Yannis GILBERT, 1m73, 68kg, 422/3, with tousled hair, Virgo rising Scorpio, acrobat.
Originally from the remote Nièvre region in France, Yannis grew up surrounded by trees and hills, which later gave him a strong sensitivity to nature and its preservation. Coming from a very sporty family and exposed to many disciplines such as judo and cycling, he developed an early fascination for circus arts and the joy of performing on stage.
From 2013 to 2016 he attended a circus-focused high school program, then continued his training at the Lyon Circus School preparatory program from 2016 to 2018. He later joined the Centre national des arts du cirque/CNAC of Châlons-en-Champagne, specializing in acrodance, from which he was expected to graduate in 2022.
Within the school, he co-created with five other students a collective determined to continue working together professionally, with a strong interest in touring under a big top. He continues to explore different bodily practices and disciplines, notably dance, Hungarian teeterboard, and acrobatic lifts, especially banquine. In parallel, his political awareness and curiosity led him to represent circus students within the Conseil national de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche artistiques et culturels (CNESERAC).
After participating in creations and repertoire revivals by artists such as Kaori Ito, Guy Alloucherie, Mathurin Bolze, and Marie Molliens, he aims to continue his path by developing a performance in places where culture is less visible. This ambition combines his two passions: acrobatics and itinerant cycling, in order to share the joy of traveling differently. It also connects him to street arts, as this artistic wandering settles wherever the air is good.
In parallel, he is also involved in building a multidisciplinary collective project with 21 other artists, called T.B.T.F.
His conception of acrobatics is primarily rooted in a sporting background rather than an artistic one: a legacy of his past as a competitive athlete. Yannis cannot let go of his taste for hard work and perseverance. With a broad and diverse technical background, he allows himself all possible approaches to access acrobatic or danced movement.
Finally, Yannis could be seen as an onion, with many layers. He is “hyper-curious,” full of energy, moving between trail running, permaculture, mountain biking, acrobatics, beekeeping, creation, climbing, travel, transformation, DIY, orienteering, family life, and building. Being physically and actively engaged in all these fields is a necessity for him, to the point that he aspires to end his life in a self-sufficient societal model.