Today we’d like to introduce you to Xochitl Sosa.
Hi Xochitl, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I was first introduced to circus and aerial arts at a summer camp in Northern California in 1997. I was drawn right away to aerial arts, and although it was quite difficult to find classes at this time, I knew it was something I wanted to pursue. I moved to Austin in 2009 and started teaching trapeze at Sky Candy Austin. This job finally gave me access to a studio where I could train and advance my skills. I started performing at small gigs around town, and in 2012, at age 23, I was accepted into a professional circus program in Vermont with my duo trapeze partner, Celeste Bliss. In Vermont, I was introduced to the bigger world of professional circus. Eventually, I took my training further north to Montreal, Canada, to train with coaches from École Nationale de cirque and Cirque du Soleil. After many years of training, I began to get work around the US and in Mexico. I worked most notably with Acrobatic Conundrum a contemporary circus company based in Seattle, WA. Their theatrical and emotionally riveting shows shaped me as a performer and a director. In 2018, I worked with Cirque du Soleil on a cruise ship contract in the Mediterranean. I was quickly burnt out physically and mentally after my time on the ship. I returned to the US in August 2019, milking an injury and ready for change. I met my partner on a short trip to Austin and decided to move back to the area. And then, of course, the pandemic hit, and I, like most everyone on the planet, was left with a lot of time. I had always wanted to step into directing and loved choreography and the creation process. Before I did Aerial, I dabbled in visual arts, creative writing, and making short films. I always thought the process of putting together a circus show was an exciting way to mix all these passions. In 2021, after the birth of my daughter, I began working on establishing Cirque Vida. In May 2021, we held our first audition workshop to find artists for Ventanas. And then, in August, we started putting the show together and fundraising.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I have never run a business before. Navigating all the computer work and organizational skills and everything that goes into the process was and is a learning experience. I was fortunate to get a lot of help from the community, donating studio space, helping me figure out how to write grants, and volunteering their time. We started creating our whole-length show Ventanas in 2022. Because of limited funding, it was a long process with chunks of creation time. The time and energy the cast of artists gave this project made it all work. I can’t thank them enough for all the unpaid rehearsal time and general passion they brought to this creation. Financially, figuring out how to create art and pay artists a decent wage has been the hardest struggle. Austin is a big city now, and a company like Cirque Vida can thrive here. I am excited to connect and collaborate with this city’s vast talent. But everything is expensive. And people often need to understand why the artists are our largest expense. The amount of training, years of skill development, act research, equipment expenses, etc., all factored into what a circus artist is worth. I want them to make a living wage in this ever-increasing economy.
Cirque Vida started with just me and $500; we don’t have any funders. We recently received our first small grant from CSAW (Circus Students Worldwide). Receiving this grant meant so much to me and our production and, hopefully, our international presence in the circus community. I bring my lens as a Chicana into the work and art form and hope to keep expanding with that lens and presence as we do more shows. The circus community in the US and internationally does not have many companies run by BIPOC individuals. Recently, there has been a big push and shift in the community to bring different lenses to the art. Grants and funding for projects are a huge part of making this possible. The more circus is seen in the greater arts landscape along theater and dance, the more people will understand its potential in the arts. Our main goal is to elevate the circus as an art form. Circus have an image here in the US, so introducing a circus in a different form has been very difficult. Cirque Vida has been working hard to show that the circus can be beautiful, emotional, innovative, and accessible to all demographics and cultures. We want to collaborate with other Austin artists and art forms to bring in a broader range of audiences and more diverse performers.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Foremost, I am an artist who specializes in circus arts. My career was primarily as an aerialist. I studied dance and duo trapeze in circus school but worked on various aerial apparatuses and other circus skills. In my work, I always have explored boundaries and how to push and innovate the craft. Aerial arts is a multi-dimensional art form that isn’t solely about being in flight and tricks; it is also about taking up space, your relationship to your apparatus in the air and on the ground, and juxtaposing those two spaces. It is about gravity and physics, breathing and movement, and storytelling. I have always used art as a means of expression, and my work has been my way to communicate and explore thoughts and emotions. My solo work has brought me worldwide, working with companies, most notably Cirque du Soleil. In 2018, my aerial partner, Caroline Wright, and I were awarded an Isadora Duncan award for best ensemble piece for our duo Lyra act. This award and recognition from the dance world meant the world to me. I have always been enthralled by dance, and although I have never been a trained dancer, modern circus and dance can be beautifully intertwined.
I am now the founder and artistic director of a contemporary circus company, Cirque Vida. I have continued to explore all of these facets of movement and narrative. Our most recent show, Ventanas, was about looking through windows to reveal vignettes of people’s lives. I wanted to highlight the simple day-to-day motions we so effortlessly and unconsciously move through, whether alone or in our relationships. These simple daily pieces of our lives make us who we are but are also so universal and familiar. We separate ourselves from walls, ideas, and culture, yet our humanity reveals deep similarities. Through a combination of circus, dance, and acrobatics, we created a high-energy show accessible to all audiences and age groups. This work was presented for the first time in Austin in August, and we are hoping to continue growing the show and present it in 2024 in Austin. Cirque Vida and the contemporary circus are new for Austin. Although we are in the beginning stages, our shows have been received well in the city, and we look forward to bringing more of these types of shows to Austin audiences.
Are any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I love historical novels and any novel or story that takes the time for character development. I am drawn to historical novels because seeing events through a character’s eyes gives you a more complete understanding of the events that have occurred. It is one thing to hear about things that happened throughout history but another to feel and understand it through someone’s perspective. I am interested in developing and creating a character that the audience can relate to, understand, and see reflected in themselves. Film has also been a big influence on me and my work. Like theater, it is a visual medium that deals with multiple senses; you are hearing and seeing a piece of film as it feeds you emotions through a narrative. The theme of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” helped shape ideas for Ventanas. The image of someone looking out their window into the back of apartments across the way shaped my vision for the show. Leonard Cohen’s song “Famous Blue Raincoat” was also an initial inspiration for the show. The lyrics are layered and complex, depicting emotion and loss. This song got the ideas rolling and inspired the imagery for the rope act in the show. Alternatively, moments from movies like “GATTACA,” “The Neighbor’s Window,” and “Other People’s Lives” all helped inspire the show. I am often influenced by a simple image that creates a feeling that can influence an entire piece.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cirquevida.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cirquevida/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cirquevida
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSBuejN15Bh-_XCeqcZTh-w
Image Credits
Caroline Poe, Kat Fairbanks
