Montreal, October 9, 2024 The collaboration between Cirque du Soleil Group and Aléo Foundation continued today by highlighting the journeys of eight student-athletes working in a discipline related to circus arts. Four gymnasts, two synchronized swimmers, one diver, and one figure skater received a $4,000 scholarship$ accompanied by the lifetime services offered by Aléo Foundation.
Thanks to this partnership, the Cirque du Soleil group is completing its two-year investment of $80,000$ in scholarships and services for selected student-athletes this year. The skills acquired during these athletes' journeys make them prime candidates for the job market. Recognizing this unique added value, Cirque du Soleil has, over time, positioned itself as an employer of high-level athletes, both in the spotlight and in its backstage teams.
Citations:
«There's a natural connection between elite student-athletes and Cirque du Soleil. These young people, whom we recognize through the scholarship program with the Aléo Foundation, are already, at their young age, experts in terms of discipline, rigor, perfectionism, and the pursuit of the perfect moment. Therefore, they have a head start when it comes to transitioning into the professional world, and for us, they are sought-after collaborators.»
– Nicolas Panet-Raymond,
Chief Health and Safety Officer to the Cirque du Soleil Group
«The partnership between the Aléo Foundation and Cirque du Soleil perfectly aligns with our mission and objectives. The Aléo Foundation works to provide its scholarship recipients with opportunities that enable them to achieve their dreams in all areas of their lives. Teaming up with a top employer, a source of Quebec pride internationally, that recognizes the exceptional qualities of student-athletes as employees and drivers of excellence, is a golden opportunity to offer even more to our recipients.»
– Patricia Demers,
Executive Director of the Aléo Foundation
2024 Recipients of The Cirque du Soleil Group Scholarship Program
Éloïse Bélanger – Diving
30 years old – Montreal (Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie)
4000 $ – 1Re Cirque du Soleil Group Scholarship, 3e from the Aléo Foundation
- Gold medalist at the Canadian Winter Championships in 2023.
- After earning a B.A. with a major in Economics from the University of California, she studied law at the University of Montreal.
Eloise's goal for the upcoming season is to qualify for the World Championships, which will be held in Singapore in the summer of 2025. After her athletic career, she hopes to pursue a career as a lawyer, perhaps in international law, business, taxation, or «a nice mix of all of that.».
Félix Blaquière - Artistic Gymnastics
22 years old – Repentigny
4000 $ – 2e Cirque du Soleil Group Scholarship, 3e from the Aléo Foundation
- Silver medalist in the team event at the 2023 Pan American Championships.
- Studying for a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance at Concordia University.
Félix's main goals are to increase the difficulty of his routines and to qualify for the World Championships! After his gymnastics career, he would like to combine his passions, namely programming and finance, to work in a field that will allow him to thrive professionally! Moreover, outside of sports and studies, Félix is developing software for managing sports competitions, including ticketing and live results.
Zachary Lagha - Figure Skating Dance
25 years old - Longueuil (Saint-Hubert)
4000 $ – 2e Cirque du Soleil Group Scholarship, 3e from the Aléo Foundation
- 5e at the ISU World Championships in Montreal, in the winter of 2024! His partner and he thus become the youngest ice dance duo in the world's top 5.
- Qualified for the long program (the final) at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.
- Studying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a specialization in Contemporary Dance at Concordia University.
Zachary Lagha and his partner Marjorie Lajoie, also an Aléo Foundation scholarship recipient, made their mark on the international stage in 2019 by being crowned junior world champions in ice dancing. A key moment for the duo, who continued their career thereafter, notably reaching the Beijing Olympic Games, where they qualified for the long program. In March 2024, the pair once again confirmed their elite status on the world stage, finishing 5the at the ISU World Championships in Montreal. In addition to his talent on the ice, Zachary is an accomplished artist. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Contemporary Dance at Concordia University, and is also a pianist who has performed and won prestigious competitions! When art meets sport, or when sport meets art!
Artistic Swimming
22 years old – Quebec
4000 $ – 1Re Cirque du Soleil Group Scholarship, 3e from the Aléo Foundation
- Member of the Canadian team that finished 6the in the team event at the Paris Olympics.
