“ECHO”: A chat with the twisting talent from Cirque du Soleil’s newest show

Cirque du Soleil is returning to Atlanta with the premiere of their brand new show, “ECHO”. The story follows a young woman, Future, and her best friend, The Dog, after their encounter with the mysterious Cube. Their journey takes them on an adventure that teaches them responsibility and that if we all come together we have the power to create the world that we all want to live in. Of course, this story is presented with amazing acrobatics performed by some of the greatest performers in the world. We got the chance to interview two of the performers, Shakirudeen Alade and Penelope Elena Scheidler, on their experience and roles in the show. First up was Alade, who was prepared, in costume; scaled tail and all.

So can you tell us about the show and the role that you’ll be playing in it?

So, my character is called the Fossorial and it’s based off an animal called the Pangolin. It comes from the ground and it has loads of scales. And I’m a contortionist in the show. So, it’s got a very animalistic vibe to it.

Nice. So, what drew you to contortion? How did you get your start in it?

I think because obviously, I’m a dancer. I think with my style, called bone breaking, there’s a lot of fluidity, animation and waving involved in it. The contortion aspect of it was really the part that I worked on the most. Being inspired by yoga as well helped a lot with my style.

And you’re completely self-taught. How difficult was the process of teaching yourself?

It all started with my school tie. Like part of my school uniform. And I used to do kind of like a jump rope technique and every single day I would get closer and closer. And that’s how I gained mobility in my shoulders. So I think it was pretty much through stretching, training, and constant practice that helped a lot.

You also made it all the way to the semi-finals on “Britain’s Got Talent.” How did you get involved with the circus after that?

I think through traveling a lot. After doing the show I traveled the world a lot and I think it boosted my recognition for what I do. So that helped out a lot. Like being contacted for stuff like this and more people knowing your work and sharing it with others. It’s always good to just share what you do.

Then you also broke a Guinness World Record earlier this year. What was the record?

The fastest time walking with your legs behind your head. I did it in 25.5 seconds.

How’d you learn about that record?

I was contacted directly from Guinness World Records and they wanted to create something like a new record to set out there and I had to train a couple months prior. I had to send them videos of me doing it and it was tough at first but actually doing it on the day, it was a different vibe. And I had the audience behind me that supported me.

What was the experience like after you broke it?

Oh, that was nice. It’s crazy because that was something that’s always been on my goal list. I’ve always wanted to have a world record. It was kind of surreal. I was like “Damn, I’ve actually got it, so what do I do now?” I always forget and you actually just reminded me.

It’s definitely a flex that you can bring up in conversation. Congratulations. So how do you train and prepare for your act? 

Usually, I’ll just stretch before my act. I routinely get there like an hour and a half before the show. We have to get ready in costume with like makeup and stuff. And usually before my cue, I would stretch for 30 minutes and just warm up. I know what I’m going to do on stage anyways so I usually just listen to music and different tracks to get pumped.

So this is your first time performing with Cirque du Soleil. What are some of your expectations going into it and how has the journey been working with the team?

I mean, I kind of knew it was going to be a bit intense with loads of shows like every week. So I just expected that, and I just knew it was going to be hard work, but obviously when you keep doing something you kind of reach a point where you get used to it and it just becomes parts of your day.

All right. Do you have any advice for young acrobats or anyone wanting to get into the circus? Like, what would you tell your younger self?

I would definitely just say have social media. Put your content out there. I feel like nowadays it’s easier to get contacted by companies to work with them with social media. So use your social platform, post your stuff and also get inspired by other people. Work with other people to make your act better. And come in with an act that you can propose. It’s always easier to just show them and they can cater your act to the show.

After our delightful conversation with Alade, we had the chance to sit down with Scheidler to talk about her experience. Prior to both conversations, Scheidler had performed a wonderful acrobatic routine to give us a taste of what is to come with the show. We can confidently say it didn’t disappoint, and hearing her story only made it better.

Can you tell us about the role you’ll be playing in the show?

So, my main role is the fireflies, and I’m doing it with my partner, who is another hair-hanger. We created this dual hair-hanging act. As the fireflies we are standing for hope and beauty in the moment where Future realizes there is nothing left and it’s dark. We come in and bring light and beauty.

Being a part of Cirque du Soleil, which pushes innovation and creativity, how do you think this show embodies that?

The cast is very cultural and diverse. I’m really proud of the Ethiopian group that is doing the Human Cradle, which is where people are throwing other people, doing acrobatics, and catching them. I’ve never seen a group on that level, and I’ve been working in this industry for more than 10 years. The other part that I really like is our clowns. It’s got a lot of comedy, but it’s not like the classic Cirque du Soleil clowns that we usually expect. It’s one of those things where they don’t have to try, their comedy is effortless.  

Tell us about the act you do in the show?

My main act, that I do every day, is the dual hair suspension. Every act in the show has a backup, and I’m the back up for contortion.

Could you tell us more about hair suspension and how that works?

People always think there is a trick behind, but there is not. You literally hang from hair. It is painful, but you get used to it and it’s not as painful in the beginning. You learn to tie it properly because you need the pressure to be even. The technique is very ancient. I will commit, find a teacher for months who will show me the right technique and it’s almost like a ritual every time you do it. You get your hair wet, put the oils in, you tie it with a four-meter-long rope—it takes almost 25 minutes.

So how do you train from your act, aside from having a whole routine?

That’s the thing with hair suspension, you can’t really train for it. At one point there is only so much you can do when you hang from your hair. Other than staying physically fit and flexible, for us it was more about coming up with the intricacy of our act. That’s basically what’s never been seen before — two hair hangers doing it together. I’m upside down in a loop and she is hanging from my hair, and we are connected by that hair. It was the creation of the act that was the most work and it’s about sustaining it. I do the act 10 times a week and people ask me if it hurts or if I’m okay doing so many shows, and for me my scalp and everything is getting more conditioned and stronger.

How did you get into this and what drew you into working with Cirque du Soleil?

My mom was a dancer. Honestly, I can’t remember not doing it. She started bringing me to her dance classes, she was a teacher when I was born, so I was always there, and she was stretching us when I was young. I didn’t want to continue with ballet because it was too strict for me, so she introduced me to contortion, handstands and different ways of dancing.

Your act is the first of its kind in this performance, whats that like for you?

Honestly, it’s crazy and I’m still processing everything because it just happened like that. We were both doing solo hair hanging. The thing is, with solo hair hanging, there is only so much you can do and so many shapes you can make. We had the idea of combining the two and making it a mirror of each other. When we first saw our videos, we realized we hadn’t seen that ever and it looked so cool. We were really proud, and within a couple weeks we got so many offers to book our act and we thought “we don’t really have an act we were just trying things out. Maybe we should make this act happen.” We [spent] four weeks in Mexico, once we had this act, we had four projects for Cirque. It’s so cool because when I look at the poster and its us in this dual double split, we created this shape, there wasn’t anyone telling us to do this and now it’s [all over] the city.

How would you describe your experience working in the show?

It’s been great! It’s been exhausting and challenging, I’m not going to lie, but there is something about working with so many great other artists and people, and getting to know them on such a close level. Once you’re away from your family for majority of the year, they become your family. They see when you’re sad and when you’re happy, they celebrate with you. It’s an experience you hardly get anywhere else. Touring together and living through everything together, we are in this together. On top of that, you have all these opportunities. If you want to improve on your handstand, you learn from one artist or if you want to do more Pilates, you talk to another.

The show opens up in Atlanta on November 5 and goes on till January 21, Under the Big Top in Atlantic Station. Learn more and get tickets here.