Paradisum by Recirquel program

Paradisum

By Recirquel

February 13-14, 2026

About TO Live

TO Live is one of Canada’s largest multi-arts organizations, operating three iconic venues: Meridian Hall, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, and Meridian Arts Centre. In addition, TO Live presents a full range of performing arts, theatrical, and concert events at these venues in both downtown and uptown Toronto. With these two hubs of creativity and content creation, TO Live has a unique place and perspective to activate creative spaces by inspiring local and international artists, connecting audiences, stimulating new ideas, and elevating artistic potential, becoming a catalyst for creative expression that is reflective of Toronto’s diversity.

In 2026, TO Live marks 10 years as an organization—a decade of building a better city through the arts.

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We live and work on the traditional territory of Haudenosaunee (HODE-en-ohshow-nee)-speaking nations, including the Wendat, Seneca, and Mohawk. Haudenosaunee-speaking nations have been here since time immemorial, and were more recently joined by the Mississaugas of the Credit.

This place has many Indigenous ports, including where the Humber and Rouge rivers meet other waterways such as Lake Ontario. Ancient longhouses, typical Haudenosaunee housing structures, have been found along both rivers and in the north of Toronto as well (near modern-day York University). This territory is covered by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) Confederacy and the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the lands and the relationships around the Great Lakes.

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Let’s hold our minds together in kindness.

Nia:wen. Thank you.

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Welcome letter from TO Live

Welcome to Paradisum by Recirquel. On behalf of TO Live it is my great pleasure to share this remarkable company with Toronto audiences. Recirquel’s vision continues to redefine what live performance can be— a genre-shaping synthesis of contemporary dance and the poetic language of circus.

Recirquel’s innovative form invites us into a world where circus and dance become inseparable—where daring physicality meets expressive emotional storytelling. In a time when unforgettable experiences can feel fleeting, cirque danse answers a deep human longing: the desire to witness something miraculous.

Our city has hungered for work like this. As Paula Citron noted in Ludwig Van “…Toronto has been starved for the kind of international work that has nourished our dance community for decades…TO Live, has stepped into the breach with a five-performance International Dance Series…For a dance-hungry city, this commitment matters.”

That sentiment is deeply felt at TO Live. We believe that bold international performance nurtures our artistic ecosystem, sparks conversation, and connects us across cultures and disciplines. This commitment is at the heart of why we are honoured to host Recirquel’s work here in Toronto.

We hope tonight offers you moments of wonder, reflection, and connection—an experience that lingers long after the final bow.

Please join us for the next presentations in our international dance series: Ballet Jazz Montréal—Dance Me (April 10–11) and Play Dead by People Watching Collective, co-presented by Luminato Festival (June 25–28).

Thank you for spending your evening with us, and for supporting live performance in our city. Your presence helps keep extraordinary art thriving in Toronto.

Regards,

Clyde Wagner President and CEO

TO Live

About Paradisum

Paradisum explores the myth of rebirth following the silence of a destroyed world, where the means of communication is the body, and the only common language is movement. The creatures of this idyllic existence unfold from the ever-changing, swirling natural forces of the "fabric of life" pulsating around them to reach the anima mundi, the world soul, through scenes of purification, birth, awakening, and ritual.

Directed and choreographed by Bence Vági, the performance explores the new possibilities of cirque danse, a genre that combines contemporary dance and circus arts, in search of an ethereal language of movement expressing the concerns of humanity.

Paradisum premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2024, where it received unanimously positive reviews. The Guardian was of the opinion that every moment of Paradisum was photo-worthy, while The Wee Review described it as " breathtakingly beautiful, high-concept circus," with music that felt as finely wrought as if it had been composed by Michael Nyman. According to West End Best Friend ’s five-star critique, Paradisum truly stood out at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, being "an extraordinary experience that lingers in the mind, a true pleasure to witness.

Highly recommended for anyone seeking a show that is both visually stunning and emotionally striking." The critic of Broadway Baby found Paradisum to be " breathing, living, moving physical poetry." Culture Fix praised the "dreamy otherworldly surrealism" of the music, which goes a long way towards making this production a piece of " intelligent, asserting physical theatre at its most thrilling."

