BIO
Joseph Pinzon was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. While earning his BA in Psychology from UCLA, he participated in many musical theater productions. Upon graduation, he attended the National Circus School (École Nationale de Cirque) in Montréal, Quebec. After completing the 3-year program, he was cast in Nebbia, a co-production between Cirque Éloize and Compagnia Finzi Pasca, with which he toured internationally for 2 years. He has since performed in events for various prestigious companies (such as BMW, Hermès, and Mercedes-Benz) and worked with various companies such as Cirque du Soleil, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, La Clique, Circle of Eleven, and Chamäleon Productions. He also founded the new circus company Short Round Productions, whose first show Filament had critical and commercial success at the the 2017 Adelaide Fringe Festival. He is amazed that you read all of this.
ROOTS
Joseph’s introduction to the circus world was at the age of 11, when he saw Cirque du Soleil’s Nouvelle Expérience on television. Being an academically driven child, he was not physcially adept, nor did he have access to resources to develop those skills. So, he began to quietly train in his bedroom.
To avoid annoying his family further, he chose to direct his desire to perform towards musical theater, an art form in which he was inexplicably skilled since no one else in his family can sing. He pursued this genre through high school into university. It was at UCLA where he discovered free recreational gymnastics classes as well as courses in dances from various cultures, which helped boost his GPA. He took these every single quarter.
After his 4 university years, he decided to put his Psychology career aside to follow his childhood dream of being in the circus. Through the encouragement of his friends, he flew to Montréal to try for a spot in the internationally reknowned École Nationale de Cirque. Having auditioned alongside nationally ranked athletes, circus family offspring, and the future original cast of Traces, his chances seemed slim. Nevertheless, he used every single one of his previously acquired skills to pass through all parts of the rigorous process.
A month later, he received a package in the mail saying, “Félicitations!”
QUOTES
“…Joseph Pinzon…wraps himself in two long bolts of cloth hanging from the ceiling, defying gravity as he climbs, twists and drops. Variations of this act are familiar to Cirque du Soleil fans, but Pinzon pushes the envelope."
-Pat Donnelly, The Gazette (Montréal)
“[T]he craziest of the group, Joseph Pinzon, graduate of l’École in 2005, is the one who steals the spotlight with an aerial silk number, singing Tina Turner’s ‘Private Dancer’ without missing a single note.”
-Mario Cloutier, La Presse (Montréal)
“One of my favourite acts is Joe Pinzon's aerial silks number. I've seen dozens of aerial silk numbers in different shows over the years and rarely do I come across one performed with the astonishing grace and performance quality of this act.”
-cirquetribune.com
“There was one scene in the first act, however, that got most of the gasps and applause from the audience. Artist, Joseph Pinzon, flipped and spiraled through beautiful golden fabric with no strings attached (at least any that could be scene by the audience).”
-denver.metromix.com
“It is enough, amongst all examples, to hear Joseph Pinzon sing to be convinced. [He] toils constantly on the job, lives days of rehearsals and endless exercises. From all the pain, facing the audience, he stands alone on an empty stage. That is the magic of the show.”
-Le Matin (Geneva)
“Joseph Pinzon, graceful on his aerial silks, comedic martial arts master, fragile contralto, alone in front of the curtain.”
-Elisabeth Chardon, Le Temps (Geneva)
“Joseph Pinzon links together difficult figures on trapeze. Knowing his opponent must replicate his routine in reverse…he takes it to the next level and, in seconds, hangs only by his heels and the audiences’ gasps. Naturally balanced, he then uses only his head to provide support.
…Next up, lipsync and aerial silks, one of Pinzon’s specialites. The aerial dance he improvises with his partner in the intimate setting feels more like a grand, floating, red cotillion. Magical.”
-Estelle Caillon, pieuvre.ca
“The best in the world.”
-Isabelle Chassé, co-founder, Les 7 Doigts de la Main