Part I
By Larina Ling
In January of 2020, Samson Boldizar flew from Vancouver to Montreal, Quebec as part of the 150 Canadian youths taking part in the historic first-ever Cirkaskina — an ambitious project by Montreal-based company Cirque Hors Piste with the goal of bringing diverse people and communities together through the uniquely fascinating culture of circus arts.
By Larina Ling
In January of 2020, Samson Boldizar flew from Vancouver to Montreal, Quebec as part of the 150 Canadian youths taking part in the historic first-ever Cirkaskina — an ambitious project by Montreal-based company Cirque Hors Piste with the goal of bringing diverse people and communities together through the uniquely fascinating culture of circus arts.
In many ways, through the course of my research into the topic, I have come to the conclusion that circus in and of itself is an enigma. Much like the brilliant young people who are courageous enough to take up the practice, circus resolutely refuses to be labelled and put into neat, tidy boxes. Circus at its essence is a performance, but is simultaneously both an art form and a sport — for its practitioners are most definitely athletes in all senses of the word.
Acro, aerial, juggling, trapeze, tightrope, magic… innumerable diverse roles are taken on by the most unique cast of characters in each performance. Performers don costumes and heavy makeup to transform into something new to integrate into the intricacies of each show.
Circus is hardly a new, contemporary concept. Small, travelling groups of talented performers have brought juggling, acrobatics, and balancing acts to people everywhere as entertainment since the very beginnings of civilization first came to be. For all its rich history, it is misrepresented and misunderstood remarkably often. Perhaps due to the multifaceted nature of circus, people tend to mistake it for nothing but clowns and juggling with exaggerated makeup and the theatrics of bad comedy. Even the shallowest, most brief of Google searches will thoroughly demolish this misinterpretation. Whatever you choose to define it as, whether a sport or an art form, it requires incredible amounts of dedication, discipline, and time to master the most basic fundamentals of even one of its elements.
There’s something so individualistic about circus that can’t be likened to anything else. At least part of our boundless fascination with circus can be attributed to its sheer eccentricity; skills such as unicycling, trapeze, tightrope walking, and juggling are so out of the box that there’s really nothing else quite like it. Circus is about as radical and nonconformist as you can get, and the same can be said for its diligent performers.
Acro, aerial, juggling, trapeze, tightrope, magic… innumerable diverse roles are taken on by the most unique cast of characters in each performance. Performers don costumes and heavy makeup to transform into something new to integrate into the intricacies of each show.
Circus is hardly a new, contemporary concept. Small, travelling groups of talented performers have brought juggling, acrobatics, and balancing acts to people everywhere as entertainment since the very beginnings of civilization first came to be. For all its rich history, it is misrepresented and misunderstood remarkably often. Perhaps due to the multifaceted nature of circus, people tend to mistake it for nothing but clowns and juggling with exaggerated makeup and the theatrics of bad comedy. Even the shallowest, most brief of Google searches will thoroughly demolish this misinterpretation. Whatever you choose to define it as, whether a sport or an art form, it requires incredible amounts of dedication, discipline, and time to master the most basic fundamentals of even one of its elements.
There’s something so individualistic about circus that can’t be likened to anything else. At least part of our boundless fascination with circus can be attributed to its sheer eccentricity; skills such as unicycling, trapeze, tightrope walking, and juggling are so out of the box that there’s really nothing else quite like it. Circus is about as radical and nonconformist as you can get, and the same can be said for its diligent performers.
Circus gets a lot less visibility and recognition than other arts such as music, dance and photography. Upon being asked whether he believes circus deserves to be recognised as an official art form, Samson’s answer was an immediate, definitive yes. For him, circus represents a means of personal artistic expression, especially while performing. Surprisingly, despite this, he doesn’t particularly mind the lack of exposure circus gets as a form of art in its own right unless he decides to pursue it professionally in the future (in which case, acknowledgement for the skills necessary to be a circus artist would be somewhat imperative). For Samson, circus is a personal and important part of his identity, and he doesn’t feel the need to define or advertise it in an effort to make it understandable to everyone. That being said, when asked about the ideal reaction from someone seeing his work, he stated that while generally any positive response would be alright, he would appreciate any form of genuine respect for the amount of work put into his art. It seems that too frequently, he is faced with the unfortunate situation of people associating circus with outdated stereotypes.
