#freddeb

All Images were taken by McDermott Studios, during the collaborative presentation of FRIDA, directed by Fred Deb. This production featured guest aerialist Laura Stokes, and Pendulum Aerial Arts performers and professional track students.

After another transformational week creating our show with French aerial pioneer and old friend Fred Deb, we are honored to be featuring her. Pendulum Aerial Arts was the first company in the USA to invite Fred Deb to come teach in 2004. She stayed for a month long residency bringing to Pendulum a groundbreaking level of skill and technique which set the bar for the performance company and professional training program we have today. Fred inspired us greatly then, and she has inspired us yet again in the creation and direction of our most recent show.

During her visit ten years ago, it was her extensive knowledge and technical skill that left an impression on us, but this time it was her totally unique method of teaching through improvisation, self-expression and experimentation that has sparked a new flare of creativity in the heart of our Pendulum Studio. Over the last week here at Pendulum Aerial Arts, Fred emphasized the importance of circus as an art form for radical artistic expression, while guiding us through a unique method of discovering new movement and artistic notions we hadn’t yet explored. In less then a week’s time, using our cast of ten artists of varying circus disciplines and ages, Fred developed a conceptually strong, artistically compelling and completely unique circus show, while winning over the hearts of the entire Pendulum cast, once again.  (Read a review of our show HERE)

In this following discussion, Pendulum’s resident Hula-hoop artist, and marketing director Luna Blakeman, talks with Fred about her goals of teaching circus in America, as well as her perspective on how far circus has come, and where it is going.

  L- What was your goal behind doing a master tour in America?

F- Two years ago, I met Adam Woolley of (Circus Now) and he asked me to do a tour in USA in an effort to show America a new concept on the artistic way of creating new works. Adam expressed that my style of teaching would be unique in America, so a master class tour was organized. One goal is to present these new concepts in the way of working.

L- When Suzanne Kenney of Pendulum Aerial Arts first invited you to America ten years ago (2004), you brought a lot of technical skill that didn’t yet exist here. From your perspective, how has circus developed in America since your last visit?

F- “Yes, I was also invited to Boulder (Colorado) nine years ago (2006) for the aerial festival there, and was one of the first aerialists at this time. Since then the discipline has exploded and the technical skill has grown rapidly. Now, I don’t feel I have anything technical to teach, because it’s the same in Europe as here. Everywhere the technique is very high. People finish their first year of Circus School, and the next generation of students coming in already have the same level of technical skill if not more. Learning is so fast with the Internet. You put your act on facebook, and suddenly everyone knows all your skills.

This is why when Adam asked if I wanted to do a master class tour with a goal to work on improvisation and character, I was excited. This was the focus of coming to USA.”

  L- “I really appreciate your attention to character and improvisation in your work, because while I believe technique is very important, I also notice that technical skill is often lost when the character, the storyline and the individuality of the performer isn’t explored.

When you taught the professional track students at Pendulum I saw the kids come alive with inspiration in a whole new way. You were giving them permission to explore their creativity and individuality. It is my opinion that by having an opportunity to step into a new expression as individual artists, they were very inspired.”

  L- “What is your opinion on the different styles of circus arts that exist today?”

F- “Well, my other goal in coming to America was to develop the concept of contemporary circus in USA. What I realized through speaking with people was that people categorize different circus styles in different ways. It is like dance, there can be classical dance, contemporary dance, modern dance, hip-hop and many more. From my point of view as a European, our idea of Cirque Du Soleil is that it is like Modern Dance. Traditional circus would be classical dance and Contemporary circus is something else entirely. For us Cirque du soleil is not contemporary circus as it is often viewed in America, but it is also not traditional. How they mix different people on stage, keep the focus on different lines of movement, their costume esthetics and so on, is why I say it is like Modern Dance. To me, contemporary circus is [when artists step outside of their comfort zone, to explore new ways of working that aren’t always focused on pleasing the audience.]”

L- “This brings up another question for me. As an artist myself, I am constantly striving to figure out what artistic discipline I fit best within. I’ve dabbled in trad circus, contemporary circus and more cirque style modern circus. Do you have any advice for someone like myself who is trying to figure out which artistic discipline fits them best? Do they need to choose which directly they want to go with their discipline, or is it good to try everything?”

