Production Staff
Patrice Besombes
Lighting Designer
PATRICE BESOMBES studied drama in Tours, France. As Technical Director of the Maison de la Danse de Lyon, the self-taught Patrice developed his approach through the work he did with the emerging generation of French choreographers of the early 1980s, including Catherine Diverres, Dominique Boivin, and Kitsou Dubois. He designed the lighting for Benjamin Millepied's On the Other Side for the NYC Ballet, as well as Triad and Amoveo for the Paris Opera. He worked with the American choreographer Carolyn Carlson, whose Signes is still in the repertory of the Ballet National de Paris. Besombes participated in the International Dance ... read more
Bob and Bill
Composers
Jean-Francois Bouchard
Creative Guide
As Creative Guide, Jean-Francois Bouchard supports the company;s creative ventures, all the while providing challenging opportunities to talented young designers. Jean-Francois joined Cirque du Soleil in 2001, following three years as a freelance contributor. He first made his mark with the design of the boutique connected with the La Noubatheatre in Downtown Disney West Side in Orlando. He was then appointed Senior Director of Creation and became a key member of Cirque's Special Events design team.
Jean-Francois Bouchard has many years of experience in design and a solid artistic and technical background. In 1982, armed with a college degree in ... read more
Andreas Carlsson
Composer
Swedish born Andreas Carlsson belongs to a rare fraternity of composers having sold over 150 million albums. He's been honored with the "Export Prize" from the Swedish government, the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award and has been nominated for five U.S. Grammys. Carlsson's song credits are modern classics like "I Want It That Way" and "Drowning" for Backstreet Boys; "I'm Alive" for Celine Dion; "Waking Up In Vegas" for Katy Perry; "Bye Bye Bye" for N'Sync; just to name a few. Carlsson has also written career-defining songs for Carrie Underwood, Britney Spears, Def Leppard, Westlife, Bon Jovi and Ricky ... read more
Shana Carroll
Acrobatic Choreographer and Designer
SHANA CARROLL is co-founding artistic director of Montreal's Les 7 Doigts de la Main (7 Fingers circus company), where she has directed and choreographed the company's major touring shows, including Traces (Drama Desk nomination), Sequence 8, Loft, La Vie, Le Murmure du Coquelicot, Cuisine & Confessions, and Psy. Shana also created the circus show of Queen of the Night at the Diamond Horseshoe in New York, which won the Drama Desk award for Unique Theatrical Experience.
In addition to her work within 7 Fingers, Shana's circus choreography includes the Cirque du Soleil performance at the 84th Annual Academy Awards (2012), the ... read more
Telsey + Company
Casting- New York
Broadway/Tours: Elf, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Spiderman Turn Off The Dark, A Life in the Theatre, Million Dollar Quartet, The Addams Family, Memphis, Next to Normal, Rock of Ages, In the Heights, Wicked, 9 to 5, South Pacific, Peepshow in Vegas. Off-Broadway: Atlantic, MCC, Signature. Film: Margin Call, Howl, Sex and the City 1 & 2, Jonah Hex, Main Street, Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, I Love You Phillip Morris, Rachel Getting Married, Dan in Real Life, Then She Found Me, Across the Universe, Ira & Abby, Rent, Pieces of April, Camp, The Grey Zone, Finding ... read more
Philippe Decoufle
Director and Choreographer
French stage and film director, artistic director, dancer and choreographer Philippe Decoufle trained in many disciplines. His earliest ambition was to become a cartoonist, but after studying at Annie Fratellini's circus school and Marcel Marceau's mime school, he turned to modern dance and came into contact with choreographers such as Merce Cunningham and Alwin Nikolais. For Decoufle, cooperation with others is essential to his process. In 1983 he gathered together a group of artists and artisans who have been with him ever since as members of his dance company DCA, which has created scores of playful and fantastic productions that ... read more
Nathalie Gagne
Makeup Designer
