Creating new connections

CM: I’m originally from the French countryside, where I grew up surrounded by nature and a very down-to-earth way of life. As a kid and teenager, I was mostly focused on sports — I loved movement long before I ever imagined I’d be on a stage. My path changed the day I discovered circus arts. I started out performing in the streets, improvising, learning by doing, and falling in love with the connection you can create with an audience. When I found out that professional circus schools existed, it opened a whole new world for me. I went on to study at the Académie Fratellini in Paris, where I received multidisciplinary training in circus technique, dance, theater and the broader arts. After graduating, I founded my own company in France and spent several years creating and performing original work.

DJ: How did you find your way to Cirque du Soleil?

CM: In many ways, Cirque found me. I was performing the very acts that are now part of ECHO in Paris at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, one of the biggest circus festivals in the world. In that act, we balance and juggle cardboard boxes, mixing circus technique with comedy and placing a lot of emphasis on our relationship with the audience. The central concept of ECHO is a giant cube, and Cirque du Soleil was searching for clowning and comic characters who worked with that kind of physical language. The stars aligned — and that’s how our path to ECHO began.

DJ: Please describe ECHO and the role you perform in it.

CM: ECHO is Cirque du Soleil’s latest touring show. It explores themes that feel very universal today — our relationship with nature, the connection between humans and animals, and how we can repair or rethink the unexpected consequences of our actions. In ECHO, I’m one of the clowns. The show has a more sober, essential and contemplative atmosphere than what Cirque usually presents, and my role is to create a bridge between the audience and the stage. Through comedy, I try to listen to the energy of the crowd every night and guide them through the journey of Future, who is the main character of the story.

DJ: Are there mentors you would like to acknowledge?

CM: One artist who has inspired me since the moment I discovered circus is James Thierrée, one of Charlie Chaplin’s grandsons. The way he blends dance, theater, circus and music — always in service of the story or the emotion, never just to show a technique — has been a huge source of inspiration.

DJ: What’s the most demanding part of your act? 

CM: The most physical part of my role is the cardio. I’m constantly running. It’s not even the acts themselves — it’s everything that happens between the acts. I’m always moving, always crossing the stage, always responding to what’s happening around me. There is so much running! The most technically complex part isn’t physical at all. It’s maintaining a real sense of presence and openness every night so I can truly connect with the audience. For clowns, that connection is everything. It’s not about circus tricks or technical difficulty — we use technique to surprise people, to shift their expectations, to bring a spark of the unexpected. The real challenge is keeping that freshness show after show. When you perform seven to 10 times a week, sometimes three times a day, the hardest thing is to arrive on stage each time with a new energy, fully present, ready for anything. That’s what makes the role demanding, and also what makes it exciting.

DJ: What is life like traveling with Cirque du Soleil? 

CM: I love my life on tour. Moving every one to three months to a new city, having my circus family become my “real” family, discovering parts of the world I would never have visited on my own, and working with so many different nationalities — it’s all part of the experience. I feel incredibly privileged to do what I love and to bring people together under the Big Top.

DJ: Any good-luck traditions before going onstage?

CM: Yes, after almost three years on the road, I’ve developed quite a few routines before each show. For me, it’s less about superstition and more about connection — little gestures, a sentence, a look, a high-five with someone. There’s almost a set path I follow, a series of little “rendez-vous” I check off before stepping on stage. If one of those moments is missing, I start to notice immediately. I might wonder, “Why is it different today? Is someone sick? Are they OK? Which act is on today?” It’s less about luck and more about feeling the rhythm and energy of the team around me. Those small connections help me feel grounded and ready to give everything on stage.

DJ: What advice would you give someone who dreams of performing for Cirque du Soleil?

CM: There are so many paths to joining Cirque du Soleil — from sports, circus, dance, acting … the possibilities are endless. My advice is simple: focus on your training, develop your skills and, most importantly, do what you love. Ask yourself: Where does the necessity of what I do take me? If Cirque du Soleil is your ultimate goal, of course submit your material through their casting website. But don’t wait for that to happen — experience everything you can along the way. Perform wherever you have the chance, take classes and workshops, and if you’re young enough, consider attending a specialized school. Training is the foundation — it’s the first stone in anything you’re building. Everything else grows from there: creativity, expression and the confidence to take your work further.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ECHO PARTICULARS: Cirque du Soleil ECHO takes place under the Big Top, Oracle Park — Parking Lot A, in San Francisco until Jan. 18, 2026. 125 minutes includes one 25-minute intermission. For more information visit cirquedusoleil.com/echo.