F- “You follow what you feel that you want to do and train for it. If you want to become a contortionist you put all your energy into training to be one. If you don’t have the facilities to become a contortionist it will be a disaster and you will do something else. I would also say, that the people who have easier facilities will not necessarily become the best artists or have the best career. You never know when a student begins, which kind a career they will do. You could have an injury and you couldn’t work anymore. There are many things that can happen during your life. It is a question of sensibility. In my career I did traditional circus, I did contemporary theater and dance, Contemporary circus, modern circus, street theater, parties, clubs, everything. You are an artist and you have to work. Sometimes you do work that is not your favorite but you do it because you need to pay the bills. In Europe I was only an artist, and I had to do my art in many different forms.”

  L- “So to be an artist you have to be, maybe not always physically flexible, but definitely flexible in the work you do to support yourself.”

F- “Yes, I did a lot of corporate work which is opposite of what I do in my own shows, but I very much enjoy it. I really liked this part of my work, and I did it for many years. I will not say it wasn’t art, because I was always working hard to do this. I was always training.”

L- “I think it is a great point for circus artists to be reminded of, that they don’t have to choose one style of performance. That one is not better or worse then the other, and that it is important to explore all different styles of performance.”

F-  “I think it is what we we’re talking about before, that it is all dependent on the venue, and knowing your market. If you have a gig in a club, you do an entertainment act. My goal in coming to America was to speak about something else, and that was contemporary circus. At Pendulum, I could have performed a classical fabric act, but I performed FRIDA because the goal was to speak about contemporary circus.”

  L- “There are a lot of Circus artists who focus more on character and less on technique, or vise-verse. What is your opinion on technical skill verses character development?”

F- “It is not to say that there is a right or wrong way of creating works, working on character and concept is just one direction. I like it because I am often working with artists who are already very high skill level. I come from a background of ballet, circus and gymnastics. I myself am a very technical person and I’ve done a lot of technique. I will never say don’t be technical because technique will lead you to good artistic places. People should take many many hours to practice their technique, because that’s a true circus performer. The training of a circus artist is always practicing different technical things that we really want to have. Then you figure out how to present it with a character, and a story, but this is the second step. [Technique is first.]

This is what I like about circus artists. You cannot lie as a circus artist. You are only as good as the time and heart that you put into it. There is no other way. You should always train because if you do not, you will not be good enough to do what you want. There is no other way then 100%.”

L- “That is an important point. Perhaps the reason you are able to look so calm and natural in your performance of FRIDA, is because of your strong technical foundation. The best contemporary circus artists are very technically skilled, they just may express themselves in a different manner then with a constantly pointed toe.”

  L- How do you think circus arts can affect people’s lives?

F- “To me circus is a historic evolution. Traditional circus presented to an audience something they hadn’t seen before. I’m sure it changed lives for some people or children who were seeing something for the first time. It could spark some idea of wonder that they maybe didn’t have before. I am sure it is the same with Cirque Du Soilel. Wonder and inspiration is a very strong sense in the history of circus, and the whole point of it all is to leave an impression on people.

The last ten years people wanted to become stronger and more superhuman, but this is another history of the circus. It comes from Olympic games. To push the body to go one-step more. People have this need to be impressed, and to see the human body pushed to its limits. This is the dynamic and history of the circus across every discipline.

Based off history, I feel that here in USA people are waiting for something new again. First it was traditional circus, and then it was Cirque du Soleil now I believe that new thing is Contemporary Circus.”

L- “If you had a piece of advice for a budding circus artist, what would you say?”

F- “It is what I always say to my students. If there is something you want to do in your studies always go and try it. Always go for what you want. Trust yourself and do what you want.”

  All Images were taken by McDermott Studios, during the collaborative presentation of FRIDA, directed by Fred Deb. This production featured guest aerialist Laura Stokes, and Pendulum Aerial Arts performers and professional track students.

To learn more about Fred Deb, Frida and her company Drapes Aeriens CLICK HERE.

To learn more about Fred Deb’s tour FOLLOW the BLOG on tumblr. 

To learn more about Pendulum Aerial Arts CLICK HERE.

To learn more about Circus Now CLICK HERE.

  Pendulum Aerial Arts

Drapes Aeriens