The Casus Circus Company's debut show 'Knee Deep' is in its fourth year, and one of its performers shares his journey, and the show.
'Knee Deep' is performed by the small Brisbane-based group, which brings a raw emotional edge and honesty to the stage. The group consists of 11 members, including Jesse Huygh – originally from Belgian – but the show will only involve 4 acrobats during their early 2016 tour.
Jesse's acrobatic abilities have seen him tour the world with numerous circus troupes, despite suffering from a physically impairing condition: Cystic Fibrosis. The chronic, progressive, and frequently fatal genetic disease primarily affects the respiratory and digestive system – sweat glands and the reproductive system can also be involved. But Jesse hasn't let it stop him from becoming part of show that pushes the boundaries of strength and fragility.
What got you into acrobatics?
I used to do gymnastics when I was a kid, more or less since I was 6 years old, did competitions from 9 years onward, and landed in the circus-interpretation of acrobatics at 14. Sport has always been encouraged both by my parents and by my doctors due to me having cystic fibrosis. Acrobatics just happened to be fun enough for me not to need extra encouragement to keep on doing it.
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How did you become involved with Casus?
A friend of mine forwarded me a Facebook job vacancy of which he thought it suited me. After reading it I got enthusiast and replied to it by mail. They asked me to come to london for an audition (I was in Belgium) but as I had teaching obligations those days and could not liberate me in time I had to answer I couldn't. To my surprise, and luck, my initial mail must have already been interpreted to my advantage. They asked me if I was okay with doing a long distance audition, and so, after some YouTube video exercises and a nice, long Skype audition call from my sofa at home they decided to fly me in to Brisbane for the creation – now one year ago.
How does Casus compare to other groups you have worked with?
It is a small company, which makes it a very human one. Direct contact (and a lot of contact) with your employers. A humbleness, modesty, of your employers to place you on an equal level as themselves, and honesty about their flaws as much as eager to learn make it an intense, but pleasant collaboration. No pretension. we all teach, but most of all we all learn, and they're very happy to still do so as well. No capitalism, no hierarchy, just a team, a close group of people, a family being there for each other and sharing our art with the world.
The fact that I permit myself to say 'our', instead of 'their' is a good example. I feel included in the whole, and I get a place for my own interpretation, and my own influence on our art. Being given the place to be an artist and not just a circus executor is one of the things that appeal me in working for them, working with these people is another.
In an open letter from Natano Fa’anana, he mentioned Casus has a 'no wanker policy'. Is it safe to say you're a close nit group with minimal drama?
There's no place for fake, for over polite, if we want things to improve – and we always want that – we have to be direct, and especially we have to be able to take direct comments. After each show we give each other notes, and they are meant to improve the show. If we dramatise all of what is said we could not have dinner together in the evening, drive together for hours, do each others dishes and laundry, live together 24/7 in a country where they might not even speak your language. Often the only persons around us that we can actually connect with, talk to, laugh with etc., are all Casus members. Respecting each other is important. But for drama and wankers there is no place in such a small group. And if drama happens it will be met most likely with laughter, and we will realise we were being dramatic.
In your own words, what is the 'Knee Deep' about?
'Knee Deep' includes exactly that. Furthermore it is about four people with their own identity's, being together, meeting each other, discovering each other, trusting each other and supporting each other. A tight group of humans, showing in all sincerity their connection with each other, and at all times reevaluating this. Pushing boundaries together to enforce the strength and identity of the group. The border of fragile and strong expressed by the eggs is but a metaphor of ourselves. Human beings that can be squashed by the heavy weight of life, but standing together and sharing the weight can handle our shit. Personality, encounter, sincerity and team-play.
And how eggs are related to the show?
The eggs are used to walk on, stand on, and to be treated as another being. Exploring physical boundaries, but also searching to connect with it and explore its presence (egg love/ egg stand) but as stated in previous question the eggs are first and foremost a visual, readable reference to the boundaries between strength and fragility we all possess.
You have just completed a European tour with the troupe, including your native Belgium. How was that tour?
It was a busy tour! Each day we bump in, perform 'Knee Deep' and bump out with an average of two hours driving in each direction. In addition to our already busy schedule we were reworking 'Knee Deep' with Michael Standen to replace Vincent for the Belgium part of the tour. Vince had other commitments for the given period with his own company back in Australia.
I was happy to bring 'Knee Deep' home, have my family and students (from circus university Codarts as well as from Ell circo d'el Fuego) see the show and hear their encouraging comments. This way they know what I am doing when I am on tour and therefore being replaced as a teacher. For me the countries we did (France, Netherlands, Belgium) are countries I have spend most of my life in, I think the adventures were bigger for the Aussie' among us!
Driving on the correct (wrong for you guys) side of the road and car, walking on the frozen shores of the sea, an actual wintery Christmas (even though it was mild this year). Being drowned in the languages French and Dutch. Vince and Natano took up on learning French for real, Kali will follow the next French tour for sure!
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You and other performers often incorporate master classes and educational programmes into your tours. Do you enjoy sharing your skills?
I do like to teach, as well as to share skills. I have been teaching in circus university Codarts in Rotterdam for the past 4 years now whenever I am not on tour, and I have been teaching circus since I was 17. In gymnastics, teaching already used to be one of the interesting parts for me as well as a teenager.