- Studies at the Certificate in Art History at Concordia University.
- After her career, she would like to be an artist with Cirque du Soleil.
Raphaëlle started artistic swimming in Las Vegas while her father was working there for Cirque du Soleil. «From the very first time I had the chance to see the show O, I knew I had to try artistic swimming!» The athlete, who participated in the Paris Olympics, aims with her team for a podium finish at the World Championships in Singapore in July 2025. After years of stressful pre-Olympic training, Raphaëlle wants to «reconnect with the why» she loves practicing her sport.
Léandre Sauvé – Artistic Gymnastics
21 years old - Laval
4000 $ – 2e Cirque du Soleil Group Scholarship x Aléo Foundation
- Finished 7e at the vault during the Pan American Championships, in Colombia, in 2023.
- Studying Humanities with Mathematics at Cégep à distance.
Léandre Sauvé has been a gymnast since he was 3 years old! He climbed the ranks to the national team and even to the World Cup podium twice in 2022 in the vault! After his sports career, Léandre would like to be an artist with Cirque du Soleil and study business to become a hotel management executive.
Suzanna Shahbazian - Rhythmic Gymnastics
19 years old – Montreal (Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood)
4000 $ – 2e Cirque du Soleil Group Scholarship x Aléo Foundation
- Double medalist (team and ball) at the Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games
- Studying Natural Sciences at Cégep de Saint-Laurent
Suzanna started rhythmic gymnastics at the age of 5. One of her main goals for the coming years is to qualify for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The one who sits at the top of the national rankings dreams of the Olympic Games and studying medicine.
Aurélie Tran – Artistic Gymnastics
18 years old - Repentigny
4000 $ – 1Re Cirque du Soleil Group Scholarship, 5e from the Aléo Foundation
- Proudly represented Canada in the team event at the Paris Olympic Games.
- Study at Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Iowa
Aurélie has climbed her way into the elite ranks of Canadian and world artistic gymnastics! The reigning Canadian vice-champion proudly represented the country at the Paris Olympic Games, achieving one of her biggest dreams by becoming an Olympian! She is embarking on a new chapter as she is now studying at the University of Iowa while continuing her gymnastics journey.
Florence Tremblay - Artistic Swimming
20 years old - Rimouski
4000 $ – 2e Cirque du Soleil Group Scholarship x Aléo Foundation
- Member of the Canadian team that finished 6the in the team event at the Paris Olympics.
- Studying Natural Sciences at Cégep de Maisonneuve.
From Rimouski to Quebec City, and then on to Montreal to achieve her dream of becoming an Olympian at the Paris Olympic Games! Passionate about artistic swimming since she started in Rimouski at the age of 6, Florence continued her young career in Quebec City with the Quebec Excellence Synchro club before moving to Montreal to join the national team. After her career in the pool, the student in Nature Sciences at Collège de Maisonneuve would like to be admitted to dental school or another health-related field.
About the Cirque du Soleil Group
The Cirque du Soleil Group is a world leader in the entertainment industry. Live. With four decades spent pushing the boundaries of imagination, the artistic entertainment company brings its creative approach to a wide variety of art forms such as performances Live, multimedia productions, long-form content, music, immersive experiences, and special events. Cirque du Soleil Group is celebrating 40 years of defying reality, defining entertainment, and illuminating the world through art and creativity. Since its creation in 1984, more than 400 million people have been inspired across 6 continents and in 86 countries. The Canadian company now employs more than 4,000 people, including 1,200 artists from over 80 different nationalities. For more information about Cirque du Soleil Group, please visit cirquedusoleil.com.
About the Aléo Foundation
Founded in 1985, the Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence (FAEQ) has awarded over $25 million in scholarships to nearly 5,000 outstanding student-athletes from across Quebec. To clarify the organization's mission to empower athletes beyond their sport, the FAEQ changed its name and branding in 2022, now known as the Fondation Aléo. In addition to continuing its scholarship and support services for tomorrow's leaders, it reaffirms its personalized approach, focusing on the overall development and well-being within the performance of its scholarship recipients.