After My Land (2018), which drew on the power of the motherland, and Solus Amor (2020), which told of love across time and space, IMA (2022) evoked the creative power of silence. In Paradisum, Recirquel's new production, the "fabric of life" weaves its way through the natural world, organically creating new forms of being, ones without memories, pain or beliefs, where movements are instinctive. They experience the power of community and create a harmonious balance with pure love and trust.

The choreography draws on the aerial and ground genres of circus arts through the medium of contemporary dance to take the cirque danse genre, already well known from Recirquel’s productions of the past few years, to new dimensions. To create the performance, Bence Vági invited artists from various fields, with whom Paradisum's unique form language was forged over several months of development in the field of movement.

Well-known performers from the company's previous productions, Zita Horváth, Renátó Illés, and Gábor Zsíros, Paradisum's co-choreographers, as well as Kristóf Várnagy, who participated in the creative process as a creative collaborator alongside Nándor Holp and Aliz Schlecht, played an important role in this creative work.

The visual element, which is the dramaturgical and visual centre of the performance, creates an atmosphere of rebirth that is both ancient and

ethereal, while acting as an equal partner of the human body and movement. The "fabric of life", pulsating through the performers is a roaring sea, then a sheltering leaf that covers the pure human beings, floats across the stage like a stingray, or whispers in the ears of the characters like a transcendental force. Emsese Kasza and Alexandra Pálós were the co-creators of the scenic design, which merges costume and set. The lighting design was an integral part of the process of transforming the set into the ‘fabric of life’ and was also shaped in the course of a joint creative process with Attila Lenzsér. The technical director of the production was Tamás Vladár, who also contributed as a technical expert in aeronautics.

The conflicts of the myth of the reborn human are also expressed through the original music of the performance. Once again, Bence Vági asked Edina Szirtes to compose the multifaceted soundscape in which the life-overwhelming and life-creating roar emerges from the mythical chaos, while the unconscious pulsations of human memory reveal the prayers of vanished cultures. The music is becoming a living, integral part of the stage production, thanks to the work of sound designer Gábor Terjék.

Paradisum is a pure yet sinister hope for rebirth, looking anxiously into the future. Can it preserve the purity of soul and mind of a human being free from sin? Can it find happiness in the security of the rites of communal existence?

Paradisum

Cast

Efraim Demissie

Yevhen Havrylenko

Kateryna Larina

Andrii Maslov

Ádám Fehér

Ivett Ignácz

Choreographer, director

Bence Vági

Music

Edina Szirtes

Production design

Bence Vági

Associate production designer, costume design

Emese Kasza

Assistant to the costume designer

Alexandra Pálós

Sound Design

Gábor Terjék

Lighting Design

Attila Lenzsér

Co-choreographers

Zita Horváth, Renátó Illés, Gábor Zsíros

Dance Captain

Zita Horváth

Creative assistants

Nándor Holp, Aliz Schlecht, Kristóf Várnagy

Technical director, flight designer

Tamás Vladár

Production manager

Zsófia Szabó

Ádám Fehér

Ádám is a Hungarian circus artist who studied for five years at the Hungarian Circus Arts Center. Throughout his career, he contributed to the Chinese pole choreography of Avan White at the FINA opening ceremony and also performed in Cirque Éloize’s ID show.

His artistry has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including a silver medal at the Daidogei Festival in Japan and a bronze Pierrot Award at the Hungarian Circus Festival. Since 2020, he has been a member of Recirquel, performing in Solus Amor, Kristály, IMA, Paradisum, and, from 2025, in Walk My World.

Yevhen Havrylenko

Yevhen began his training at the age of three at the Old Circus studio in Kharkiv under the guidance of his mother, Svitlana Momot. He remains an active member of the studio, now working there as a coach. At 13, he studied sand art for a year and performed in amateur theatre. He is currently studying at the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture to become a show director.

At eighteen, he joined the AIDA Cruises company, where he worked with various circus equipment, trained in partner acrobatics, and developed his skills with numerous choreographers and coaches. Later, he played a leading role in the EastFire company’s production of Alice.

