The Birth of the Boutique Festival--DeRitis Reports from the Jury of The Salieria Circus Awards in Italy

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The Birth of the Boutique Festival–DeRitis Reports from the Jury of The Salieri Circus Awards in Italy

The new Salieri Circus Award in Italy refreshes the concept of circus acts as competition,
elegantly challenging the notions of both the classic and the contemporary.
A review and a few meditations on the state of the art.

In circus, nothing seems less fluctuating than the conceptualization of genres and styles. The dilemma is even more engaging when following the eternal struggle of ancients-versus-moderns. So, in these sleepy times of forced hiatus, imagine how stimulating the promise of a marriage between classical music and contemporary circus might be. Such an idea, although regularly approached in a few circus productions (such as shows by Circa Company, Gandini or ultimately Cirkus Cirkor), has never been applied to the competition criteria of a festival before.

In spite of a world pandemic, the spread of competition-format circus festivals has increased steadily. Dozens exist today worldwide (mainly in Europe), faithful to their predictable recipe: about twenty acts distributed in two selection shows and judged by a panel of a dozen of internationally renowned circus directors; with artists fighting for gold, silver and bronze awards. Such artifacts are often more yearned for than the hope of upcoming contracts, if only for the legitimization in the industry’s stardom and, often, mythology.

The circus acts competition emerged in Spain in the late 50s, but codified itself in 1974 with the Monte-Carlo Festival, soon finding an immediate following in Paris’ Cirque de Demain (a key contribution in the spread of new circus); it then spread worldwide by the 90s, and today has countless examples (mainly in France, Spain, Russia or Italy).

The Salieri festival appeared to elegantly somersault over the predictable categories of “traditional” and “contemporary.”

The newborn festival in this case is the Salieri Circus Award of the ancient village of Legnago, located in Northeast Italy, once the kingdom of Venice. Its first edition was held September 23-27, 2021. I was invited as a representative of CircusTalk to sit in the “Critic’s Jury” panel. The experience appeared to us an effort to revamp the old festival formula, in an ambitious attempt worthy of interest: to reconsider the concept of circus acts in a fully aesthetic context of today’s artistic reality. They accomplished this by focusing on the expressive potential of the harmony of music, choreography, visuality,  and of acrobatic technique as an art form of its own time. What emerged was a possibility beyond the extremes of carnivalesque nostalgic archetypes and somber cerebral experimentations. Whereas the festival’s subtitle was “Classic Music and Contemporary Circus,” the Salieri festival appeared to elegantly somersault over the predictable categories of “traditional” and “contemporary.” This spirit was achieved, it seemed to us, in the acts’ selection as well as in the overall production style.

Composer Antonio Salieri (1750-1825), a child of Legnago, is more noted for the fictitious Hollywood rivalry between him and W.A. Mozart than for his founding role in modern opera language. Two centuries later, the town happened to also be the birthplace of Antonio Giarola, passionate artistic director, poet, and circus collector with decades of connections in the industry; a visionary who in the mid-80s pioneered an attempt at a “creative circus” method in Italy, later becoming a specialist in equestrian theatre. Mr. Giarola (with his passionate family and staff of producers) created the Salieri Festival, taking the aforementioned challenge of questioning the creative potential of a circus act in the contemporary age, and in a most eccentric way. Finally, and allegorically in tribute to Salieri’s memory, he threw a provocation to the potential participants: in order to compete, the act had to be created, if not re-staged, only with classical music of their own choice (the assignment extended all the way to the XXth century composers). Whereas in its “contemporary” ambition, the festival concept was in some ways deliciously nostalgic of 19th Century retro finesse, in perhaps the most ornate step of the plan each act was requested to share time with a photographer of the performer’s choice in their country prior to the performance, and to produce an artistic photo to be then linked to a poem. The results were not to be presented in a circus ring, because the festival was being held on the intimate stage of  Legnago’s city scene (of course the town is proud of a fully restored “Teatro Salieri”). The results made for a compelling backdrop.

