This award is given annually to an individual whose personal and/or professional contributions have made a significant and permanent impact on the circus field in America, with specific consideration of how the recipient’s work has influenced the perception of the circus arts by the American public and the arts and entertainment industry.
Recipient: Gypsy Snider (Co-Founder, 7 Doigts de la Main; circus choreographer, Pippin)
Born into the circus ring, as the daughter of the founders of San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus, Gypsy Snider began her artistic career at age four. A graduate of Switzerland’s Scuola Teatro Dimitri, she performed for three seasons with La Compagnia Dimitri, and thereafter consistently developed her own amalgam of theatre and circus, going on to perform internationally with Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Knie, Pomp Duck and Circumstance and Teatro Zinzanni.
She has been impassioned since adolescence by directing and teaching, and has been a guest teacher with the San Francisco Circus Center and National Circus School of Montreal and a director with the New Pickle Circus, Jamie Adkins/Cirque Eloize, the National Circus School’s show Crime and for various special projects with Cirque du Soleil ; she choreographed performances for the Queen of England’s Royal Variety Performance and William and Kate’s Canada Day celebration. Gypsy directed the circus creation in the revival of Pippin directed by Diane Paulus and won a Drama Desk Award and a Outer Critic Circle Award). Pippin was the most nominated show in New York in 2013 and won 4 Tony Awards.
Gypsy co-formed Les 7 doigts de la main in 2002. She was an original performer in Loft and Mistress of Ceremonies in Cabaret des 7 doigts, a co-creator of Loft, co-director of Traces (Drama Desk Award, Oustanding Choreography), and director of A Muse (2012 and 2013) and co-director of Intersection (2014).
No Comments