Team
The trainers at STATION CIRQUE are highly qualified in teaching and also have many years of experience performing circus arts acts on worldwide tours. STATION CIRQUE is a member of En Piste, the circus arts national network, as an educational organization. This certifies that industry professionals have recognized the high quality of STATION CIRQUE’s pedagogical programs. En Piste works to bring circus professionals together in order to ensure the legitimacy, quality and safety of the services offered by its members.
Through their international experiences, the trainers at STATION CIRQUE are united by the desire to discover the artistic colors of each individual and each culture.
Emmanuelle Balmori, founder and trainer
Since 2000, Emmanuelle Balmori innovates by combining circus arts and figure skating and has achieved international acclaim with her daring aerial circus acts on ice. She has toured extensively worldwide, becoming a favourite act on Royal Caribbean International’s cruise ships and with the Swiss company Art on Ice.
Emmanuelle holds a teaching degree from the National Circus School in Montreal, an institution recognized internationally for the excellence of its training programs in circus arts and education.
She is a certified Stott Pilates trainer (a method available in nearly a hundred countries). She applies the biomechanical principles of Pilates for circus arts conditioning in order to develop strength, flexibility as well as to prevent injury.
Emmanuelle also holds the NCCP (National Coaching Certification Program) level 2 in figure skating. With a vast experience in the training of entertainment professionals internationally, Emmanuelle launched STATION CIRQUE in 2016 to offer everyone the opportunity to practice circus arts recreationally.
Marie-Laure Mesnage, trainer
In 1994 Marie-Laure created with her partner Yves Décoste the duo Vis-Versa, a infinitely slow hand balancing act that magnifies the incredible control, balance and strength of its actors.
Vis-Versa became one of Cirque du Soleil’s star acts in the shows Quidam (tours in America, Europe and Japan) and Zed (in Japan). In parallel, for more than 15 years, Marie-Laure also performs in variety theaters in Germany where she discovers, through her fellow artists, circus traditions from around the world.
Marie-Laure and her partner won with Vis-Versa the Silver Clown and the “SBM” prize at the XX1Vth International Festival of Monte Carlo, the most prestigious circus festival in the world.
Throughout her circus career, Marie-Laure strived to develop her teaching skills by advising and sharing her knowledge and experience with the next generation of circus artists.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Université de Montréal and the level 2 in NCCP in gymnastics. With her academic background, she began in 1990 to promote artistic gymnastics as a director and trainer at the Gymnacentre club in Montreal.
Marie-Laure takes the personal development of each individual to heart, so that they can gain confidence and realize their full potential as a person, artist and athlete.
Camille Bertrand-Montminy, trainer
Camille holds a teaching diploma from the National Circus School in Montreal and has been teaching aerial circus arts for the last 12 years in Montreal and the South Shore. She loves flying trapeze, a discipline that has allowed her to travel extensively. She has performed in the United States, at the Montréal Complètement Cirque festival, in the western part of Canada and in Turks and Caicos. Camille says she feels at her best when she’s up in the air!
Julien Marquette
Julien holds a teaching diploma from the National Circus School in Montreal ad is also a kinesiologist. This provides him with an excellent understanding of the biomechanics of movement in circus. He applies those skills regularly in his circus arts teachings. He has been teaching adults and children’s group classes since more than 13 years. Julien is a circus artist with multiple talents; he is self-taught in juggling and acrobatics, a kyokushin karate champion (6th at the 2014 World championships) and, fun fact, wanted to be a boxer or cartoonist before becoming a circus trainer!
Cloé Rainville
Cloé has been teaching circus for 14 years and performs with the quebecois company Carpe Diem. In addition to having developed her artistic sense through the circus arts, Cloé also has a keen scientific mind, having studied and worked in biomedical engineering.