Leandre Ribera wins the National Circus Prize
The jury highlights the impact it has had on the new generations and its "unique and sensitive look on stage"
BarcelonaThe clown and stage director Leandre Ribera (Barcelona, 1966) was awarded this Thursday the National Circus Award, which is granted by the Ministry of Culture and is endowed with 30,000 euros. The jury grants it to him "for his generosity in sharing his knowledge with new generations of artists, bringing a unique and sensitive look to the stage". In particular, they highlight his direction in productions such as Gota, by Txema Muñoz and which will be seen at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya starting October 15; Triplette, created with LaBú Teatre; Woofwith Pere Hosta and U.F.A. with Cristina Solé. Ribera has worked mainly in the field of clown and has contributed, according to the jury, to "works that celebrate the excellence of gestural humor and make visible the importance of the gaze in the circus".
In fact, the clown is a great reference of the clown and gestural theater internationally. He has worked with the classical circus, the contemporary one and street performances and has been an influence for new generations of clowns. "For many years he has worked with a mixture of comic precision, rhythm and the poetics of objects", underlines the ministry. Among Ribera's most outstanding shows are Iceberg, Fragile and Madame et Monsieur, which he carried out together with the dancer Claire Ducreux, with whom he walked a professional path for years. In 2014, to keep the figure of the traditional clown alive, Ribera promoted Démodés with the company La Tal.
Throughout his career, the clown has been recognized with numerous awards such as the Ciutat de Barcelona Circus Award (2014), the Zirkòlika Award (2013) and the National Circus Award for the show Rodó, a production of the Circ d'Hivern of the Ateneu Popular de Nou Barris co-directed with Teresa Celis. Before Ribera, other Catalan clowns have been awarded the National Circus Award. Among the winners are Tortell Poltrona (2013) and Pepa Plana (2022). It has also been received by the Fira Trapezi de Reus (2012) and Manolo Alcántara (2021).