Director of Creation - Nebbia

A graduate of Montreal's National Circus School, Jeannot Painchaud's career has spanned two decades. He started out as an artist, working with various circus companies and multidisciplinary artistic groups for twelve years. He performed on stage or under the big top as part of a trio, a duet, and even solo, and toured the world constantly. At the start of his career, Jeannot travelled extensively throughout Europe as a public entertainer. He continued his training at the same time, mainly in acting, through a series of internships. An acrobat and juggler, Jeannot's specialty is artistic bicycle. In 1989, he spent some time at the Centre national des arts du cirque (CNAC) in Chalon sur Marne, France. He was a member of the Québec-based Cirque du Tonnerre company in 1990-1991, and he earned a bronze medal at the 1992 Festival Mondial du Cirque de demain in Paris for his artistic bicycle presentation. He then joined Cirque du Soleil on tour, which took him on his first trip to Japan.

In 1993, Jeannot founded Cirque Éloize with Daniel Cyr and Claudette Morin. During the early years, he performed on stage and directed the company's productions. In 1998, he left the stage to dedicate himself fully to the direction of Cirque Éloize. He has continued to focus on the company's evolution ever since, working in collaboration with Julie Hamelin, who is responsible for international development.

In 2001, Jeannot staged the first version of the show entitled Cirque Orchestra. The integration of other forms of entertainment with acrobatics is a driving force for Jeannot, and this vision demands the support of creators in the theatre and contemporary dance milieus. The same year, Jeannot and Julie Hamelin met Daniele Finzi Pasca, a Stage Director and Founder of Teatro Sunil, who has become a major influence on Cirque Éloize. Finzi Pasca has created two shows for the company: Nomade - At night, the sky is endless, for which Jeannot was responsible for artistic direction and collaborated on the writing; and Rain, for which the Painchaud-Hamelin team assumed responsibility of the artistic direction. Jeannot was also the Artistic Director and Staging Advisor for Typo, a show produced by Theatre T & Cie., which was created by the Directors of Cirque Éloize.

In 2003, Jeannot founded the first North American Circus Festival, the “Semaine des arts du cirque”, which was held in the Magdalen Islands, where he was raised. A self-directed artist and entrepreneur, Jeannot's extensive travels have taken him to more than 30 countries, and today, he continues to pursue his dream and primary mission: to have the circus arts recognized as a full art form.

Jeannot Painchaud is also head of the Special Events department at Cirque Éloize, where he is responsible for the stage direction and development of customized concepts for large-scale projects that are presented around the world, including galas, corporate events, special television presentations, and more.

In 2005, Jeannot was invited by Daniele Finzi Pasca and Teatro Sunil to join the creative team for the closing ceremonies of the 20th Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy. The 7-person team included 5 members of Teatro Sunil and 2 members of Cirque Éloize. As assistant to the Stage Director, Jeannot was in charge of the acrobatic components of the ceremony. Today, Jeannot Painchaud and Julie Hamelin are Co-Directors of Cirque Éloize.

Nebbia has emerged in December, 2007, specifically the third component of a trilogy initiated by Nomade and followed by Rain. Written by Daniele Finzi Pasca, this creation is a co-production by Cirque Éloize and Teatro Sunil. Jeannot Painchaud served as the Director of Creation of this project.