DIRECTORS:
MAEDIR RIGOLO & LENA ROTH
Maedir Rigolo and Lena Roth have been directing Rigolo Swiss Nouveau Cirque since its foundation in 1978. The two artists – a couple both in private and professional life – share responsibilities; Lena supplies the essential creative ideas and works in the background, while Maedir is the outward director, coordinating the artistic and administrative departments.
Maedir Rigolo: education in Paris (1977–1981): Ecole Nationale du Cirque, Ecole de Mîme Etienne Decroux, Ecole de Mîme Jacques Lecoq. Co-founder of Rigolo. Together with Lena Roth, he has managed Rigolo Swiss Nouveau Cirque since 1978. Actor, director and/or set designer (art objects/ props) in 25 Rigolo productions. In his BALANCE trilogy, he realised his vision of creating high quality dance theatre that does justice to his talent for the visual arts. He has received worldwide acclaim as the creator and performer of the BALANCE act.
Lena Roth: education in Paris (1978–1981), mime and dance training with Ella Jaroszewitz. Ecole de Mîme Jacques Lecoq. Co-founder of Rigolo. Together with Maedir Rigolo, she has managed Rigolo Swiss Nouveau Cirque since 1978. Actress, choreographer, director and/or costume designer in 22 Rigolo productions. Teacher of ritualistic dance since 1999. She integrates her great spiritual nature into the creations and focuses on the inner depth of the plays.
Lara Jacobs Eugster: Their eldest daughter has been a dancer with heart and soul since early childhood. After her return from Alvin Aley’s school in the US, she played a central role in BEAUTIFUL TURNS, thereby carrying the family company into the second generation. In 2012 and 2013 she performed the BALANCE as the “Balance Goddess” in Cirque du Soleil’s AMALUNA in Canada and the USA. She took on the role of protagonist in EMPIRE’s Las Vegas show in 2014, to which Rigolo contributed several of its own acts.