Photo Pierre-Yves Jortay
Photo Marie-Laure Marciano

BIOGRAPHY : GENESIS

After a childhood spent between Brussels and Avignon, my adventure began at the National Circus School of Châtellerault and its circus-study high school where I took my first steps as a circus artist.

With a “circus-baccalauréat” in my pocket, I began a logical continuation, and discovered a completely different way of considering pedagogy and human relations: the professional training of the Quebec circus school and the french-canadians culture opened its arms to me for my greatest happiness.

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, I experimented with all sorts of disciplines: aerial silk; hand balancing; snowball fights; acrobatics; trampoline; igloo building; flying trapeze; maple syrup making and finally, I ended up immersing myself body and soul in the beautiful function of duo trapeze holder. 

A few years later I made a major change and decided to leave everything behind to return to my native Brussels and study psychological sciences and education at the University of Brussels.
One thing leading to another and according to my encounters, I started a professional career as a versatile performer – Swiss knife collaborator – creator in the performing arts, stimulating my insatiable desire for new adventures and human and artistic explorations.

Studies

2010

National Circus School of Châtellerault

Circus apprentice

2013

Quebec Circus School

High school graduation in my pocket, I’m flying to Quebec !

2015

ULB

Path deviation, I take a plane in the other direction and start studying psychology

2018

Professional life

My bachelor acquired, I stop beating around the bush and immerse myself in the deep end of the performing arts.

Career path in reverse

CORPS TENDRES

2022 · 20......

Corps tendres

is a research project, a workshop, and a performance that explores our responsibility toward the bodies we come into physical contact with.

We explore our sensitivity to touch — from the most subtle forms of physical contact to the most impactful, from the most ambiguous to the most tender.

Through circus as a mirror of our relationships, we address notions of trust, consent, and boundaries, accompanied by four acrobats, a musician, and a group of engaged, complicit spectators.

Premiere in January 2026 at Mars · Mons arts de la scène.

PERFORMER · COLLABORATOR

2022 · 2025

Over the years, various projects have punctuated this creative journey: aerial silk events, contracts as an “aerial stuntwoman” for Solidaris campaigns with Bleustein Agency, the design of a workshop for semi-professional and professional circus artists focused on act creation, the development of “Tender Training” — a space to share my unique physical practice shaped by diverse influences —, photo shoots with visual artists and photographers, facilitation and training sessions in feedback methodology, and more.

In the fall of 2022, I resumed my role as a performer and began two new collaborations:

  • A new adventure alongside Julien Fournet (L'Amicale) for his project “L’Enfance Majeure” (creation in 2025), where I contribute both as an artistic collaborator — exploring childhood as a political force — and as a circus artist and actress.

  • A collaboration with the company t.r.a.n.s.i.t.s.c.a.p.e (Pierre Larauza and Emmanuelle Vincent) on their project “An Anatomy of Movements”, which will unfold in multiple phases: 5 performances in Brussels at Théâtre Marni, 6 site-specific performances in the Marolles neighborhood, and a series of 19 performances at Les Halles de Schaerbeek in March 2024.

THE SOLO
A CIRCUS CONFERENCE

Photo Fabrice Mertens
All informations about this wonderful show are here !
2020·2048

Quickly, this pandemic break time allows me to immerse myself in years of notes, theoretical material and reflections. I am starting a project in collaboration with Gaspar Schelck “waiting for the end of confinement”, a research without expectations or ambition.

A year and a half later, on October 1, 2021, we presented for the first time “Le Solo - a circus conference”, my first creative project, led by a fantastic multidisciplinary team (Lorette Moreau, Leslie Mannès, Kélian Christophe, Lauryn Turquin, and other wonderful people) and supported by many institutions (Maison de la culture de Tournai, Mars-Mons Performing Arts, La Roseraie, the CCBW, Up - circus and performing Arts, Wolubilis Cultural Center, etc… ..).

The show begins its tour in March 2022 (Up festival, Spa festival, Propulse festival, Le Delta, Brain Week in Aix-en-Provence, etc.), a tour that will continue in 2023 and 2024.

Aerial silk class

PSYCHO·CIRCUS PEDAGOGY

2015 · 2022

Mostly working with female students aged 12 to 60, I draw on both my backgrounds in circus arts and psychology to address the many insecurities, traumas, and difficulties my students often face in the context of a so-called “sportive” activity.

For me, circus becomes a space for experimentation and a tool with a purpose:
to empower my students by fostering confidence in themselves and in their bodies,
to reduce competition and comparison in favor of mutual support and cooperation,
to create supportive, caring relationships that nurture a learning environment that is safe, joyful, high-quality, and intergenerational.

 

Summer Tender Training

CONTINUATION AND DANCES

2018 · 2020

At the beginning of 2019, I danced at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège in “Aida” choreographed by Michèle-Anne de Mey and Fatou Traoré.

This series of contracts as a dancer "Met Liefde" ; "Lo Stupro" and "Aida" confirm an intuition that has been present for a long time : I want to discover and explore this new field of possibilities that is contemporary dance.

I therefore began to train myself during numerous workshops and courses alongside Ayelen Parolin, Lisa de Boit, Ultima Vez, Clément Thirion in viewpoints, Michèle Swennen, etc….

In March 2020, we present "Lo Stupro" at the XS festival at the National Theater, the last pre-pandemic performance.

"Aida" Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège
Young Art Reporter - KunstenfestivaldesArts 2019

ADVENTURES, DRAMATURGY AND COLLABORATIONS

2018 · 2020

In March 2019, I am joining Unicef in Turkey to perform circus shows and give workshops for children in the Batman area. 

These experiences of “circus-social” fed me and put into perspective my Western and wealthy vision of creating shows. Gradually, I fell in love with creation and trained in dramaturgy during practice workshops at La Bellone with Karel Vanhaesebrouck and Camille Louis, and at the KunstenfestivaldesArts as a “Young Art Reporter”.

I also learned about the Feedback method and dove into it to perfect my training as an interdisciplinary artist. At this time I also met Yvain Juillard and his show “Cerebrum, The Reality Maker”. I am discovering for the first time the possible intersections between neuroscience and the performing arts. I assist him in his mediation project in the form of workshops and exhibitions around the notions of reality. 

BEGINNING OF MY PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY

2018 · 2019

With my Bachelor's degree in psychology in hand, I began several artistic collaborations:

First, within the Animals collective, founded by Sébastien Chollet, Coralie Vanderlinden, and Cyril Briant. As an assistant, I learned the inner workings of creation alongside artists such as Thomas Depryck and Nicole Mossoux.

As a performer, I joined the “Met Liefde” adventure, a dance-theater project led by Agathe Meziani.

It was during this project that I met Médéa Anselin, who later invited me to join her graduation piece from INSAS, “Lo Stupro – Corps,” which was presented at Festival XS at the Théâtre National in 2020.

As a circus artist, I spent three months at the Zip Zap Circus School in Cape Town (SA), teaching in their professional training program and performing aerial silk — marking my official return to circus.

"Met Liefde" d'Agathe Meziani avec Gaspard Rozenwajn