For more information: fondationaleo.ca as well as the Aléo Foundation's official pages on our platforms:
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Spotify
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For more information:
Annie Dubé
Director of Communications and Marketing
Aléo Foundation
438-884-6626
Amelie Robert
Corporate Public Relations Advisor
Cirque du Soleil Group
514-567-6273
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and the Aléo Foundation, the Second Edition for eight student-athletes
Montreal, October 9, 2024 — The collaboration between Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and the Aléo Foundation continued today by showcasing the journeys of eight student-athletes working in a discipline related to circus arts. Four gymnasts, two artistic swimmers, one diver, and one figure skater received a $$4,000 scholarship and lifetime services from the Aléo Foundation.
Through this partnership, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group completed its two-year $80,000 investment in scholarships and services for selected student-athletes. The skills acquired by these athletes make them ideal candidates for the job market. Recognizing this unique added value, Cirque du Soleil has positioned itself over time as an employer of high-caliber athletes, both in the spotlight and on its behind-the-scenes teams.
“There's a natural link between high-level student-athletes and Cirque du Soleil. The young people we recognize through our scholarship program with the Aléo Foundation are already experts in terms of discipline, rigor, perfectionism, and the quest for that perfect moment. They are a step ahead when it comes to making the leap into the professional market, and for us, they are sought-after collaborators.“
Nicolas Panet-Raymond,
Global Head of Safety, Health, and Sustainability at Cirque du Soleil
“The partnership between the Aléo Foundation and Cirque du Soleil fits perfectly with our mission and objectives. The Aléo Foundation works to provide its scholarship recipients with opportunities that enable them to achieve their dreams in every sphere of their lives. Joining forces with an employer of choice, a pride of Quebec on the international stage, which recognizes the exceptional character of student-athletes as employees and vectors of excellence, is a golden opportunity to offer even more to our recipients.
– Patricia Demers,
Executive Director of the Aléo Foundation
Recipients of the 2023 Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group Scholarship Program
Éloïse Bélanger – Diving
30 years old – Montreal (Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie)
$4000 – 1st Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group Scholarship, 3rd Aléo Foundation Scholarship
- Gold medalist at the 2023 Canadian Winter Championships.
- After earning a B.A. with a major in economics from the University of California, she is currently pursuing a law degree at the Université de Montréal.
Éloïse’s goal for next season is to qualify for the World Championships, to be held in Singapore in the summer of 2025. After her sporting career, she hopes to pursue a career as a lawyer, perhaps in international law, business, taxation, or “a nice mix of all of everything”.
Félix Blaquière – Artistic Gymnastics
22 years old - Repentigny
$4000 – 2nd Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group Scholarship, 3rd Aléo Foundation Scholarship
- Silver medalist in the team competition at the 2023 Pan American Championships.
- Studying for a bachelor's degree in finance at Concordia University.
Félix’s main goals are to increase the difficulty of his routines and qualify for the World Championships! After his gymnastics career, he’d like to combine his passions – programming and finance – to work in a field that will allow him to develop professionally! Besides sports and studies, Félix is developing software to manage sports competitions, including ticketing and live results.
Zachary Lagha – Figure skating dance
25 years old – Longueuil (Saint-Hubert)
$4000 – 2nd Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group Scholarship, 3rd Aléo Foundation Scholarship
- 5th at the ISU World Championships in Montreal, winter 2024! He and his partner became the youngest duo in the world's top 5 in ice dance.
- Qualified for the long program (the finals) at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.
- Studying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance at Concordia University.
Zachary Lagha and his partner Marjorie Lajoie, also a recipient of an Aléo Foundation scholarship, made their mark on the international scene in 2019 by being crowned world junior ice dance champions. This was a landmark moment for the duo, who subsequently continued their journey, including to the Beijing Olympics, at which they successfully qualified for the long program. In March 2024, the duo once again confirmed their status among the world’s elite, finishing 5th at the ISU World Championships in Montreal. In addition to his talent on the ice, Zachary is an accomplished artist. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance at Concordia University and is also a pianist who has performed and won prestigious competitions! When art meets sport, or sport meets art!
Raphaëlle Plante – Artistic swimming
22 years old – Quebec City
$4000- 1st Scholarship from Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, 3rd Scholarship from the Aléo Foundation
- Member of the Canadian team that finished 6th in the team event at the Paris Olympic Games.
