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Crystal Tai

IMAGINE YOUR  job involves this: at a height of 30 metres above the ground, you must cling to two cords of silk. Then slowly but surely, you have to spiral your way down as spotlights trace every move you make. A crowd will watch you spellbound as you complete the descent, waiting on tenterhooks for the slightest mistake and experiencing the thrill of your dangerous and astonishing feat.

Now imagine doing that every day, roughly eight times a week for audiences around the world.

Do not rush to send in your application just yet - the job is already taken by Isabelle Vaudelle, the contortionist with the renowned Cirque du Soleil's touring Quidam show.

The 34-year-old  Frenchwoman has been a part of the circus scene for many years. By the age of six or seven, she already knew that she wanted to become a circus performer. She began to learn floor gymnastics at the age of 11.

Formal training began six years later when she was offered a place at the Centre National des Arts du Cirque, a French government-backed circus school.

'I actually had to audition twice,' Ms Vaudelle said. 'So when I was finally accepted, I was very happy and excited.'

She found herself training with younger classmates at first. However, this proved to be a source of inspiration rather than a cause of disappointment, and made her work harder to catch up with them.

It was during this period that she mastered what was to become her speciality later.

'That's when I learned how to climb ropes,' she said.

The regular shows put on by the circus school taught Ms Vaudelle how to perform in front of a large audience and, about three-and-a-half years later, she was prepared to enter the professional world of circus.

'I started out working with traditional Italian circuses, which had elephants, horses and even camels,' she said.

Her career took a turn in 1994 when Ms Vaudelle teamed up with her coaches to develop a riveting new performance. The following January, she was ready to debut with her new act - contortion on silk - in Paris. The audience response was good, and she even won a silver medal for her performance.

This caught the eye of Cirque du Soleil, which offered her a position as one of the original cast members of their touring Quidam production.

The circus has been her home  for the past 11 years.

Cirque du Soleil is part of the Cirque Nouveau movement that uses the physical aspect of circus to tell a theatrical story. Unlike traditional circuses, it does not require animals. There are other differences too.

'Traditional circuses are run more as family businesses and the troupes also feel more like family. Here, our crew is much larger and less familiar with each other,' Ms Vaudelle said.

However, she said working for a bigger organisation had widened her cultural understanding and allowed her to learn many languages 'just a bit'.

'I have toured the United States, Canada, Vietnam, New Zealand and Australia,' she said. 'I also met Queen Elizabeth.'

Though her act is dangerous, Ms Vaudelle said she was now so accustomed to performing it that she thought about the artistry rather than the risk. Her act is improvised, rather than choreographed, which makes it different every night.

The music plays a big part in inspiring her to be creative in every move.

'I respond to it during my performances,' she said.

Ms Vaudelle never feels the least bit anxious about what lies ahead, even during the warm up.

'We know our limits and can feel when there is danger,' she said. 'We will not do a show unless we are fully confident about the set-up and know everything is in place.'

In fact, the only time she feels nervous about her act is towards the end.

'I never really know when the audience is going to applaud,' she said. 'The reactions are so different everywhere. Each city and culture has a different way of responding.'

The touring show requires Ms Vaudelle to travel all the time but home is where her heart is.

However, she said she was used to her nomadic lifestyle and did not really want to stop.

She enjoys travelling because it allows her to feel different. When she was in France, she was just another Frenchwoman, she said. In other parts of the world, it was possible for her to stand out in a crowd.

Few people turn their childhood dreams of a life in the circus - with its thrill of danger, enthralled crowds and nomadic cross-cultural existence - into a long-term career. Many, in fact, turn to theatre or other areas of entertainment.

But the circus world is brimming with possibilities, according to Ms Vaudelle.

'If you really want to do it, you can,' she said. 'There are jobs available always and there is a constant demand for new acts.'

Her advice to aspiring contortionists is practical: 'You'd better be born with lots of flexibility or start really young.'



Extraordinary life on the ropes thrills nomadic acrobat