In 2023, he joined Recirquel, where he elevated his artistry to a new level, performing in productions such as Kristály, Paradisum, and, from 2025, Walk My World.

Kateryna Larina

Kateryna began her career in Ukraine, where she trained at the Cascade Studio under the guidance of Julia and Vyacheslav Kozhukhar while attending high school. She later joined the circus group Arena, studying with masters such as Natalia Gorelaya and Alexander Golubov. She has performed at numerous international festivals and television shows, and has also worked at the Budapest National Circus. Her work has been recognized with awards at several international circus festivals.

Since 2023, she has been a member of Recirquel, performing in productions such as Kristály, Paradisum, and, from 2025, Walk My World.

Ivett

Ignácz

Ivett began her dance studies at the Nemes Nagy Ágnes Secondary School of Arts, where one of her most influential teachers was Rita Góbi. She continued her training in contemporary and modern dance at the Győr Secondary School of Dance and Visual Arts, studying under several renowned instructors, including Tímea Pintér and Éva Hotová. Between 2020 and 2023, she developed her skills in theatre dance at the Hungarian Dance University, participating not only in dance technique classes but also in acting and singing lessons.

Since 2021, she has been a member of the Recirquel Master Studio, where she developed her skills in aerial techniques and dance. In 2022, she became an active member of Recirquel, performing in Kristály and Paradisum. Being part of the company has allowed her to explore the fusion of circus arts and modern dance, acquiring new skills and techniques.

From 2025 onward, she performs in Walk My World.

Andrii Maslov

Andrii graduated from the Kyiv Municipal Academy of Circus and Variety Arts in 2019, earning master qualifications as a circus artist, juggler, and teacher of higher education.

Throughout his career, he has collaborated with world-renowned companies and productions such as Cirque du Soleil, Crazy Horse, Ohlala by Rolf and Gregory Knie, and Flic Flac. His international experience has given his artistic presence a unique and refined style.

Since 2022, he has been a member of Recirquel, performing in My Land, Kristály, Paradisum, and, from 2025, Walk My World.

Efraim Demissie

Efraim developed his skills through dance and drumming training. As a drummer, he began with street music, and since then he has performed at numerous festivals and large arena concerts.

As a dancer, he has appeared on many stages, in TV shows, as well as in film and commercial productions. He first collaborated with Recirquel in Crystal, as a dancer and rehearsal leader of the hip-hop dance group, and also made his debut as a juggler. In Paradisum he can be seen both as a dancer and a drummer.

Inside Paradisum: Recirquel’s genredefying fusion of dance and circus

Ever since the company was formed in 2012, Recirquel has been taking the performing arts world by storm with its experimental fusion of dance, circus, and theatre. It was founded in Budapest by director and choreographer Bence Vági together with a handful of young Hungarian acrobats. Today, Recirquel has several critically acclaimed shows in its repertoire and a busier travel schedule than any other artistic company in Hungary.

At the start of 2026, it shows no signs of slowing down. First up is a cross-Canada tour of their newest production Paradisum, hailed as “mesmerizing visual magic ” when it premiered in Vancouver earlier this month. Ahead of Recirquel’s Toronto stop at TO Live, we chatted with Vági about pioneering a new performance genre, the rigorous training Recirquel artists undergo, and all things Paradisum.

Paradisum is described as “cirque danse.” What does this term mean?

It started with our performance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAME), when the New York Times described one of our creations as “more like ballet in the air.” After several years, we found many reviewers pointed out a strong connection between dance and circus. And a good friend of mine said

we should give it a name that is a really beautiful combination of dance and circus. So that’s how “cirque danse” came about.

But we don't really think about creating cirque danse. We like to think about it as more of an educational part of the company. For us, it’s really hard work. It’s hours and hours of endless training for art.

What is the training like for Recirquel artists?

We try to give them a broader vocabulary to express themselves. When circus artists enter our company, they usually enter for years, and we start with very strong dance training—contemporary ballet classes, partnering classes, or even contact improvisational classes. This opens opportunities for expression and narrative.