Such as is often the case with performing arts such as dance, or music, or even theatre, the influence of circus has been significant for Samson. In circuses, he was always surrounded by people who didn’t exactly fit the mould of “normal,” or popular at school. Growing up in an open, accepting environment allowed him to become comfortable with his own identity and find who he is as a person quite early on. Samson mentioned that circus helped him build an internal sense of confidence, which frankly is admirable and was quietly apparent even throughout the course of the brief interview.
Such as is often the case with performing arts such as dance, or music, or even theatre, the influence of circus has been significant for Samson. In circuses, he was always surrounded by people who didn’t exactly fit the mould of “normal,” or popular at school. Growing up in an open, accepting environment allowed him to become comfortable with his own identity and find who he is as a person quite early on. Samson mentioned that circus helped him build an internal sense of confidence, which frankly is admirable and was quietly apparent even throughout the course of the brief interview.
It can be difficult for artists to articulate exactly what drives them to continue to create day after day, and the same can be said for athletes who are asked to explain why they chose their particular sport over any other. When asked about what inspires him to continue doing circus, Samson replied that he had actually been asking himself that same question lately. In the end, his answer was simply a genuine passion and love for the sport, whether it might be the performance or the training. A majority of us would baulk at the sheer quantity and intensity of the training he does on a regular basis, but the challenge to consistently improve proves to be an effective motivator, along with the support of the community he trains with. He describes the experience of training on the teeterboard (effectively an adult-ified and significantly more risky seesaw, if you will) to be akin to “flying through the air.” Just like most athletes, Samson’s greatest fear when it comes to circus is the potential of getting an injury that would permanently prevent him from continuing to do what he loves.
One of Samson’s most notable inspirations in life thus far is his dad. His dad was the one to initially pave the way for him to enter the circus industry, and he reminiscences with evident fondness over the little obstacle courses with rings that his dad built in his backyard when he was three. Samson also admires his dad’s character and philosophy on life. His dad has an incredible amount of life experiences travelling around the world and often takes Samson adventuring in exotic locations. During the spring of 2020, they managed to strand themselves deep in the rainforests of Peru, a feat I was admittedly sceptical of upon hearing until seeing the article that made its way into the news — but that’s a story for another time. Taking after his dad, Samson said that he wants to do and experience as much of the world as possible during his life. Expressing a desire to be as true to himself as an individual as possible, Samson stated that he doesn’t really invest in searching for inspiration from others.
Painting by Samson
Aside from circus, Samson practices a fair assortment of various other arts — most of them as delightfully unexpected as circus itself. He paints, cooks, and does jiu-jitsu, a martial art based on grappling. The familial influence is evident in these interests — his grandma was mentioned to be a painter and a cook and the reason why he grew up painting, and his father has been doing jiu-jitsu with him since he was young. Cooking, especially, was a topic that sparks extra enthusiasm when discussed. Samson’s passion for cooking was entertainingly apparent as he spoke with infectious energy of the enjoyment to be found in experimentation in the kitchen, and creating amazing meals that can be created with the simplest ingredients. He tries not to make the same thing over and over in the kitchen, preferring to make something new whenever possible. A super simple and nutritious dish that he has become really good at making through repetition is a cured salt steak.
Upon discussing potential future aspirations in regards to circus, it’s clear that circus is such an essential, fundamental aspect of who Samson is that the idea of a future without circus is not something feasible to him. He expressed in no uncertain terms that he would be an entirely different person without circus. The ultimate dream as a circus artist for him would simply be longevity; while he is currently in a place in his life where circus is not something where he is intending to pursue an end goal, his greatest desire is for circus to be a part of his life as long as possible. Joining a circus company in his twenties or younger was brought up as a possibility, but he would be happy if he is able to continue practising his art as long as he can for his adult life. Circus for Samson is something deeply personal and seems almost spiritual in a way; he likened it to almost being a way of life. An ideal destination for university would be Montreal for him, largely due to its thriving, prominent circus community. No matter what, he would like to move somewhere that celebrates and accepts the circus arts.
Links for more in-depth information on Cirkaskina
From the Montreal Cirque Hors Piste website :
https://www.cirquehorspiste.com/cirkaskina-en
CBC news article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-cirkaskina-social-circus-1.5434404
Samson Boldizar is also an actor, appearing in the TV show Big Top Academy (2018)
IMDb actor profile :
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9297904/
Upon discussing potential future aspirations in regards to circus, it’s clear that circus is such an essential, fundamental aspect of who Samson is that the idea of a future without circus is not something feasible to him. He expressed in no uncertain terms that he would be an entirely different person without circus. The ultimate dream as a circus artist for him would simply be longevity; while he is currently in a place in his life where circus is not something where he is intending to pursue an end goal, his greatest desire is for circus to be a part of his life as long as possible. Joining a circus company in his twenties or younger was brought up as a possibility, but he would be happy if he is able to continue practising his art as long as he can for his adult life. Circus for Samson is something deeply personal and seems almost spiritual in a way; he likened it to almost being a way of life. An ideal destination for university would be Montreal for him, largely due to its thriving, prominent circus community. No matter what, he would like to move somewhere that celebrates and accepts the circus arts.
