Published: 21 May 2025
Step into the Unexpected: La Cie des Chaussons Rouges – „Épiphytes”
Floating between dream and reality, this hypnotic show lifts us into an aerial world where a magical forest takes shape high above the ground. Épiphytes, the latest creation from Belgian collective La Cie des Chaussons Rouges, joins the free programme of this year’s Carnaval Sztukmistrzów, held in Lublin from 24 to 27 July.
About
Épiphytes is a breathtaking outdoor performance in which four acrobat-dancers move high above the ground on a towering metal structure. Blending the animate with the inanimate, the show breathes organic life into a circus apparatus transformed into a vast, sculptural landscape.
The audience is invited into a forest — both real and imagined, timeless and mysterious. It’s a place of heightened sensation and layered meaning, where bodies, emotions, and elements meet. This forest becomes a space of connection and transformation: a playground, a ritual, a dream. Are we standing in a physical grove — or wandering through its spiritual twin?
At its heart, Épiphytes is about symbiosis, sensitivity, and coexistence. The dancers draw inspiration from epiphytes — plants that grow not in soil but upon other plants, climbing skyward without depleting what supports them. In this spirit, the performers coil, climb, and blossom across the structure, animating it with movement, care, and balance.
As they spiral and sway, mist unfurls around them, conjuring the otherworldly beauty of a cloud forest. Movement and fog become partners in a visual poem — lush, surreal, and utterly captivating.
This living choreography unfolds as both a sensory and emotional journey. It invites us to feel the world — not merely think it — and to discover beauty in relationships that flourish through trust rather than dominance.
This show is both a celebration of freedom and a quiet meditation on coexistence. Set in an atmosphere of mystery and enchantment, the magical forest becomes a space of encounter — a place where emotions are exchanged, where joy, freedom, unease, and reflection intertwine.
The Belgian collective welcomes everyone — even those who rarely attend theatre — on a journey to feel, connect, and rediscover the world. Whether you’re a seasoned theatre-goer or simply curious, this is a performance that opens its arms to all.
You will have three opportunities to see it — on July 24, 25, and 26 in Błonia near the Castle. Free admission.
About La Cie des Chaussons Rouges
La Cie des Chaussons Rouges is a Brussels-based circus company founded in 2012 by Audrey Bossuyt and Marta Lodoli, both artists specializing in funambulism — the art of tightrope walking. Their signature style lies in wordless, visually striking performances: elegant, minimalist, and guided by abstract, poetic choreography.
Each show is the result of deep thematic research and a rich creative process. While tightrope walking remains at the core of their work, their performances echo elements of other circus disciplines — including object manipulation, aerial acrobatics, and Chinese pole — as well as influences from contemporary dance and installation art, visible in both movement and prop design. Their stagecraft is highly visual, with choreography and scenography that often resemble living drawings.
A quick reminder: ticket sales are underway for our paid performances! You can purchase tickets via our website or through the Stage24.pl platform.
Presale runs until June 30.
Among the ticketed shows is Julieta by Mexican artist Gabriela Muñoz — a wild, wordless tale of an aging woman navigating life with a suitcase full of experiences and quirks. The show was inspired by the life of Muñoz’s great-aunt and is as touching as it is delightfully absurd.
Also featured is Winter by the group My!Laika — a genre-defying spectacle drawing from literature, film, and music. This extraordinary performance breaks every rule in the book. Its stories reflect not only on death and the fleeting joy of the moment, but also on the quiet tragedy of characters overwhelmed by global crises.
The festival will also welcome Art For Rainy Days and Teatronas — two companies that will challenge and expand how we perceive contemporary circus.
Art For Rainy Days will present the hypnotic How Spiral Works — a stunning blend of aerial acrobatics, dance, and traditional music from the Baltic region.
Teatronas invites us into a theatrical-circus essay that explores our deep-rooted fear of death.
We’ll also see No Yes You by the Kejos Collective, winner of the Polish Incident open call for a Polish production. This honest, emotionally charged performance doesn’t shy away from difficult themes — tackling failure, fear of judgment, and the struggle with one’s own limitations.