With our dance artists, we give them an education in circus skills. Obviously, some circus skills are very difficult, so we wouldn’t start with juggling, which takes five to 10 years to become professional. But we do lots of aerial classes. This allows dancers to defy gravity, giving them a whole new language within movement.

Can

you share what Paradisum is about?

Paradisum focuses on the beginning of new life; on regeneration and rebirth. It introduces the idea that a new life form could start after the extinction of humanity. It is an answer to previous productions by Recirquel—Solus Amor, which was about the power of love, and IMA, about non-religious prayer as a way to understand the oneness of us all.

But if we don’t recognize this oneness, the next stage of humanity can only be rebirth after suffering a complete destruction and then realizing how important it is to be unified and coexist with nature. Because right now nature is sacrificing itself for humanity. And my belief is strongly sticking with nature.

Any moment from the show you’re excited to share?

There are several that really connect. Paradisum shows different people struggling to decide whether they should stick with their fears or allow themselves to reconnect with nature and choose a simpler way of existence than the way we mostly live today. So each of these characters has a special moment where they’re facing fears. But all our shows connect to primary

fears that have been in the human mind for thousands of years, like the shape of a snake or the darkness of a cave. These symbols reflect fears we have in the present.

That sounds a bit scary.

I don't think it's a scary show at all. I would rather say it’s a dark show, in the sense that it’s darkly lit. An element in the show is this huge fabric that we manipulate in the air that changes shape and image, allowing the audience to interpret and imagine whatever they see. So it's kind of like a Rorschach test.

We do know exactly what we want to say, and we have a very strict script or storyline, but we allow the audience to look at the piece as a poem. And sometimes people read quite precisely what we have in mind, but sometimes they read a very different narrative and I really, really love that.

What kind of stunts are in store for audiences?

In Paradisum, you have six amazing artists, and there are six big solos throughout the show. One of my favourite moments features a beautiful dance and handstand act by one of our Ukrainian artists, Kateryna Larina. In the scene, a girl born from the ocean arrives at the top of a mountain. This huge fabric forms the shape of the mountain, and the girl is coming alive again on top of it. It’s a breathtaking act.

There is also a drumming act with a special life-size cajón drum we created. And it’s interesting because we use the cajón as both an instrument and a prop, so the characters dance with it while it’s used as a drum. The act features Demissie Efraim, who was born and raised in Hungary but is Ethiopian and brings some of the rhythms from his cultural background. It’s a beautiful ritual in the show.

Ádám Fehér’s swinging pole scene evokes the last human at the end of the world, offering a final glimpse of contemporary humanity before giving way to rebirth. In Ivett Ignácz’s performance, the aerial hoop prop is surrounded by the previously mentioned textile, shaped like a cave, which transforms and reappears in multiple ways throughout the production.

Of course, the poster of the show is Yevhen Havrylenko, a Ukrainian artist on aerial straps. He’s doing a unique dance solo about the boy and the serpent. The finale is a contemporary juggling technique done by Andrii Maslov on a freestanding ladder. It’s very exciting because I think Andre’s the only one in the world who can do this.

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Head Carpenter, Bluma Appel Theatre

Giulia D’Amanzo

Head Electrician, Bluma Appel

Theatre

Keijo Makela

Head Sound Technician, Bluma Appel

Theatre

Benn Hough

Head Technician, Jane Mallet

IATSE Local 822

Susan Batchelor

Wardrobe Head, Bluma Appel Theatre

Meridian Arts Centre stage crew

IATSE Local 58

Aaron Dell

Head Technician, George Weston

Recital Hall

Finn Browne

Head Technician, Greenwin Theatre

Ian Parker

Head Technician Lyric Theatre

TO Live staff and board list as of January 2026. For the updated version, please visit tolive.com.

The TO Live Foundation is committed to creating a future where art engages and inspires all Torontonians. A future where all the creative voices of our diverse communities are heard and celebrated. A future where artists have the support they need to experiment and grow.

Visit tolivefoundation.com to learn more about how our Foundation is committed to building a better city through the arts.