Links for more in-depth information on Cirkaskina
From the Montreal Cirque Hors Piste website :
https://www.cirquehorspiste.com/cirkaskina-en
CBC news article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-cirkaskina-social-circus-1.5434404
Samson Boldizar is also an actor, appearing in the TV show Big Top Academy (2018)
IMDb actor profile :
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9297904/
Part II
The Spirit of Circus with Samson Boldizar
By Emily Chen
“Circus to me is more about seeing my improvements, the hard work that comes from training for hours, and doing what I’m doing because I am present.”
The first things you’d probably think of when the word “circus” is mentioned are large carnivals, animals, or perhaps impressive tricks with people flipping and balancing on strings. However while the nature of circus still holds true to its origin and core values, people unfamiliar with circus are now immersed into a more modernized form of this live art. Present-day circus is a place where the audience finds adventure in performances with almost no barriers and a place where the sky's the limit.
Samson Boldizar, a Grade Ten student at Collingwood this year, is a humble and curious person. He doesn’t pursue his passion for circus because of the eminence that comes with performing in front of a large audience, but rather the down-to-earth idea of sharing experiences with people who purely enjoy doing what they are doing.
Growing up, Samson’s experiences were influenced by his family. His Dad is a writer and his Mum and Grandma Darina are both passionate painters, so you could say that Samson has always been open to the world of art. He was born in New York but moved to Canada later in his life. This is where Samson attended Larson Elementary school in North Vancouver. He continued to enjoy the artistic side of him through activities such as painting and listening to music; experimenting with different mediums and taking the time to develop his personal style.
He also found interest in sports like basketball -- even if in the future, these sports meant a lot of time would be dedicated to constant exercise and training. At school, Samson’s favourite subject is Science. Apart from being a performer and competitor, he also enjoys spending his free time understanding the world around him. A pursuit that heavily associates with his passion. Samson wants to appreciate the world; he is curious and wants to dedicate himself to searching for meaning as an individual. For a career, Samson says he would pursue something in research Sciences. “I want to figure as much as I can in this lifetime about the universe, success in life is fulfilment of curiosity.”
Circus has been a part of eight years of Samson’s life. At a young age, he was pulled into this new and bizarre world. In 2020, he has already taken part in a film where he portrays circus life, he has attended various double mini-competitions, and has spent almost every day after school and in his free time training with his peers.
In his own words, Samson says that “double-mini is an event where you spring, jump onto a small trampoline, doing as many flips as you can possibly manage, jumping onto the next trampoline, and then trying to land in a red box on the floor marking the end of the routine.”
You begin to wonder if Samson has ever been reluctant to dedicate so much time into this particular passion. Perhaps he has, but overtime Samson has come to find training almost calming the mind, as crucial as it is. “Me being in the gym practising, being there 20 hours a week, it's rewarding to see improvement.” Sometimes it is not necessarily always about the end product, but following the saying: it's important how you get there.
Samson recalls that he started as the youngest and smallest of the group. Even so, that has never changed his will to be a part of the team. Each challenge, accomplishment as a member of circus over the years have changed him as a person
Samson has done circus for the longest, in both the program and in his group. Seeing people leaving and joining every while has made him more sociable, and helped him be able to make friends faster. This has come to play a part in one of Samson's most valued ideas — circus is about the community, without this it's not as special.
Some of the people who have inspired Samson include his father and coaches. He says it's less about all the accomplishments that they’ve fulfilled, but he finds inspiration more from how much they have experienced in life. In particular, Jonathan -- who was a coach and an inspiration of Samson and now lives in Montreal. Jonathan was initially a gymnast from Quebec, however, he dedicated his life to a series of explorations. Over the years he’s hiked across Vancouver, been picked up from various circus groups, and has even been homeless for a while. Samson describes how Jonathan has never ceased to give up. His wife picked him up from the streets while he was homeless; since then has spent 60 hours a week for circus and travelled around the world to perform in China, Cavalia, and in the Circus du Soleil company. On the other hand, Samson looks up to his Dad, who “has had such a jam-packed life, filled with so many experiences.”