- Studying for a certificate in Art Sciences at Concordia University.
- After her career, she would like to become an artist. Cirque du Soleil.
Raphaëlle began artistic swimming in Las Vegas, where her father worked for Cirque du Soleil“From the first time I had the chance to be a spectator at the O show, I knew I had to try artistic swimming!” The Paris Olympian is aiming, with her team, for a podium finish at the World Championships in Singapore in July 2025. After some very stressful pre-Olympic years, Raphaëlle wants to “reconnect with why” she loves her sport.
Léandre Sauvé – Artistic Gymnastics
21 years old - Laval
$4000 – 2nd Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group x Aléo Foundation Scholarship
- Finished 7th on vault at the 2023 Pan-American Championships in Colombia.
- Studying humanities with mathematics at Cégep à distance.
Léandre Sauvé has been a gymnast since the age of 3! He’s worked his way up to the national team and to the World Cup podium twice in 2022 on vault! After his sporting career, Léandre would like to be a Cirque du Soleil artist and study business administration to become a hotel management executive.
Suzanna Shahbazian – Rhythmic gymnastics
19 years old – Montreal (Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce)
$4000 – 2nd Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group x Aléo Foundation Scholarship
- Double medalist (team and ball) at the Commonwealth Games and Pan-American Games
- Studying Natural Sciences at Cégep de Saint-Laurent
Suzanna began rhythmic gymnastics at the age of five. One of her main goals over the next few years is to qualify for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The top-ranked national gymnast dreams of the Olympics and studying medicine.
Aurélie Tran - Artistic Gymnastics
18 years old - Repentigny
$4000 – 1st Scholarship from Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, 5th Scholarship from the Aléo Foundation
- Proudly represented Canada in the team event at the Paris Olympic Games.
- Studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Iowa
Aurélie has become one of Canada's and the world's elite in artistic gymnastics! Reigning Canadian vice-champion, she proudly represented the country at the Paris Olympic Games, fulfilling one of her greatest dreams by becoming an Olympian! She's starting a new chapter, now studying at the University of Iowa while pursuing her gymnastics career.
Florence Tremblay - Artistic Swimming
20 years old – Rimouski
$4000 – 2nd Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group x Aléo Foundation Scholarship
- Member of the Canadian team that finished 6th in the team event at the Paris Olympic Games.
- Studied natural sciences at Collège de Maisonneuve.
From Rimouski to Quebec City, then all the way to Montreal to realize her dream of becoming an Olympian at the Paris Olympic Games! Passionate about artistic swimming since she started in Rimouski at the age of 6, Florence then pursued her early career in Quebec City, with the Quebec Excellence Synchronized Swimming Club, before moving to Montreal to join the national team. After her career in the pool, the Collège de Maisonneuve A science student wishes to be admitted to dentistry or another health-related field.
About Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group is a world leader in live entertainment. Building on four decades of pushing the boundaries of the imagination, the artistic entertainment company brings its creative approach to a large variety of artistic forms such as live shows, multimedia productions, long-form content, music, immersive experiences, and special events. Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group celebrates 40 years of defying reality, defining entertainment, and illuminating the world through art and creativity. Since its creation in 1984, more than 400 million people have been inspired on 6 continents and 86 countries. The Canadian company now employs more than 4,000 employees, including 1,200 artists from more than 80 different nationalities. For more information about Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, please visit cirquedusoleil.com.
About the Aléo Foundation
Founded in 1985, the Foundation for Athletic Excellence (FAEQ) has awarded more than $25 million in bursaries to nearly 5,000 exceptional student-athletes from all over Québec. In order to better reflect the organization’s mission of elevating athletes beyond sport, the FAEQ changed its name and brand image in 2022, becoming the Aléo Foundation. In addition to continuing to provide bursaries and guidance services to the leaders of tomorrow, it maintains its personalized approach, where the overall development and well-being of its scholarship recipients are at the heart of its activities.
For more information, please visit fondationaleo.ca or the Aléo Foundation's social media pages:
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Spotify
– 30 –
For more information:
Annie Dubé
Director, Marketing and marketing
Aleo Foundation
438-884-6626
Amelie Robert
Advisor, Corporate Public Relations
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group
514-567-6273
