“Cirque du Soleil sees acrobatic training for dancers valuable in the same light as it sees ALL multidisciplinary training for dancers valuable for today's (and tomorrows) artistic workforce. To work in the dance milieu today, mastering several disciplines is almost a necessity; for Cirque du Soleil multidisciplinary is an absolute must for the majority of the dance roles.

It is not necessarily acrobatic training that would be needed for most Cirque du Soleil dance roles, but for some it is a definite requirement. For other roles it is a mix of opposing dance styles needed, dance + physical acting, dance + acting + acrobatics or some other physical non-dance discipline. In the global dance market today, however, an acrobatics background is a huge asset, and some cases actually a minimum prerequisite.

Having universal certification standards would help immensely in measuring where a dancer stands on the global market before actually watching them dance. Teaching standards at the moment are random - which is why I usually do not even consult a CV before watching a video job application. The proof is in the pudding - exactly what can the dancer do, and how well? A universal standard would help control the quality of teaching as well as help students advance to the next level of their dance education only when they are ready for it. Advancing to a level above one's capacity can be not only dangerous, but can actually have negative effects on technical training. It can cause a student to regress instead of advance."

Rick Tjia

Senior Talent Scout Cirque Du Soleil