Circus has certainly made a big change and has had a great impact on his life. Samson says that he will make a pact with himself, in the future even if he doesn’t pursue a career in this form of art, he says that anywhere he moves in the world must have a circus community. “Circus is a part of my life, it doesn’t always have to be about performing or the shows, but rather about circus as a whole…. it's a part of me forever now.”
The Spirit of Circus with Samson Boldizar
By Emily Chen
“Circus to me is more about seeing my improvements, the hard work that comes from training for hours, and doing what I’m doing because I am present.”
The first things you’d probably think of when the word “circus” is mentioned are large carnivals, animals, or perhaps impressive tricks with people flipping and balancing on strings. However while the nature of circus still holds true to its origin and core values, people unfamiliar with circus are now immersed into a more modernized form of this live art. Present-day circus is a place where the audience finds adventure in performances with almost no barriers and a place where the sky's the limit.
Samson Boldizar, a Grade Ten student at Collingwood this year, is a humble and curious person. He doesn’t pursue his passion for circus because of the eminence that comes with performing in front of a large audience, but rather the down-to-earth idea of sharing experiences with people who purely enjoy doing what they are doing.
Growing up, Samson’s experiences were influenced by his family. His Dad is a writer and his Mum and Grandma Darina are both passionate painters, so you could say that Samson has always been open to the world of art. He was born in New York but moved to Canada later in his life. This is where Samson attended Larson Elementary school in North Vancouver. He continued to enjoy the artistic side of him through activities such as painting and listening to music; experimenting with different mediums and taking the time to develop his personal style.
He also found interest in sports like basketball -- even if in the future, these sports meant a lot of time would be dedicated to constant exercise and training. At school, Samson’s favourite subject is Science. Apart from being a performer and competitor, he also enjoys spending his free time understanding the world around him. A pursuit that heavily associates with his passion. Samson wants to appreciate the world; he is curious and wants to dedicate himself to searching for meaning as an individual. For a career, Samson says he would pursue something in research Sciences. “I want to figure as much as I can in this lifetime about the universe, success in life is fulfilment of curiosity.”
Circus has been a part of eight years of Samson’s life. At a young age, he was pulled into this new and bizarre world. In 2020, he has already taken part in a film where he portrays circus life, he has attended various double mini-competitions, and has spent almost every day after school and in his free time training with his peers.
In his own words, Samson says that “double-mini is an event where you spring, jump onto a small trampoline, doing as many flips as you can possibly manage, jumping onto the next trampoline, and then trying to land in a red box on the floor marking the end of the routine.”
You begin to wonder if Samson has ever been reluctant to dedicate so much time into this particular passion. Perhaps he has, but overtime Samson has come to find training almost calming the mind, as crucial as it is. “Me being in the gym practising, being there 20 hours a week, it's rewarding to see improvement.” Sometimes it is not necessarily always about the end product, but following the saying: it's important how you get there.
Samson recalls that he started as the youngest and smallest of the group. Even so, that has never changed his will to be a part of the team. Each challenge, accomplishment as a member of circus over the years have changed him as a person
Samson has done circus for the longest, in both the program and in his group. Seeing people leaving and joining every while has made him more sociable, and helped him be able to make friends faster. This has come to play a part in one of Samson's most valued ideas — circus is about the community, without this it's not as special.
Some of the people who have inspired Samson include his father and coaches. He says it's less about all the accomplishments that they’ve fulfilled, but he finds inspiration more from how much they have experienced in life. In particular, Jonathan -- who was a coach and an inspiration of Samson and now lives in Montreal. Jonathan was initially a gymnast from Quebec, however, he dedicated his life to a series of explorations. Over the years he’s hiked across Vancouver, been picked up from various circus groups, and has even been homeless for a while. Samson describes how Jonathan has never ceased to give up. His wife picked him up from the streets while he was homeless; since then has spent 60 hours a week for circus and travelled around the world to perform in China, Cavalia, and in the Circus du Soleil company. On the other hand, Samson looks up to his Dad, who “has had such a jam-packed life, filled with so many experiences.”
Circus has certainly made a big change and has had a great impact on his life. Samson says that he will make a pact with himself, in the future even if he doesn’t pursue a career in this form of art, he says that anywhere he moves in the world must have a circus community. “Circus is a part of my life, it doesn’t always have to be about performing or the shows, but rather about circus as a whole…. it's a part of me forever now.”
