help! cirque audition

[FADE]

I applied for a job at Cirque du Soleil's web site and I got an email asking me to audition in NY Feb 23rd. Now I'd really really love to be part of cirque du soleil, but I'm curious if it will be worth the time investment if I get there and find out I'm the least qualified in a room of 500 other dancers or something.

Does anyone have experience or knowledge about the audition process for cirque?

I just don't want to waste transportation and hotel money unless I have a decent chance.

Hope I'm posting in the right place, I did a forum search, didn't really see another place for it.

[scot]

I've auditioned and I know the dude that

They're gonna look for confidence dependability and ability. If you don't have it, you won't get in.

Ask them to pay for your travel and lodging, then you have no risk.

[Frisbee]

massachusetts is not even that far a drive to new york, you can even take the bus to and from same day if you do not want to drive and or stay over night, it will cut your costs down.

[Mike Weakley]

<< I just don't want to waste transportation and hotel money unless I have a decent chance. >>

What would be worse... going and discovering you really don't have a decent chance, or not going and never knowing? GO FOR IT!

[Steven Ragatz]

"You will always miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Steven Ragatz (Cirque du Soleil 'Artiste')

PS. Your lucky numbers are: 5 16 19 26 32

[Stephon]

This won't be helpful in your situation, but I thought it was important to remember.

[robtonto]

Go for it Joe! From the shows I did catch this past summer, I can tell that you have some good chops, and you definitely show confidence while performing. Good luck bro!

[FADE]

wow

thanks for all the support and tips.

Hey Rob! How's your showbuilding/auditioning stuff been going?

The park's been looking kinda tempting to me lately. I do have a 15 minute show now if they'll pay me for it...

[martin ewen]

do you look good in a wetsuit?

There may be around 50 people at the audition, it may go for two days, they screen people out at random intervals.
In my case they got it down to the last 12. But that doesn't mean you have a job.
It means you get a piece of paper saying you passed the audition and they owe you nothing, standard.

You then get to flirt with them via email for months like an energetic cocker spaniel.

presumably,

[jeep caillouet]

fade

Exactly what do you do that makes you think that you deserve money. And please don't tell me juggle.If you do something original and exciting then I'd say you have a good chance , and I hope you do. If you don't you'll just be one of those 50 or so. Dern I just smoked a fatty , I fade. Good luck

[Steven Ragatz]

Exactly what do you do that makes you think that you deserve money. And please don't tell me juggle.

Actually, I auditioned for Cirque du Soleil, showed them what I could do for money, and have subsequently performed with them for years. And yes, I did it juggling.

Exactly what do you do that makes you think that you know everything about juggling? And please don't tell me that you've seen them all.

Steven Ragatz

[jeep caillouet]

juggling

Howdy Steven, I would like to be the first to congratulate you but I'm sure I'm not.Congratulations to you for getting the gig.I guess you where the best of the some 50 or so. That for sure speaks a lot. Sonny Holiday told me some30 years ago that wonce you've seen one juggler you've seen the all , they all do the same thing,juggle. That is unless you where that guy on the Jerry springer show last week,then it was oops ,shit,I hope no body saw that. Who was that guy any way?My thoughts were just be creative,do good and go for it.

[Pyromancer]

Come on, you didnt fill in that form for nothing. You got out of it what is possible so far, so why not take the chance to go ahead? It may be a little investment in time and money, but it may pay off really well and if not, you can look back at an interesting experience.

I got an invitation to audition 3 years ago. Out of some 90 people, most of them very skilled and talented acrobats which made me kindas shy about my own talents I was one of the 9 that stayed till the very end.

And indeed, I got this paper, telling me they want to keep me in their database and all that. They haven't called me (yet), but I absolutely do not regret the 1400 kilometers I drove, not the two nights in a hotel I had to book.

[Steven Ragatz]

Sonny Holiday told me some30 years ago that wonce you've seen one juggler you've seen the all , they all do the same thing,juggle.

Well, clearly Sonny Holiday was wrong.

Don't be biased towards any discipline whether it be juggling, mime, magic or whatever, particularly on this forum. Jeep, you've posted your animosity towards jugglers in the past (several times). If you are looking for shock value, then you're just generating Internet noise. If you really do believe that there are no good juggling acts, then you're just plain ignorant. You don't have to do many shows to know it isn't what skills you base your act around, it's how you present it.

Congratulations on getting hired are not needed, though the sentiment is appreciated. When I replied to the Cirque du Soleil's job posting I knew that I was going to be offered the position, what I wasn't sure about was whether or not I wanted to take it. In hindsight, it was a good choice for me to join the troupe at that time, but it isn't for everyone. It is like working for Disney (something I've also done) but quite a bit cooler. However, like any long term gig, eventually the new car smell wears off and you still have to do shows - usually hundreds and hundreds of them.

My advice for the audition process is to bring to the table what you would want to be performing. Offer something to them, don't ask them what they want. Show yourself, your physicality, humor, enthusiasm, your joie de vivre. Go big and go bold. No mater what they might try to tell you, they need you, not the other way around. Don't forget, there are two sides to the coin - don't get yourself wrapped up in getting the job so much that you forget that once you get it, you then have to do it as well (that's the tough part).

At the very least, the process of preparing for the audition will challenge you and force you to clean yourself up - something we should all have to do once in a while.

Steven Ragatz

[FADE]

Martin, Jeep, Pyro, Thank you so much for the the raw numbers! I feel a lot better knowing I'm maybe looking at a 1 in 40 ratio rather than a 1 in 500.

I'm definitely glad I'm not auditioning my juggling skills. I tend to agree that it's something that everybody seems to be doing and I usually find juggling very bland for this reason.

I've seen some of your work Steven, and I'm given to wonder if perhaps, the reason you managed to get into cirque wasn't because of your technical skills, which you are, but because you've taken it in a new direction creatively?

Jeep, I'm auditioning a hip hop dance number with hand balancing, contortion, and pop n' lock.

Pyromancer, I assume you auditioned your fire skills, what was the process of auditioning that like? I'm very tempted to add my staff/club skills in.