“We feel its vibrations.” All grace and balance, a tightrope walker in the spotlight for the opening of the Le Mans circus festival

The “Le Mans fait son cirque” festival, in Sarthe, began this Saturday, June 22. To open, the Basinga company amazed festival-goers with a ten-meter-high crossing of a tightrope walker above the marquees.

More than 20,000 spectators and 24 circus shows are expected this year for the 23rd edition of the festival dedicated to contemporary circus, from June 22 to 30, 2024 at Le Plongeoir, along Promenade Newton, in the Sablons district of Le Mans (Sarthe).

For the opening of the event this Saturday, it was an artist of grace and balance who came to exhibit her talents, walking on the clouds, more than ten meters high without a safety net. Tatiana-Mosio Bongonga is one of the rare female tightrope walkers in the world capable of such an exercise.

The origin of tightrope walkers dates back to Greece and Ancient Rome, explains the website of the European Center for Tightrope Walking. In the middle Agesmany of these artists performed at fairs and festivals, while the current tightrope walker is the heir of the rope dancers of the 18th and 19th centuries.

“It’s more of a cooperative game, explains the artist, on the microphone of our journalist Yann Ledos. It is thanks to all these cavalettists, which stabilize the rope from left to right, which I am able to cross. Without them, this would not be possible.” The cavalettists are these volunteers, recruited on site, who accompany the artist on his journey above the marquees.“We have a strap in which we install ourselves, we put it behind us then we lean on it,” explains Jérôme, one of these cavalettists. “This allows us to put tension on the sides of the main cable.”

Also actors in the show, they take part in this astonishing human experience in weightlessness. “We feel a little vibration when she passes. We experience the show at the same time as her,” marvels Rose, a participant, “it’s also a responsibility of course since we’re afraid to let go and she falls because of us, but it remains within everyone’s reach. We are clearly explained what to do and Tatiana knows what she is doing.

I think it’s an experience to do at least once in your life.

With grace and apparent ease, the tightrope walker walks the 250 meters of her aerial stroll, between poetry and physical performance… “I didn’t know what to expect when I came there this afternoon, and ultimately I found it magnificent, exclaims a spectator. Plus, the musical accompaniment goes very well with it.”

“We’re at the opening of the festival so it’s quite grandiose, especially in such an open and accessible space,” reacts another. Seen from afar, what she’s doing (the tightrope walker, editor’s note) looks simple, but you can imagine that there are hours of work behind it.”

A unique experience, in any case, for the volunteers and the spectators. Many came to admire Tatiana-Mosio getting a closer look at the sun.