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Contortionists

I recently had a chance to work with a troupe of contortionists here in Toronto with Cirque du Soliel’s Kurios. Circus performers are among my favourite people to work with, and this time was no exception. They are unbelievably strong, incredibly flexible, and outright professionals. As they defied gravity and bent over backwards, it was hard not to be inspired by the beauty and precision of their movement. Thanks to photo assistant Drew Graham, and to Natalia Zurawska for hair and makeup.

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Raphael Cruz

A talented acrobat, musician, and circus performer, Raphael Cruz never ceases to to put on a show. We caught up with him in Ottawa while he was in town performing with Les 7 Doigts de la Main, a circus troupe out of Montréal. Before that, Raph was in Los Angeles performing the lead roll in Cirque du Soleil's production Iris. It was there where he worked closely with Danny Elfman on developing the score for the show – one that he played on the piano while simultaneously flipping and twisting to the choreography of the show. Raph’s next stop is in Sochi, where he’s been for the past two months, assistant directing a large component of tomorrow’s opening ceremonies for the 2014 Olympic Games. Clearly Raph keeps in good company, and it’s not hard to see why when you have a chance to collaborate with him. He’s a true talent.

Here’s a look at some of the shots we got.

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