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"TRACES" AT THÉÂTRE NIKITOTE                        Journalist: Myriam Sainson

Date: January 9, 2012   Region: Sherbrooke

Following the closing of Omaterra 2, Destination Sherbrooke has withheld a big surprise -- on December 21, 2011, at 5:30 p.m., at the Domaine Howard, a press conference was attended by Dany Lachance, President of Destination Sherbrooke and Denis Bernier, Executive Director, of the upcoming performances of '' Traces'' : the circus troup '' Les 7 doigts de la Main'' which seems to be following a path of a destiny without limits, at the international level. This troup will be presenting its show, July 18^th to August 4^th, 2012, on the stage of the Nikitotek Theatre, in Sherbrooke. Time Magazine ranks this circus company in the top 10 in the category: '' Plays and Musicals'' and La Presse in the top 30 of the best artists of 2011. Under the direction of Nassie El-Husseini, the seven founders of the circus company are: '' Shana Candle - trapeze artist; Isabelle Chasse - trapeze artist and acrobat, Patrick Leonard - juggler and clown; Faon Shane; Gypsie Snyder - choreographer; Sebastien Soldevila - acrobat; and, finally Samuel Tetrault on the tightrope.

Established in February 2002, the circus company has witnessed an amazing rise in popularity, traveling through 25 countries.; its performances attracted a lot of attention, in 2006, at the finale of the Olympic Games, in Turin. Following the recognition for its performance, it retains one in particular: '' 2011 has been an indescribable year for the presentation ‘Traces’ obtaining a contract to perform at Union Square Theatre in New York for one year''. According to the description of its website: www.7doigts.com , ‘Traces’ brings us into a makeshift shelter made of canvas and tape...Traces celebrates the seven individuals united by tangible bonds''. ‘Traces’ features seven artists who give their all in a celebration of the scope of their bodies in motion. Their names are: Mason Ame, Valérie Benoît-Charbonneau, Mathieu Cloutier, Bradle Henderson, Philippe Normand-Jenny, Xia Zhengqi, Florian Zumkehr.

During the summer of 2012, the show '' Traces'' will be presented four times a week, Wednesdays to Saturdays inclusively, on a dry surface, making a total of twelve performances taking places outside the Nikitotek Theatre. The only change necessary will be the construction of a roof above the stage to protect the artists from the elements. The circus company has agreed to share the financial risks involved, with the City of Sherbrooke. ‘Trace’ will invest $375,000 in operation costs and promotion costs. Funding for the roof will be obtained through a joint investment of $450,000. The private production company will also be responsible for other expenses related to tourism and cultural positioning.

Information: www.destinationsherbrooke.com

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Photos courtesy of Destination Sherbrooke