Dance Consortium announces world premiere of new work by Canadian circus pioneers Cirque Eloize

This autumn, Canadian circus company Cirque Éloize returns to the UK for the first time since 2019 to give the World Premiere of iD Reloaded. Directed and created by the company’s co-founder Jeannot Painchaud, iD Reloaded is an intoxicating blend of circus arts and urban dance music, b-boying/b-girling, breakdance, hip hop and more.

The action takes place in the heart of a city, in a public space where people seek refuge and a chance to shed their anonymity. Sometimes futuristic, sometimes ancient, it’s a place where identities are forged and individuality is expressed. The stage fizzes with infectious energy and phenomenal physical feats as the 12 cast members perform against a kaleidoscope of eye-popping video projections. Set to a pulsating and stimulating soundtrack by Jean-Phi Goncalves (aka Beast) and Alex McMahon, iD Reloaded promises to be a thrilling piece of work, full of attitude, energy and invention.

In 2013, Cirque Éloize took the West End by storm with their breathtaking circus show iD which went on to tour to globe to an equally ecstatic response. iD Reloaded is inspired by that original work.

Jeannot Painchaud says: “iD in its first version was questioning the diverse identity within a community.  The evolution of the dance and acrobatic scene in 15 years is remarkable.  iD Reloaded is a visual fest, still fun and energetic, more cartoon-like and colourful. It’s in complete resonance with the challenges that our teenagers are facing where screen shots and “likes” change constantly your image and creates new identities. What’s real and what’s not? Who am I? In this extraordinary period of time, it’s more important than ever to celebrate our difference and our sense of community. Welcome to iD Reloaded!”

A driving force on Quebec’s cultural scene for 30 years, Cirque Éloize’s artistic adventure began in the Magdalen Islands in the early 1990s when Jeannot Painchaud and seven young artists decided to found a circus company. Innovative from the start, Cirque Éloize wanted to move away from the traditional big top, to create a new kind of circus with new narrative forms for an audience seeking meaningful entertainment. It is also part of circus history with co-founder and early collaborator Daniel Cyr inventing the Cyr wheel.

The eight-venue tour is presented by Dance Consortium, a group of 22 large-scale venues whose mission is to engage people across the UK and Ireland with the very best international contemporary dance.

Joe Bates, the organisation’s Chief Executive, says: “Cirque Éloize is a sensational company. It has a long history as a pioneer of Canadian circus and we think audiences across the UK deserve to experience its work first-hand. It has been ten years since the company first toured with Dance Consortium and over that time Cirque Éloize has become a world leader in contemporary circus. We are absolutely thrilled to be presenting the world premiere of this latest work here in the UK – it’s one not to miss!”