An Act By Any Other Name
Joao Godinho hands from a trapeze, arching backwards
Bronze award winner Joao Godinho (Portugal) on trapeze

The concept of an “act” as a short unit of circus performance seems compromised by its contemporary implosion toward new extended forms. So to some extent, the negation of the act itself is, after all, part of contemporary circus’ DNA. A circus act has a strange creative life. Traditionally, it is a lifelong immutable object, it’s nuts and bolts honed in details within a family experience. More recently, by the 1980s, its potential was conceptualized by external producers following the overall theme of a pre-written show: as in the neoclassical school (Roncalli, Big Apple), before the more stylized Quebecoise wave. In contemporary areas, students from circus schools–generally asked to present an act at the end of their studies–tend to abandon the form for the adventure of collective creations, or for founding their own companies. So, what is remaining of independent classic acts (still existing by thousands on the planet) is a realm where taste and style often experience problematic anarchy: choreography, design and music are sometimes left at the gates of amateurism.

Considering that, this festival’s “musical” challenge was a welcome excuse, forcing the competing acts toward a concrete creative effort and, in most cases, to the contribution of creative support. For the spectator, if the persistence of classical music at times risks falling flat for an entire show, the idea at least undoubtedly helps to improve the elegance of a festival. The theatrical intimacy, graced by artful video scenography, contributed to the performance’s smoothness, and was helped along by the absence of usual festival technical inconveniences (no nets, cages, large apparatus). This resulted in a fluidly staged no-intermission 90-minute show. A gentle period-costumed actor/ringmaster (Maurice Agosti), plus opening/closing ensemble circus numbers (by Paride Orfei circus school from Milano) evoked Salieri’s era (the acts were directed/choreographed by Elena Grossule). All of this combined to properly wrap up this unprecedented idea of the “boutique festival.”

The Jury panel was composed of luminaries of the actual industry, of no less prestige than those called to judge at Monte-Carlo or Demain; all of them interestingly traceable in the middle “neoclassic” circus area between old and new world. Plus, another rarity for a circus festival (at times anticipated at Paris’ Demain): is to see the jury presided over by an international celebrity of the theatre. Here it was Arturo Brachetti, the European glory of variety arts, also known to be quite knowledgeable about circus arts. The aforementioned jury of “circus critics” reunited some of Italy’s main daily press art writers, plus international representatives of circus magazines were invited (hence yours truly included on behalf of CircusTalk).

On stage, the youthful competing cast was an interesting balance of circus schools provenance (Montreal, Kiev, France, Italy) and family-circus training. Their average performance level was acceptable, and I could easily imagine most of them at ease in gracing word-class productions.

The Awardees
Anthony Cesar flies on straps
Gold award winner Anthony Cesar (France)

The gold award winner’s profile perhaps symbolizes the entire significance of this festival project. Anthony Cesar, from France, presented a fascinating aerial straps act, interlaced with sophisticated ground transitions of modern dance, to a Vivaldi aria. Anthony, 19 years old, is the son of a fifth-generation circus acrobat and of a show dancer. Anthony’s father, Pat Bradford, had the greatest handstand act of the 80s and was an accomplished tap dancer who starred at Moulin Rouge for decades. Anthony was sent to study aerial arts at Montreal’s National Circus School (ENC), then to attend dance lessons with some of France’s leading terpsichoreans. The result was a brilliant piece of circus arts, both in outstanding technical content as well as in choreographic creativity. The act is a final happy outcome between the traditional family heritage, the circus school approach, dance contamination, and music.

The outstanding USA/Canadian aerial hoop “Duo Hoop” piece (Caitlin Tomson-Moylan and Spencer Craig, from Montreal’s school) and the fascinating Russian juggler Victor Krachinov (capable of a stunning seven-club pass to a Beethoven electro-rock rendition) were awarded the Silver trophy.

Apparently, due to the high overall quality, five Bronze awards were assigned: Sarah Togni’s Cyr wheel act (from a sixth-generation Italian circus family, tuned on Vivaldi, and booked for the imminent Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia reopening);  the Italian adagio duo Giulia and Mattia (set to a Gluck piece with a live violinist in the choreography); Ukraine’s “Man’s World” quartet (a macho hand-voltage strength act, appropriately to Orff’s Carmina Burana notes); the compelling solo trapeze dance of Joao Godinho from Portugal (to a Havasi Balasz’s piano theme); and the handstand act of Cuba’s Nino Rodriguez Tejeda (to Beethoven).

Earlier this year, after the announcement of this festival’s creation, a paradox emerged in Italy. Both the associations of traditional circus owners and of contemporary circus companies refused the formal partnership request from the festival. The first ones apparently saw it as too far from the traditional principles (no animals, big top, etc.); the second considered it a form of traditional circus, not fulfilling the idea of “contemporary.” In both cases, there was a sensitive problem of identity legitimization. This is happening in an era where (worldwide) “tradition” is often drifting toward tired stereotypes far from the classic codes, while “contemporary” has created a “tradition” by itself along with generally predictable ingredients. Fortunately, the dilemma didn’t seem to affect the competing performers, all of whom came from both worlds, nor did it deter the jury members.

