Cirque du Soleil or the “Circus of the Sun” was started by two street performers in Canada and it quickly blossomed into a world-renowned contemporary circus. Commonly referred to as Cirque, it is a mix of acrobatic exploits, artistic feats of creativity, swirling colors, flying people, blurs of style, breathtaking stunts, and stunning music.
Cirque du Soleil is ideal for people who want to work at a top-notch entertainment company. On Stage jobs include performers, athletes, dancers, musicians, clowns, and actors. Technical and Show Support jobs include costume designers, makeup artists, technical producers, artistic directors, show managers, athletic therapists, patternmakers, costume designers, personal trainers, interpreter jobs, wig designers, and riggers. Corporate jobs include finance, human resources, administration, IT, marketing, and talent scouts. Think about all the people it takes for Cirque du Soleil to continually be the epitome of creativity.
New shows are created and new venues are selected annually. Some of the current inspiring and impressive shows are Totem, Varekai, Viva Elvis, Zed, Alegria, Dralion, Kooza, Iris, or Michael Jackson The Immortal. Some shows are always in one location, like the one at Las Vegas’s Bellagio, while others are touring shows that travel the world performing for wide eyed live audiences.
Cirque du Soleil has a reputation for being a wonderful place to work because everyone is passionate. It’s a relaxed, casual, and family oriented environment – the type of place where everyone remembers your birthday. You may work at a training studio that is a lot like a college campus, or travel with a show around the world. Either way you’ll be rubbing shoulders with corporate execs, face painted clowns, and paint splattered set designers all the time. You can spend a lifetime with Cirque. If you want to switch career paths from acrobatic performer to wig designer to accountant, Cirque makes in-company switches easy.
The best way to know if working for Cirque du Soleil is for you is to attend a show. If you are completely dazzled and wowed by the music, performers, and overall experience, then send in an application online. If your application is approved, you’ll meet with department managers for interviews and be offered a job. Another way to get noticed is to attend a recruiting event or job fair. Globetrotting talent scouts recruit individuals also.
Job offers usually come with 1 or 2 year contracts. Most performers make between $30,000 and $100,000 per year. Other Cirque employees are paid per show or hourly – it all depends on the job. Employees are offered shared accommodations at the Cirque Studios or traveling accommodations while on tour. All employees receive benefits like competitive salaries, paid vacations, performance bonuses, insurance plans, discount tickets, and retirement funds. They also have access to quality gymnasiums and training facilities to keep them in tip-top shape for their big top performances.
How to Run Away and Join the Circus
Skills for circus employees
Skills for circus employees can be very diverse depending on their roles within the business. These are some of the most important skills for performers and support personnel:
Skills for circus performers
These are some important skills for circus performers:
Skills for circus support staff
These are some important skills for employees who work in supporting roles for a circus:
What are circus jobs?
Circus jobs are all the positions that allow circuses to operate and provide entertainment for audiences. This can include performance jobs, like juggler, acrobat, dancer, aerialist, ringmaster, clown or tightrope walker, as well as supporting roles. Supporting roles help enable performances and can include positions like artistic director, hair and makeup stylist, costume designer, lighting technician, stagehand and set designer. Circuses also employ marketing professionals, transportation personnel, merchandisers, talent acquisition staff and booking agents.
Types of jobs in the circus
Heres a list of 10 circus jobs that you can explore. For the most up-to-date Indeed salaries, please click on the links below:
Primary duties: Stagehands are responsible for scenery and set changes during live performances. Their job often includes assembling sets before performances, taking them down after, and transporting sets between shows. During shows, stagehands are often responsible for changing sets between acts, providing props, assisting performers when offstage and creating special effects. Some of their other duties can include inspecting equipment, ensuring that safety precautions are in place and cleaning and organizing the backstage area. In circuses, these professionals often deal with equipment like trapezes, stunt equipment and trampolines and are often responsible for ensuring safety during shows.
Primary duties: Sound technicians are professionals who work to create sound systems for different types of performance. In circuses, they are usually responsible for providing the music and sound effects that accompany various acts. They often set up speakers and sound systems in performance venues, run tests to determine functionality, collaborate with directors, performers and lighting experts, and take down audio equipment after the show concludes. Sound technicians may also troubleshoot audio quality issues, attach microphones to performers and provide secure transportation for speakers and other audio equipment. These professionals often require some formal training in acoustics and electronics.
