Driven by a desire to elevate their humanity, their ability to raise each other up and take care of the world they inhabit, seven individuals founded the 7 Fingers. 20 years after bursting into the circus scene through a fridge door, a few members look back at the company’s origins, values, and accomplishments with an eye toward the future.

The summer of 2002 was a colorful one for Montreal’s circus audiences. Under the burning sun were two big tops filled with characters and creatures flipping and flying inside mystical forests. Cirque du Soleil’s “Varekai” and Cirque Éos’ “Imaginaire” reinforced the idea that the circus is fantastical, disconnected from everyday life.

“Humanity comes first, then respect, and creativity. Our brand is based on our humanity, on who we are, not on fantastical or artificial things,” explains co-founder Gypsy Snider.

The daughter of the Pickle Family Circus’ directors, Snider grew up surrounded by artists and with a growing interest in the performing arts. From a very early age, she aspired to create and perform in pieces where circus skills and theater would merge and feed one another. She has vivid memories of “Cirque Réinventé” and “Nouvelle Expérience” and how two artists stood out as “simply magical.” Isabelle Chassé and Faon Shane were among Cirque du Soleil’s youngest company members in the late ’80s and early ’90s. The San Francisco native didn’t know then that these two ladies, along with four other inspired artists, would attend a brainstorming session in her hometown just over a decade later. They had all met or knew of each other. Some had shared dressing rooms in Asia; others had participated in the same festival or dinner show, and all wanted to create, direct, and share their vision of contemporary circus with the world.

The circus scene was very different twenty years ago and companies didn’t receive much funding from government officials who didn’t see circus as an art form. To them, circus artists relying on directors and choreographers from the dance and theater worlds proved that they couldn’t create on their own. However, when Samuel Tétreault heard of a program for emerging companies backed by Canada’s circus alliance, a plan was set into motion. A rapid succession of calls and emails brought these seven to San Francisco: Shana Carroll, Isabelle Chassé, Patrick Léonard, Faon Shane, Gypsy Snider, Sébastien Soldevilla, and Samuel Tétreault. Seven artists who wanted to write, direct, and choreograph shows by themselves.

“We spent a whole day talking solely about the show and went on about the company and how we envisioned our future on day two. We laid out the plan that we ended up following. We wanted to create shows that would have wit, humor while celebrating our vulnerability. Most importantly, all agreed that this company would have humanity at its core,” explains Snider with a hint of warm nostalgia in her voice.

An art company being an infinite concept, one less likely to be put into a box than a show, this collective would be a forward-moving force to keep on creating into the future. Given that each “finger” had been hitting the stage for well over a decade, collecting ten-show weeks and 100th badges along the way, they knew that they would eventually reach the point of being unable to physically deliver what their minds envisioned. Each slowly geared themselves away from the stage and more into directing to keep their passion alive.

“I love combining the experience and wisdom of age with the incredible sense of possibility that the younger generation brings. They charge our batteries and inspire us with their vision of the future. You spend your whole life looking forward [and] then you reach 50, with kids and greater responsibilities, [and] these young artists become the motor behind you. Their new vision and aesthetic have inspired me to see my work in a new light!” says the woman who describes herself as her cast’s creative step-parent.

This fondness for young, raw talent and strong directorial ambitions explain why “Traces,” the company’s second show, was created with and around acrobats whom she and Carroll had seen grow up at San Francisco’s Circus Center. This production opened the door to even more venues and festivals and got them the visibility and notoriety that most companies only dream of. Unlike the first creation helmed by seven directors, this one was all Snider and Carroll’s. On paper, at least. As the latter points out: “We’ve always had an all-for-one, one-for-all mentality. The show, the company, is always what matters most, to all of us. So sure people can have egos, or be defensive, but ultimately we all want to do what is best for the show, for the company, and will pitch in when needed, make changes when needed, support and suggest and prod and even just give space when that’s what’s needed.”

They hold onto a producer’s title on each project that they’re involved in, whether it’s a Broadway musical, an opera in Russia, or some national holiday festivities. “Whenever a company wants to work with one of us, they’re hiring us through the Fingers and that’s where all the money goes. Whether it’s Seb and I directing ‘Crystal’ for Cirque du Soleil, or Gypsy working on ‘Pippin’ or ‘Moulin Rouge,’ everything goes to the pot so that we can keep on creating our own projects,” explains Carroll.

When it comes to casting, the company is interested in artists who are willing to put their souls into their work and are pursuing the excellence of circus in a theatrical experience. Individuals willing to expand in a collaborative fashion and go beyond where they are within an ensemble are prime candidates for a 7 Fingers production. “Be excited about work and the people you’re working with,” adds Snider.

She also encourages the new generation to find a perfect balance between wanting to be better and wanting more. Snider insists on work needing to exist in a growing garden. Art needs to be nurtured and is bigger than those behind it.

When asked to narrow down the company’s history to three pivotal moments, Snider pauses, smiles, seemingly reminiscing for a moment, and lets it out: “Our first show’s opening night at Montreal’s Just For Laugh in July 2002, performing at the Gala du Gouverneur Général in 2006, and buying the building that has become our office and creation studio in 2018.”

Images courtesy of The 7 Fingers media, with credits to photographers Alexandre Galliez, Christian Tremblay, and Cimon Parent. Main image: Passagers show, taken by Alexandre Galliez.

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, Chamäleon 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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