NATHALIE GAGNE was one of the first to graduate from the Montreal branch of the famed Paris-based makeup school Ecole Christian Chauveau. With Cirque du Soleil since 1995, she created more than a thousand separate Makeup designs for sixteen different shows including KA, directed by Robert Lepage, The Beatles LOVE, directed by Dominic Champagne and Michael Jackson ONE, directed by Jamie King. In 2012, Nathalie was chosen to realize the Makeup for the 3D movie Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away produced by James Cameron and directed by Andrew Adamson. Apart from her circus activities, the world famous makeup designer currently ... read more
Nathan Gehan
Associate General Manager
Philippe Guillotel
Costume Designer
PHILIPPE GUILLOTEL Has worked with Philippe Decoufle since 1985 on the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. Also worked with Decoufle on the opening ceremonies of the 50th Cannes film festival in 1997 and Tricodex, a multimedia work for the Ballet de l'Opera de Lyon, in 2003. His designs were featured in four ballets, including La Belle, staged by the Ballets de Monte Carlo. In cinema, the exuberant costumes for the 2002 feature film Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (Cesar Award) and prior to that, the films Doggy Bag and A la Mode. In 2007, ... read more
Pascale Henrot
Associate Creative Director
After studying dance in Lyon, Pascale worked from 1978 to 1987 with choreographers in France and US. After dancing with Philippe Decoufle, she became his choreographic assistant and started working as a producer and director with his company DCA till 2000. She produced events associated with the FIFA World Cup held in France in 1998. From 2000 to 2007, Henrot was artistic co-director of the "Paris quartier d’ete" festival and from 2008 to 2014, she directed the Theatre de la Cite Internationale in Paris, theatre dedicated to all forms of contemporary performing arts. In 2011, she was Associate Creative Director ... read more
West Hyler
Associate Creative Director, Scene Director
WEST HYLER was the Scene Director and Story Writer for Cirque Du Soleil Paramour, Cirque's first Broadway Musical. Hyler won the 2017 New York Musical Festival award for Outstanding Direction for "Georama". Directing work includes Avenue Q (State Puppet Theater of Bulgaria), Mortality Play, Wingman, Kid who would be Pope (Ars Nova), H2O (59E59), Getting My Act Together, Game of Love (York Theater Company), Tempest, Love's Labours Lost, Merry Wives of Windsor (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival), Georama, The Disappearing Man (St Louis Rep), No Way to Treat a Lady (The Colony Theater), Flambe Dreams, The Awakening of Angel DeLuna, and Georama (NYMF), ... read more
Amy Jacobs
General Manager
Pierre Masse
Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer
Pierre's career spans just about every genre of the performing arts. He was involved in major productions with the Opera de Montreal, the Grands Ballets Canadiens, and Celine Dion as well as a production of Les Miserables. He has collaborated with Cirque du Soleil since 1996, and took part in the creation of Quidam, Varekai, Zumanity, KA, and CRISS ANGEL Believe. For Cirque du Soleil shows as Acrobatic Rigging and Equipment Designer, Pierre designed TORUK – The first flight, Totem, IRIS - A Journey Through the World of Cinema, Michael Jackson ONE, and Joya. ... read more
Daphne Mauger
Choreographer
DAPHNE MAUGER is a graduate of the CNSM of Contemporary Dance in Paris. She danced as a soloist with Karine Saporta in Philippe Decoufle’s Triton 2 ter. She continues to perform regularly for Castafiore System, Alban Richard, and Laura Scozzi. In 2004, Daphne became associate choreographer for A. Richard, L. Scozzi and Laurent Pelly's Lyon Opera production of La vie Parisienne and Systeme Castafiore's Lyon Opera Ballet. She also worked with Decoufle on the Opening of the 2007 Rugby World Cup and on Sombreros and Octopus. Daphne choreographed three shows for director Matthieu Gerin; the Dansez Viking! parade for ... read more
Jayna Neagle
Executive Producer
Anne Sequin Poirier
Props Design
Jean Rabasse
Set Designer