While teaching you analyse differently, it increases your own technical level to get to the actual essence of movements in order to transmit them to someone else. Another interesting part in teaching (long-term) is the variety in approaches you might have to take, depending of the person you work with. For teaching circus and helping people bypass their boundaries and fears you need to learn about humans, reactions, each individual again you need to start learning yourself in order to teach. and each anatomic being will have his own ease with some things and difficulties with other. Right after graduating a part of me wanted to 'privatise' some of the movements I invented, but it didn't take long before I realised the value of sharing and exchanging being much more enhancing for both me and the industry.
On tour with Casus masterclasses are also sometimes part of the offer. Where in uni classes have mainly a technical aim the workshops we have been teaching with Casus have their very own approach, including teaching some skills, but mainly to get the people involved to understand some of the Casus mentality and learn to move creatively in cooperation.
Do you consider your condition to be a challenge you like to face by pushing yourself?
I have never neglected or denied myself the existence of my condition. I am faced to it by the slightest effort (running down the stairs to open the door etc. are enough to get me out of breath). I like to push myself because it lies in my personality, because of my condition I have embraced this characteristic.
My condition mainly expresses itself in my breathing. Having an average lung capacity of 58 per cent my cardiac endurance isn't amazing. But I have had this same condition since I was born and have been educated in discovering how to control my breath. Even more so everyday life has taught me how to find a rhythm/ flow in my actions that my body could cope with. And pushing the limits just means learning to me. Finding out how to live life just that tiny bit more fully in the time that has been given to us. Understanding the mechanics of the body in extrema that little bit more allows me to find more comfort in the more average condition.
At times it has been a motivation. I remember very well that when I got the news I got accepted for ESAC (circus university Brussels) I was honoured and proud, but even stronger so I remember it feeling like a big F U to the disease. A WIN feeling. A strong feeling of no matter how hard I try, I will stand my ground and keep fighting, I won't go down in acceptance without a battle and just feel sorry for myself.
Also having been diagnosed with CF at 12 years old (before that it was all sorts of things but they couldn't get CF diagnoses confirmed) meant that I got pretty much all the tough info about the condition at that age. If you think about it, at that age it has an impact on you: 'never being normal', 'probably being unable to conceive kids in a natural way, and even if kids may have the same condition' and most of all 'a youthful death' (at that time 25 years old was the average expected age. I am now 25 so luckily that has gone up). My family's positive attitude and support have luckily guided me to a rather good outcome. A carpe diem mentality. That's one thing my condition in combination with my surroundings has taught me and that I have always lived by.
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Has Cystic Fibrosis ever affected your career as an acrobat?
It always has, and will always. It's had its influence on what my body is, or isn't capable of doing. I sometimes jump teeterboar, a couple of times just for fun, but would never be a professional teeterboard flyer for Korean board is pure cardiac endurance training. Also my movement style is influenced by CF for – even if it is instinctively – I have to balance out my rhythm as such that I have a sufficient amount of breaks to calm my breath. This can be in a strength position for example as long as it is somewhat static or controlled to regain breath. Often companies can be worried at first, and ask for a letter from my doctor stating it does not harm my health to execute my profession for they do not want to take risks. But so far no job has been refused to me based on this.
Have you met any other performers who suffer from the same disease?
I had stumbled across a video of a dancer with CF, who is mid-40s now, Adam Young. The clip I saw on YouTube was of him dancing while breathing through an oxygen tank – dancing around a chair and the tank, getting tangled in the long wire. It has inspired me a lot, and made me realise that even if one day I might need a transplant or be what be, that doesn't necessarily mean my artist career is over.
An artist feeds himself of his own life, it would, if anything, be a nutrifying process to grow as an artist, and express myself with different vocabulary. This concept eased my fears for future. My girlfriend actually went trough a whole search to bring us in contact as a surprise to me as she knew he had inspired me. As he lives in California and my path hasn't taken me there yet we haven't crossed paths yet. But he is one of the performers who I relate to, be it that he is a dancer and not a circus artist.
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Do you think the general public knows enough about the disease?
In Belgium 1 in 20 persons carries the disease. As it is a recessive genetic disease you are not per se aware of the genetic mutation if you are just a carrier, you might even never have heard of it. But if both you and your partner are carriers you have a 1 in 4 chance of having a child with CF. This makes CF the most common genetic disease in Belgium. The CF organisations worldwide do their best to increase awareness of the disease but I believe that in the average theatre where I perform maybe half of the people would actually have a clue what it is, other then only the 'it is something with lungs?' we often get as an answer. So in my opinion, as it might influence your future it is worth it to have a basic knowledge of it.
Anything else?
Just a little encouragement to fellow CF'ers: do dream. Do look around the corner, give yourself a reason to live, and then do your medication and treatments in order to be able to execute your passion!
My passion is circus, I'm probably in way too dusty theatres and training halls, and sometimes countries than I should be, or at least, than my mother originally wanted me to be. Dustier and more endangering for my health than my doctor would theoretically advise me to go. But both have come to conclusion to accept it, and even encourage it! For it is my life and it keeps me going. Going there and having this lifestyle gives me a reason to be punctual and take care of my body, to make it last.
And to the parents who are desperately searching how to deal with it, where the boundaries lie. Set boundaries, but don't be afraid to push them either, and most of all, be communicative about it all.
'Knee Deep' plays Adelaide Fringe Festival 12 January and the Judith Wright Centre 18-20 February.
