“Although we do acrobatics, circus art emphasizes”

Born in St. Petersburg, former member of the Moscow Circus and Cirque du Soleil, the artist presents his own set.

By Cecilia Hopkins

Mikhail “Misha” Matorin born 42 years ago in St. Petersburg, but grew up attending rehearsals and performances of the Moscow Circus. Literally so, because his mother mustered in the troupe as a dancer, and his father, after traveling all artistic specialties together, became its director: “I was very lucky in my childhood by being surrounded by people with such training and talent, “believes in the interview with Pagina / 12. “And while I was learning the practice since birth, at age 9 my father sent me to a circus school: I was there seven years, because the study of this art is so hard and deep as that of classical dance.” After a long career in the Moscow Circus and Cirque du Soleil, after serving countless tours and won awards, already established in the US city of Reno, Misha established his own circus, alongside Russian artists, Ukrainian, Chinese , British and Americans. His first production was Balagan, the same that will be released tomorrow at the Coliseum Theatre (Marcelo T. de Alvear 1125). Entrees range from 30 to 180 pesos.

Balagan takes its name from a style of performance that preceded the circus in Russia in the eighteenth century. The characters had similar characteristics which had fixed rates of Italian Comedy Arts. The functions offered in tablados who improvised in the midst of the popular markets and because of the great competition we had, each group had to strive to offer the best and attract the attention of passersby. This show is part of a trilogy that complete the Taganai and Ezuru shows, the first German cabaret inspired by the wars, the second with an oriental air.

‘The Russians have always circuses quality shows. Do you currently still maintaining the same level?

Today is not the same. Everything is declining. It is logical, because with sadness I say that this country is losing its way. In relation to art, from ballet and film the circus itself, everything is well below what it was in the time when I studied.

What were your goals when you leave school?

‘Of course I thought about entering the best circus in the world and keep developing as an aerial artist. So I joined the Moscow Circus, whom he knew from the cradle, and then went to the Cirque du Soleil. At that time, one of the most intense of my life, I presented an aerial act around a hub for Joy and Mystère shows in Las Vegas. From there I started to dream is to have my own circus and devote to designing, producing and directing shows.

-¿Se Tired of acting?

Maybe because you have done a lot and my current enthusiasm lies elsewhere. He wanted a circus with contemporary design, without animals, close to the artistic, not far to what we already knew working in Soleil, but with my own style.

Could you summarize the differences between the Moscow Circus, Cirque du Soleil and the proposal of its Balagan?

-a Viewer who does not know the subject thoroughly find three reasons for excitement and fun, but in different ways. Moscow Circus is known for its elephants and their grandstanding. Cirque du Soleil also has huge shows but no animals replaces them with the characters he creates. Instead, Balagan is not presented in a tent but in a theater; It is a cross between circus and postmodern theater, in this case inspired by the Commedia dell’Arte. It has nothing traditional. What they all have in common is that their routines respect the basics of gender, ABC.

When speaking of Commedia dell’Arte, are you referring to his signature characters or improvising their mode of action?

-Balagan Looks like a “physical comedy” without Columbian or Harlequins, clowns and red nose. There are fixed characters, but they are different: they all have their own patterns of behavior, but may be changing in the interaction that occurs between them. They spend many hours rehearsing and sweating blood so that after all look to the light and possible viewer. It is difficult to compete with the world of cyber games. So we want to create shows to shoot shots that capture the attention of the audience. So I say that although we do a lot of ground and aerial acrobatics, our circus does not emphasize the danger but art.

Source: Pagina 12