Details
Carnaval Sztukmistrzów
24-27 July 2025
Lublin. Old Town and Błonia near the Castle
Admission free. Selected events are ticketed
Published: 21 May 2025
Step into the Unexpected: La Cie des Chaussons Rouges – „Épiphytes”
Floating between dream and reality, this hypnotic show lifts us into an aerial world where a magical forest takes shape high above the ground. Épiphytes, the latest creation from Belgian collective La Cie des Chaussons Rouges, joins the free programme of this year’s Carnaval Sztukmistrzów, held in Lublin from 24 to 27 July.
About
Épiphytes is a breathtaking outdoor performance in which four acrobat-dancers move high above the ground on a towering metal structure. Blending the animate with the inanimate, the show breathes organic life into a circus apparatus transformed into a vast, sculptural landscape.
The audience is invited into a forest — both real and imagined, timeless and mysterious. It’s a place of heightened sensation and layered meaning, where bodies, emotions, and elements meet. This forest becomes a space of connection and transformation: a playground, a ritual, a dream. Are we standing in a physical grove — or wandering through its spiritual twin?
At its heart, Épiphytes is about symbiosis, sensitivity, and coexistence. The dancers draw inspiration from epiphytes — plants that grow not in soil but upon other plants, climbing skyward without depleting what supports them. In this spirit, the performers coil, climb, and blossom across the structure, animating it with movement, care, and balance.
As they spiral and sway, mist unfurls around them, conjuring the otherworldly beauty of a cloud forest. Movement and fog become partners in a visual poem — lush, surreal, and utterly captivating.
This living choreography unfolds as both a sensory and emotional journey. It invites us to feel the world — not merely think it — and to discover beauty in relationships that flourish through trust rather than dominance.
This show is both a celebration of freedom and a quiet meditation on coexistence. Set in an atmosphere of mystery and enchantment, the magical forest becomes a space of encounter — a place where emotions are exchanged, where joy, freedom, unease, and reflection intertwine.
The Belgian collective welcomes everyone — even those who rarely attend theatre — on a journey to feel, connect, and rediscover the world. Whether you’re a seasoned theatre-goer or simply curious, this is a performance that opens its arms to all.
You will have three opportunities to see it — on July 24, 25, and 26 in Błonia near the Castle. Free admission.
About La Cie des Chaussons Rouges
La Cie des Chaussons Rouges is a Brussels-based circus company founded in 2012 by Audrey Bossuyt and Marta Lodoli, both artists specializing in funambulism — the art of tightrope walking. Their signature style lies in wordless, visually striking performances: elegant, minimalist, and guided by abstract, poetic choreography.
Each show is the result of deep thematic research and a rich creative process. While tightrope walking remains at the core of their work, their performances echo elements of other circus disciplines — including object manipulation, aerial acrobatics, and Chinese pole — as well as influences from contemporary dance and installation art, visible in both movement and prop design. Their stagecraft is highly visual, with choreography and scenography that often resemble living drawings.
A quick reminder: ticket sales are underway for our paid performances! You can purchase tickets via our website or through the Stage24.pl platform.
Presale runs until June 30.
Among the ticketed shows is Julieta by Mexican artist Gabriela Muñoz — a wild, wordless tale of an aging woman navigating life with a suitcase full of experiences and quirks. The show was inspired by the life of Muñoz’s great-aunt and is as touching as it is delightfully absurd.
Also featured is Winter by the group My!Laika — a genre-defying spectacle drawing from literature, film, and music. This extraordinary performance breaks every rule in the book. Its stories reflect not only on death and the fleeting joy of the moment, but also on the quiet tragedy of characters overwhelmed by global crises.
The festival will also welcome Art For Rainy Days and Teatronas — two companies that will challenge and expand how we perceive contemporary circus.
Art For Rainy Days will present the hypnotic How Spiral Works — a stunning blend of aerial acrobatics, dance, and traditional music from the Baltic region.
Teatronas invites us into a theatrical-circus essay that explores our deep-rooted fear of death.
We’ll also see No Yes You by the Kejos Collective, winner of the Polish Incident open call for a Polish production. This honest, emotionally charged performance doesn’t shy away from difficult themes — tackling failure, fear of judgment, and the struggle with one’s own limitations.
Details
Carnaval Sztukmistrzów
24-27 July 2025
Lublin. Old Town and Błonia near the Castle
Admission free. Selected events are ticketed
