀleon Theater, Wintergarten Varieté, Cirque Bouffon, GOP Show Concepts or the Max Entertainment Palace, to name a few. Writing has always been one of Martin's passions and he's thrilled to join Circus Talk's team to share his views on shows, the stage and what's going on behind the scenes with other performing arts enthusiasts!
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Martin Frenette

Impassioned by performing arts, Martin Frenette started intensive dance training at a very young age before trading pliés and barres for ropes and somersaults at Montreal National Circus School. He has spent a decade performing in several shows in Europe, such as Circus Monti, ChamÀleon Theater, Wintergarten Varieté, Cirque Bouffon, GOP Show Concepts or the Max Entertainment Palace, to name a few. Writing has always been one of Martin's passions and he's thrilled to join Circus Talk's team to share his views on shows, the stage and what's going on behind the scenes with other performing arts enthusiasts!