JEAN RABASSE has worked extensively in cinema, theatre and dance as a set designer and decorator. He has designed the sets for Philippe Decoufle's dance company DCA for more than a decade. Jean was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Cesar for his sumptuous, elaborate designs for Vatel in 2001. Other film credits include Asterix et Obelix contre Cesar, directed by Claude Zidi, The Dreamers, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, The City of Lost Children, Delicatessen directed by Caro and Jeunet, Norman Jewison's The Statement and Christophe Barratier’s Faubourg 36, for which he received a Cesar nomination. Jean was ... read more
John Shivers
Sound Designer
JOHN SHIVERS (Sound Design)
Shucked, Beauty and the Beast (New Production Worldwide) Pretty Woman (Worldwide), Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour, Kinky Boots (2013 Tony Award recipient), Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway, Leap of Faith, Bonnie & Clyde, Sister Act, 9 to 5, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, The Little Mermaid, Tarzan, In My Life, Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays, Julia Sweeney’s God Sad ‘Ha’. International: Wicked, Spirit of Life, The Secret, Tarzan, Das Wunder Von Bern, The Lion King (Shanghai) and (Singapore), Regional: The Muny (2015 -Present), Trading Places, Afterwords, The Wanderer, Becoming Nancy, 42nd St., Rock of Ages, The Heart of ... read more
Olivier Simola
Projection Designer
After studying at the Conservatoire national de region (CNR) in Grenoble and at the Conservatoire national superieur musique et danse de Lyon, Simola acquired his first professional experience working with numerous choreographers including Andy Degroat, Jean-Francois Duroure, Joel Borges et Christophe Salengro. In 1995, he joined the dance company DCA founded by Philippe Decoufle. He first worked on the creation of Decodex before becoming one of the mainstays of the company, leaving his mark on many other DCA creations. Dancer and video-maker Simola then began to work closely with Decoufle. By fusing his two principal areas of expertise – dance ... read more
Cirque du Soleil Theatrical
Producer
Michelle H. Tamagawa
Company Manager
Bespoke Theatricals
General Manager
Maggie Brohn, Amy Jacobs, Devin Keudell, and Nina Lannan are partners and manage Broadway musicals and plays, tours, and concerts. This season on Broadway: Mamma Mia!, Billy Elliot, Bonnie and Clyde, Ghost, EVITA, Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway, Shatner's World: We Just Live In It and the plays Magic/Bird, and Venus In Fur. On tour: Mamma Mia!. Past productions include CATS, Annie Get Your Gun, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Color Purple, Legally Blonde and The Pillowman. ... read more
Boris Verkhovsky
Acrobatic Performance Designer
As an elite athlete part of the Belorussian Men's National Team in Sport Acrobatics, Boris discovered a bigger passion for coaching than performing. Having graduated from the Byelorussian State University with a degree in Physical Education and Sports specializing in coaching, he immigrated to Canada in 1978 where he worked his way through the ranks to become Head Coach of the Canadian National Trampoline and Tumbling team. In 1993, Cirque du Soleil approached him to consult on a proposed tumbling act for its Las Vegas show Mystere. It soon became clear that Cirque needed to capitalize on Boris' extensive acrobatic ... read more
Christophe Waksmann
Projection Designer
CHRISTOPHE WAKSMANN began his career as a photographer, then studied visual arts, video communications, and dance in France. He then went on to become a dancer and film director and integrated these two occupations into a hybrid career, built on the experience of film sets, stage performances, live directing, interactive research, and independent movies. As a member of DCA Dance Company, founded by Philippe Decoufle, Waksmann works closely with the French director as a camera operator, film editor, and projection designer. He did the projection designs in Iiris, Sombrero and Octopus. Recently, he designed movies and projections for the French ... read more
Scott Zeiger
President and Managing Director, Cirque du Soleil Theatrical
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