The Salieri Circus Awards was a refreshing festival, perhaps inspiring new thinking angles about the aforementioned cross-genre or genre-defying collaborations in the circus world. The “contemporary” definition is generally used for a specific, vastly recognizable cultural product, today codified after four decades by the industry as well as the academic field. It is perhaps time to be seduced by some counterintuitive approach to circus’ evolution: toward categories where the time-tested notion of an act, plus the traditional circus background, and history’s musical heritage can contribute to the evolution of circus language. Thus, at the same time, preserving the codes, and challenging the stereotypical boundaries. Along this path, a broader concept of “contemporary circus” can perhaps be foreseen.

The Acts

The remaining competing acts, each with a different classic music choice were:

Florian Brummel (Germany, trick bike)

Duo Des Articules (France, balance/contortion)

Camila Ganclarska (Poland, aerial hoop and hair-suspension combination)

Duo Do-Ro (Italy/China, hand to hand); Sergei Koblikov (Ukraine, clown-mime)

Victor Moiseev (Russia, levitating juggling spheres); Pass-Pass (Italy, clown-mime)

Erik Triulzi (Italy, chair balancing)

Pavel Valla Bertini (UK, unicycle)

Duo Viola (Russia/Ukraine, trick balancing and violin).

The non-competing special guest was the classic ballet comedy parody of Soeurs Pilléres, the French veteran duo famous in the last decades as one of the most brilliant international female clown acts.
The jury stands on outdoor steps outside of a building, in a group they smile at the camera
Jury for the first edition of the Salieri Circus Awards
The Jury

The jury panel included Cirque du Soleil's casting director Pavel Kotov, Moulin Rouge's artistic director Thierry Outrilla; artistic director of Russians State Circus Company Rosgoscirk  Elena Petrikova; director of Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain (Paris) Pascal Jacob; owner-director of Pari's Cirque D'Hiver Joseph Bouglione; co-founder of Monte-Carlo Circus Festival Dr. Alain Frére; director of Cirque Bouffon (Germany) Frederic Zippelin; Hungary's State Ministre of Culture Peter Fekete; and director of Spain's Girona Festival Genis Matabosch. President of the jury was quick-change comedian and director Arturo Brachetti.
Raffaele De Ritis
Author, HIstorian, Director -Italy
From Italy, Raffaele De Ritis is considered one of the pioneers of circus creation. Since the late 1980s, he has written and directed shows for the world’s leading companies, including Disney, Cirque du Soleil, Dragone, Ringling Bros., and the Big Apple Circus. Besides his main creative work, he has also directed major performing arts festivals and consulted for hundreds of TV specials.

A recognized historian, Raffaele has authored seminal books and papers in seven languages, teaching and lecturing worldwide. His circus history book Storia del Circo, in Italian, is considered the most extensive reference text on circus by most international historians. Raffaele is also one of the authors of the Circopedia project. He is the custodian of an extensive private circus collection, with pieces dating from the XVth century, and is seated on the Performing Arts Council of Italy’s Ministry of Culture. As well, Raffaele is a professor of Economy of Creative Industries at Unich University in Pescara (Italy) and of Art Direction at the Institute of Artistic Industries in the same city. www.raffaelederitis.com
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Raffaele De Ritis

From Italy, Raffaele De Ritis is considered one of the pioneers of circus creation. Since the late 1980s, he has written and directed shows for the world’s leading companies, including Disney, Cirque du Soleil, Dragone, Ringling Bros., and the Big Apple Circus. Besides his main creative work, he has also directed major performing arts festivals and consulted for hundreds of TV specials. A recognized historian, Raffaele has authored seminal books and papers in seven languages, teaching and lecturing worldwide. His circus history book Storia del Circo, in Italian, is considered the most extensive reference text on circus by most international historians. Raffaele is also one of the authors of the Circopedia project. He is the custodian of an extensive private circus collection, with pieces dating from the XVth century, and is seated on the Performing Arts Council of Italy’s Ministry of Culture. As well, Raffaele is a professor of Economy of Creative Industries at Unich University in Pescara (Italy) and of Art Direction at the Institute of Artistic Industries in the same city. www.raffaelederitis.com