CIRQUANTIQUE Make US Debut At San Francisco Festival

San Francisco International Arts Festival (SFIAF) is proud to present the U.S. debut of Cirquantique an all women Canadian nouveau-cirque ensemble with the US premiere of Bang Bang! A thrilling fusion of Burlesque inspired, acrobatic acts!

The production portrays the dark world of prohibition era Quebec. Get ready for a spellbinding evening of nouveau cirque and burlesque as talented artists from Montreal's underground circus scene offer a night of transgression and rebelling against false temperance--in a parallel universe where speakeasies proliferate, bootlegging is rampant, and the black market rules!

The incredibly talented performers leave the audience in awe as the members of Cirquantique infuse together acrobatic disciplines ranging from hula hoops, static trapeze, aerial nets, straps, dance trapeze, with burlesque, aerial dance and even contortion!

Artistic Director Daïna Michaud creates beguiling performances that move audiences. Expressing herself through dance, acrobatics and burlesque, she is always pushing boundaries. Daïna gives new meaning to the word daring. Entertainer at heart, she also teaches aerial dance and acrobatics to circus enthusiasts of all ages. On stage, this modern day witch has an intense, magical and unexpected presence.

Cirquantique is an artistic collective that enacts immersive cultural events through the wonderful worlds of Burlesque and Acrobatics. As the directors themselves, the artists come from a wide rang of backgrounds and disciplines, and share an interest in talented expertise in Burlesque, Theater, Dance, electronic and live music, as well as stage and costume design.

Cirquantique's show presents unique and complex atmospheres through various narratives with both contemporary and historical social themes. Audience members are even invited to dress up in accordance with the shows' themes as Cirquantique warms the audience up during the pre-show, intermission, and after the show. The idea is to create a festive ambiance for the audience as well as the artists. https://www.cirquantique.com/

Cirquantique will be one of two women-led cirque companies performing at the Festival this year. The other ensemble is Troupe Vertigo from Los Angeles. Artistic director Aloysia Gavre is originally from the Bay Area and trained with the Pickle Family Circus before having a storied career as a soloist with Cirque du Soleil.

Festival director, Andrew Wood said, "We have been working to bring cirque back to the Festival for a couple of years now and we are extremely fortunate to have not just one, but two wonderful ensembles in the Festival in 2018. Both companies are women led and present work from a feminist perspective that challenges assumptions of women's roles and freedoms. But the two productions are very different from one another in terms of style and execution. The two shows make for an interesting contrast that demonstrates the breadth of what is a burgeoning nouveau cirque movement."

The two artistic directors will also lead an admission-free panel discussion on Saturday June 2 at 2:00pm in the Friends of San Francisco library bookstore in Building C at Fort Mason.

Performances at SFIAF by Cirquantique are made possible in part by the support of the Canadian Consulate in San Francisco.

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