WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
We catch up with two locals who are part of Cirque du Soleil.
After we interviewed Cirque du Soleil performer Michael Cameron while he was taking a break at his family home in Heidelberg (page 154), we started thinking about past features about other local Cirque performers. What are they up to?
Grand editor Kathy Storring caught up with Yvonne Tousek and Andrea Ziegler by email. What follows is a condensed version of the interviews. For the complete exchange, see our website: www.grandmagazine.ca. YVONNE TOUSEK FLASHBACK: We featured Yvonne Tousek, a former Olympic gymnast from Cambridge, in July 2012. At the time of the interview, she was touring as part of Corteo. She had recently married Yohann Renne, a Cirque high-bar artist from France.
TODAY: Tousek and Renne are expecting their first child, a girl, in early June. Tousek is already on maternity leave and is touring North America with Renne, who is head coach on Cirque du Soleil’s newest touring show, Amaluna.
Q: In regular jobs, the maternity leave starts about the time the baby is born, but regular working women don’t do what you do! How does the Cirque maternity leave unfold and how long is it?
A: Our maternity leave is similar to the typical Canadian maternity leave, however we take the majority of it before the birth since we stop performing fairly early in the pregnancy.
We are left with some time after the birth, but because of the type of work we do, the majority of it happens before.
Q: How are you staying in shape during your pregnancy?
A: I still work out most mornings to keep myself busy, healthy and feeling good. There are some limitations with being pregnant, but I’m still left with a lot that I can do and I always feel great afterwards.
Q: You are used to a hectic working life. How do you pass your days during your husband’s tour? Does this mean you get to do a lot more sightseeing?
A: I usually keep busy by working out, exploring the city we are touring in, and working on some online courses. We just finished two months in San Francisco and that was a great city for sightseeing. ANDREA ZEIGLER
FLASHBACK: Dancer Andrea Ziegler, originally from New Hamburg, was featured in Grand in January 2010. At the time, she was dance master for a Las Vegas production called Viva Elvis: a Tribute to the Life and Times of Elvis Presley.
TODAY: Ziegler finished a contract last November and is taking a break. Q: So what are you up to these days? A: I am not currently working on a project with Cirque du Soleil, but I know it will not be long before we will connect again.
These days, I am enjoying the down time between contracts to focus on myself. I am passionate about getting back into performance shape with lots of yoga, dance classes and time at the gym. I love hiking outdoors with my dog Rex, who loves to be active too. I also spend as much time as I can with friends and family.
Q: Figuring out when to make a career change is always tricky. Are there particular factors that have changed your path?
A: The environment of my career has not changed, just my role within it — from a full-time performer to dance master to acrobatic choreographer. My path changed with the opportunities presented to me.
When I was asked if I’d like to be on the creative team as a choreographer for a new show, I didn’t have to think twice. It was a full on YES! Obviously as a performer, keeping a 10-shows-per-week schedule becomes a little more difficult as one matures, but I still feel good so I’m not hanging up my performing hat yet! However, I do love being on the creative staff, so I’ll go wherever the work leads me.
Q: How has your leave impacted your personal life — i.e. do you know how to slow down?
A: My motto for my whole professional life has been, work hard when I’m working, and thoroughly enjoy the down time when I’m not. So far, so good!