Recirquel.

Paradisum

Recirquel (Hungary)

Co-presented with The Cultch

This performance contains strobe lights and is recommended for patrons aged 12 and older.

The stage as a living being: ineffable, transcendent is the atmosphere of Paradisum.

Hungary’s cirque dance company Recirquel, under the direction of the company’s artistic director and choreographer Bence Vági, brings intellectual rigour to traditional circus acts, braiding together vertiginous risk with a profound emotional core. Alive with a spiritual intelligence, Paradisum transfigures feats of strength and agility into iconographic images.

With its reference to a post-apocalyptic world, Paradisum summons archetypal figures, each engaged with the overwhelming effort of existence. Elevating aerial and groundwork, elements of stagecraft — a rippling black drape, a ladder, rings, a hoop — create otherworldly vistas. Underpinning the larger cosmological ideas with concrete manifestations, the work is both deeply grounded in the earth and yet defiant of gravity.

As the performers carve out moments of stillness and grace: the truth of the body emerges in all its primal antediluvian power. Rebirth is too limited a term: this is anima mundi (world soul).

 

Top image: Recirquel, Paradisum © Bálint Hirling.

January 21-24, 2026 | 8pm
January 24, 2026 | 2pm

Vancouver Playhouse

600 Hamilton Street

Runtime

Running time: 60 minutes (no intermission)

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"An extraordinary experience that lingers in the mind, a true pleasure to witness...both visually stunning and emotionally striking."

West End Best Friend

"More daring and poetic than anything you’ve experienced before."

Broadway Baby

About The Company

Founded in Budapest, Hungary in 2012 by director and choreographer Bence Vági, Recirquel has by now become one of the leading contemporary circus companies in the world, representing a unique style of circus combined with dance and theatre, building upon the flair of mid-eastern European – Hungarian classical theatre culture. The productions of this pioneering company bewitch audiences worldwide with the immersive quality of the magical universes they create. Recirquel has opened the gates for contemporary circus in Hungary and carries a strong mission to acquaint audiences with this new form of performing arts.

About the Choreographer

Portrait photo of Bence Vági
Bence Vági. Photo by Szabolcs Szaliai, Lilla Flora Székely.

Bence Vági

With a background in modern and classical dance, Bence Vági is a director-choreographer whose innovative approach to performing arts redefines the magic of theatre and circus in an original way for a contemporary audience. After completing his university studies in directing and choreography, he founded Recirquel in 2012. As the Artistic Director of Recirquel, he continuously seeks new creative horizons, never resting on past achievements, and has become one of the most acclaimed figures in Hungarian performing arts on the global stage.

Accordion 3 fallback title About the Performers

Ádám Fehér © Szabolcs Szalai

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 © Szabolcs Szalai

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 thirteen, he studied sand art for a year and performed in amateur theater. 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 equipments, 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 Alice.

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

 

 

Kateryna Larina © Szabolcs Szalai

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 KristályParadisum, and, from 2025, Walk My World.

 

 

 

Ivett Ignácz © Szabolcs Szalai

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 © Szabolcs Szalai

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 LandKristályParadisum, and, from 2025, Walk My World.

 

 

 

Efraim Demissie © Szabolcs Szalai

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, but he also made his debut as a juggler. In Paradisum, he can be seen both as a dancer and a drummer.

Accordion 4 fallback title Credits

Production Team: 

Choreographer, Director: Bence Vági

Music: Edina Szirtes

Production Design: Bence Vági

Associate Production Designer, Costume Design: Emese Kasza

Assistant to the Costume Designer: Alexandra Pálos

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

Performers

Efraim Demissie, Yevhen Havrylenko, Kateryna Larina, Andrii Maslov, Ádám Fehér, Ivett Ignácz

Accordion 5 fallback title About the Cultch

Since 1973, The Cultch (formally the Vancouver East Cultural Centre) has been one of Vancouver’s most diverse and innovative arts and cultural hubs. The organisation operates three theatrical venues, a gallery, various ancillary spaces in the heart of East Vancouver, as well as digital programming through The Cultch Online that reaches international audiences. The Cultch offers dynamic contemporary programming in theatre, dance, music, and the visual arts, bringing world-class cultural presentations to thousands of citizens each year through its own programming and through providing rental opportunities for community users. Our purpose is to provide a venue for performance that serves a diverse and engaged public and provides space for artistic experimentation and development, building an audience for local companies and presenting cutting-edge national and international work.

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