Emmanuel Cyr started out in Cirque du Soleil as a behind the scenes type. He is extremely creative and talented so that didn’t last too long. He has been the artistic director for the festival for the past eight years. He is a professional puppeteer with many shows under his belt. He enjoys the travel and family of the circus. “Luzia” is actually his second show with Cirque du Soleil. Cyr started out with Cirque du Soleil’s “Wintuk” back in 2007.
Cyr treats puppeteering as a true art. He is not behind the scenes dangling and manipulating the marionette. He is the puppet. He might be guiding and even inside a larger than life horse puppet and guiding a beautiful jaguar to a watering hole. Occasionally he is a comical cactus, making you laugh. He is the very tall cactus, by the way. Emmanuel Cyr has many different parts and projects in Cirque du Soleil “Luzia”.
We were able to go behind the scenes and talk to Emmanuel Cyr as well as tour the Cirque du Soleil village. Take a couple of minutes and learn more about this interesting character that doesn’t really talk on stage.
Cirque du Soleil “Luzia” runs through May 21, 2017 at Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA. Get tickets here.
More info on Emmanuel Cyr
Canada
Puppeteer (Horse, Jaguar, Mariachi, Cactus)
Emmanuel Cyr is a Montreal-based artist who has been working in the circus industry for 22 years as a performer, collaborator, choreographer, artistic director and producer. His first discovered circus arts when attending street performance festivals in Europe. Upon his return to Montreal, he founded Manu Cyr’k, a street-focused performance art company integrating dance, circus, physical theatre and live sound effects. Manu Cyr’k company has toured and performed for ten years through North and Central America.
In 2001, Emmanuel co-founded Production Carmagnole, an outdoor circus festival showcasing experimental circus performances that blur the lines between performers and festival participants in its open invitation to dress up and join in the festivities. Emmanuel has been the artistic director of the festival for the past eight years. Through the years, Emmanuel has led and directed numerous contemporary circus creations and worked globally as a Social Circus trainer for Cirque du Soleil’s program Cirque Du Monde, which helps youth in difficulty worldwide through circus arts. Emmanuel also taught the basics of Social Circus at the National Circus School of Montreal.
Emmanuel’s work investigates the subconscious as a motor of creation while maintaining a connection with the concrete. He first poses board questions, which he then refines though a physical research in collaboration with performers, spectators and performance space to create a specific visual universe.
LUZIA is Emmanuel’s second production with Cirque du Soleil as a puppeteer, after Wintuk in 2007 – a seasonal production that was presented at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Cirque du Soleil “Luzia” runs through May 21, 2017 at Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA. Get tickets here.
