Iliana began by revisiting scenes from previous creative processes, intuitively exploring how they had evolved in the meantime. Throughout her creative process, she was confronted with a variety of questions that brought her back to the essence of her performance. Iliana alternated periods of research with moments of creation and training, during which her technique took center stage. In the WISPER rehearsal space, she took the time to experiment with new scenes and sequences. In between, there was of course a lot of paperwork to be done—not to be underestimated for someone working as a solo artist. And then there was a week of creation at Schouwburg De Klap in Deurne, where she worked with an artistic coach and stage technicians to refine the thread running through her performance. Iliana will soon complete her START-UP program with a final residency at CC Gravenhof.
About (H)oops
It all starts with a dream.
An artist. A stage.
An audience that gets caught up in the moment and spontaneously starts to dream along.
Up there on stage, she shows herself in all her colors:
playful, fearless, unfiltered.
Navigating between hoops, personalities, and memories.
In search of a form, a technique, a story of her own.
In search of something that may not fit in a box, but might find its place within the circle of a hoop.
Video: Jasper Léonard
Muziek: Malik Djouad
Outside eyes: Athanasia Chatzigiannaki, Iorhanne Da Cunha & Shalom Gramiccioli
Save the date
On Saturday, October 25, 2025, (H)oops by Iliana Atamaniuk will premiere at De Klap in Deurne.
ECDF START-UP LAB
In our START-UP LABO, we invite recent graduates to our circus harbor. During a paid internship, they work intensively on their leap toward a professional career. We will launch a new Open Call in early June.
Powered by De Nationale Loterij
Thanks to National Lottery players, newly graduated circus professionals can complete a paid internship program that is committed to artistic, physical and business coaching. With the START-UP LABO, the National Lottery and Ell Circo D’ell Fuego are working together to professionalize the Belgian circus landscape and further position it both nationally and internationally.
