Circus Embodiments: From Science to Spirituality

Abstract

Circus, in its desire to challenge gravity, to surpass human abilities, and to surprise and deeply connect with audience, paves rich, interconnected ways to reach a multitude of realms that beguile the imagination, that traverse art, science, humanity, spirituality, and more, and that dissolve boundaries. As the director of the remarkable youth circus group, Le PeTiT CiRqUe®, I am challenged every day in bringing these child prodigy acrobats, cirque performers, and Team USA Gold medalists together toward these visions of higher purpose. We summoned the core of our inherent humanitarian work and our spirituality at the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in honor of ICAN, which works for the prohibition of nuclear weapons, and at the Dalai Lama Global Summit and Birthday Celebration. In productions such as The Journey of You, riddled with gods and spirit guides, we conjure the magic that creates the worlds of dreams. In our collaborative scientific creations, such as Cosmic Tumbles, Quantum Leaps, we immerse into the microscopic world and reach for the stars; we are currently in collaboration with the University of Illinois on the performance Quantum Voyages, set to take flight for UNESCO’s 2025 International Year of the Quantum. In this presentation, I offer a soulful glimpse of our circus journeys through these paths.

Biography

Nathalie Yves Gaulthier is the director of the multi award-winning youth circus group, Le PeTiT CiRqUe®’s . She has  created shows for The Nobel Peace Prize Concert, The Dalai Lama, the American Physical Society, and several other groups shows Dubai UAE, Canada, Norway and more. She has served as a  film/TV consultant and as the Circus judge on CBS’s series  “The World’s Best”  with James Corden, Drew Barrymore, RuPaul and Faith Hill. Le PeTit CiRqUe®’s world-class artist-athletes in Cirque, martial arts and music prodigies perform mesmerizing acts in contortion, blindfolded and group foot archery, multiple-body aerial acts, modern dance, music, and martial arts. They have captivated audiences globally consisting of arena-scale events, 400-4000 seat theatres, royalty, world leaders, celebrity events, half time shows, casinos, and numerous television/film productions.

Hosted by

CASCaDe (Collective for Art-Science, Creativity and Discovery, etc), Center for Advanced Study, and Spurlock Museum.

In conjunction with Department of Physics, Department of Theater, Department of Music, Grainger College of Engineering, College of Fine and Applied Arts, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts