Slava Polunin, Russian Master Clown legend, founder of the Academy of Fools and creator of the famed Slava’s Snowshow - the world’s most inspired and inspiring spectacle – is now celebrating 15 years along with Slava’s 60th anniversary of foolishness.
For the past 40 years, Slava has been crossing all frontiers with his ever growing flock of “authentic fools”. He and his family have dedicated their life to nurturing and expanding the art of foolishness - through never ending playful practice. As a result, with his tribe of very busy fools - Slava has successfully reached out and touched the heart of millions of spectators around the globe, and there is no end in sight.
As part of the celebrations around Slava’s 60th birthday, the Fool’s art was glorified in books, films and exhibitions and the recent public opening of the Moulin Jaune, Slava’s creative laboratory and playhouse in France.
These will actively contribute to spreading Slava’s poetry beyond the stage, greatly expanding public awareness as part of a new chapter in the story of Slava’s Academy of Fools.
A universal and timeless theatrical classic with more than 4000 performances seen by over 3 million spectators in more than 30 countries and 120 cities.
The Slava’s Snowshow, is a poetic spectacle which has unanimously enchanted and empowered the imagination of people from all nationalities, gender, beliefs, types and ages like no other show. It is a genre of it’s own and remains as spontaneous and magical as the first day, systematically catapulting all adults back in childhood.
Paris, London, Rio de Janeiro, Osaka, Montreal, Rome, Madrid, Hong Kong, Moscow, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Berlin,… are but a handful of the capitals which were taken by storm over and over again.
In New York, Snowshow has beaten off Broadway records with over 1,000 performances at the Union Square Theatre.
“Slava’s Snowshow is to clowning what Cirque du Soleil is to the circus…Slava’s Snowshow is as theatrical as it is simple, as involving as it is inspiring.”
Variety
"My heart leapt. Induces waves of giggles and sighs of pleasure."
The New York Times
“This is the single most beautiful thing I have ever seen in a theatre in my life”.
Simon Callow, Sunday Express
“The unmissable and already classic ‘Snowshow’ is a thing of rare theatrical beauty”.
The Times
New York, USA
Tony nomination for “Special Theatrical Event” 2009
Drama Desk Award 2005 – Outstanding Unique Theatrical Experience.
London, UK
Best Entertainment, Laurence Olivier Award, 1998
Time Out Award, 1994
Moscow, RU
Stanislavski Award and Raikins Award 2001
Triumph Life Time Achievement Award, 1999
Slava’s imagination also has a House, the Moulin Jaune, constantly swarming with intense creative activity and busily defying reality. Beware, dreams come true, warns the sign at the door.
Nothing is left untouched and everything is an interactive dialogue at the Moulin Jaune between art and nature in Slava’s surreal laboratory & playground;
kaleidoscopic 5 seasons gardens - book trees - walls to walk through - flower bed to sleep in - a giant egg house for…chickens - a river that flows backwards - galaxies and giants living in trees - keys for nowhere - black nest star observatory - fairy tale bedrooms - caravan paradise - red walkway on milky way - Korean temple for sunset fishing ceremonies - capsized ship canteen - floating singing moons - horses with pink wings,…
It is within this playful environment that foolish encounters and experiments of all types (workshops, festivals, rehearsals and contemplative activities) give birth to even more foolish projects. For these, we make good use of the fabric & costume treasures, technical and storage spaces, the infinitely wide collection of books and films, an equipped theatre, artist residences, outdoor stages, wood and other such workshops and of course steaming kitchens for hungry fools.
Foolishness and playfulness, and end to itself.
Though nothing surpasses the live experience of Slava’s touch, we have nonetheless begun exploring many new film projects that span from filmed shows for international distribution, to animation films and treasures of archives from Slava’s beginnings.
Finally, you will soon be able to see on screens around the world a very lively and strikingly beautiful film rendering of Slava’s Snowshow in high definition and in 3D.
The 3D version is already considered as one of the most exciting examples of filmed stage shows.
International distribution of these films has begun and raised substantial interest from many major broadcasters and cinemas and these will no doubt increase the local awareness and demand for the show.
We hope to soon see the birth of our animation film series based on the characters of the Slava’s Snowshow slowly in progress created by Os Gemeos, the famed Brazilian pop graffiti artists;
2006 saw the “making of” of the stage show DIABOLO, a show in development Slava has worked on with Terry Gilliam;
Recently launched in both Russian and French versions, the book and exhibition of pictures Polnopolunie (full half moon) by Vladimir Mishukov, performer and photographer, has vividly rendered Slava in action - backstage, on stage, in his garden nooks and in the awestruck expressions of spectators.
Vladimir Mishukov
The book and photographic exhibition have been presented in Moscow and Paris in late 2010 and will travel the world. Other books by the same artist are in development.
Several other book ideas are in development that include a pop-up book, oversized picture book and other generally impossible ideas.
Street and outdoor events combining dozens, or sometimes hundreds of international performance artists have always made part of Slava’s epic journey.
Mir Caravan with hundreds of artists crossing Europe from east to west during 6 months in 1989 opening all frontiers to the art of Fools.
The annual Congress of Fools in Moscow reunites the living legends of the clowning world for stage and television over several days.
The White Carnival, a festival of multiple international street theatre companies selected according to the size of the event in a location re-designed in a white fantasy land.