Primary duties: Stage managers supervise stage productions during live performances and rehearsals. Their job is often very collaborative and they work with directors, stagehands, performers, audio technicians and lighting experts to create shows that match the artistic directors plans. Some common duties for stage managers include providing instructions to stagehands and performers, scheduling rehearsals, supervising prop and stage construction, ensuring crew safety and identifying any errors during performances and rehearsals. These professionals often require strong organizational skills, time management, excellent communication and leadership to perform their tasks.
Primary duties: Dancers specialize in performing different styles of dance to entertain audiences. Many circuses include dancers as distinct acts or as supporting performers during acrobatic, juggling, aerial or other acts. Dancers often spend much of their time learning and practicing complex choreography in coordination with other performers, and exercising to avoid injury and stay fit. Dancers are also responsible for coordinating with hair, makeup and costume staff to prepare themselves before live shows. Some dancers may also require expertise in singing, acting or acrobatics.
Primary duties: Hairstylists are creative professionals who cut and style hair for clients or performers. In a circus setting, hairstylists often work with wardrobe professionals and artistic directors to develop hairstyles that enhance the appearance of performers during shows. Hairstylists often meet with performers to discuss their requirements and develop strategies for meeting the directors vision. Before shows, they help each performer complete their preparations, which may include shaping and arranging hair, attaching wigs, trimming or coloring hair or helping performers with costumes. After a show is complete, they often help performers reset their hair and remove costumes.
Primary duties: Booking agents schedule and manage performances for musicians, theater productions, speakers, comedians, dance troops and others. Many circuses hire booking agents to help them find shows in suitable venues. Common duties for booking agents include identifying potential venues, contacting venue managers, negotiating contracts, arranging details like performance dates and times, and collaborating with directors and event planners. They may also help managers create touring schedules, arrange lodging and food for performers or help promote their clients. These professionals often require excellent communication skills, a talent for time management and the ability to stay organized.
Primary duties: Lighting technicians provide light effects for theater performances. Many circuses employ lighting technicians to provide spotlights and complex colored light effects to their shows. Lighting technicians are responsible for determining the requirements of a performance in collaboration with directors and stage managers, installing lamps and light fixtures, developing a program to match various acts and attending rehearsals. They also set up light systems before shows, take them down after performances conclude, transport lighting equipment between venues and maintain safety procedures around high voltage electrical systems.
Primary duties: Makeup artists are creative professionals who apply makeup and body paint to performers before shows. Circus acts often include elaborate costumes and many circuses employ makeup artists to help them create special prosthetics for their performers. Makeup artists collaborate with costume designers and directors to develop ideas and then meet with performers to apply makeup before dress rehearsals and live performances. These professionals require the expertise to create designs that are durable enough to wear on stage and that complement the shows lighting. After shows, makeup artists often help performers remove their makeup and prosthetics.
Primary duties: Circuses employ a wide variety of performers, and their specific duties vary based on their specialty. Some common types of circus performers include clowns, jugglers, aerialists, unicyclers, tightrope walkers, acrobats, dancers, plate spinners, divers, poi swingers and fire breathers. These artists are responsible for practicing their acts continuously, staying in good physical condition, collaborating with other performers, taking direction from stage managers and directors, following safety protocols, attending rehearsals and arriving on time for performances. They may also attend fittings for costumes, meet with makeup artists and hairstylists and work to develop new acts.
Primary duties: Talent acquisition managers provide their companies with an extensive pool of qualified employees. Some circus companies employ talent acquisition managers to help them find performers and support staff. These professionals often work with directors to determine the circuss requirements, review audition tapes, invite candidates in for live auditions, organize open auditions, scout new performers or reach out to artists online or in person. Talent acquisition managers also help interview new employees, review applications, arrange contracts, onboard incoming staff members and develop retention strategies for their companies.
Primary duties: Marketing directors work to increase the visibility and profitability of their companies through advertising. Many circus companies hire marketing managers to handle their advertising campaigns and to increase their brand awareness. These professionals work with social media managers, graphic designers and copywriters to create advertising campaigns, and they also monitor marketing metrics to identify successes and challenges, develop marketing budgets and plan long-term marketing strategies. Marketing managers often require extensive experience in advertising, knowledge of analytics, creativity, business acumen and an understanding of social media and paid advertising campaigns.
FAQ
What positions are there in a circus?
- Acrobalance.
- Acrobatics.
- Acro dance.
- Adagio.
- Aerial hoop.
- Aerial silk.
- Aerial straps.
- Animal training.
What are people who work at circuses called?
What do circus workers do?
