Sebastien Stella grew up in Paris working class suburb. He first became involved with gymnastics as a boy. "I was always more interested in movement than competition," he says. While attending circus school in France, he developed a passion for circus arts. He studied movement wherever he could find it: classical ballet, mime, modern dance, the films of Harold Lloyd, Gene Kelly, Charles Chaplin and Jackie Chan. He also was schooled in the first generation of parkour, the "free-running," leaping and bounding urban art with its founders. His vision is to combine all of those influences into a fluid, effortless – and, above all, entertaining – style.
His first professional success was as an original cast member of "Notre Dame De Paris," a hugely successful musical based on "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Four months after its boffo opening in Paris, he became assistant choreographer, assistant director and acrobatic coordinator for touring companies that took the production to such countries as Spain, Italy, Canada, Russia and the United States. In Las Vegas, he became a cast member of Cirque Du Soleil's brilliant, water bound production, "O." So advanced were his skills, the company extended him the rare privilege of excusing him from its mandatory three-month training program. During his two years with the show, he discovered a greater enthusiasm for extreme styles than he had encountered in Europe.
For Cher's Las Vegas extravaganza, "Cher at the Colosseum," he choreographed stunts and appeared in her crowd-pleasing "Laverne" video. His creations for "Celebrity Circus" included an aerial cradle for "Clueless" star Stacey Dash. For a very different kind of venue, the Hollywood Bowl, he directed a breathtaking number for female aerialists who performed to an orchestral reading of Miklos Rozsa's waltz from the film "Madame Bovary."
Then came a one-two punch of major proportions: Stella was pop superstar P!nk's trainer, performing partner, creative guru and all-around protector for her phenomenally successful Funhouse Tour. The yearlong event, which presented 160 shows in 18 countries, featured daring circus stunts and extreme acrobatics (most created and performed by Stella), the likes of which the international pop audience had never seen. He may well be the only artist who has worked with Pink, Britney Spears (for whose "W*rk Bitch" video he did action choreography and stunt coordination) and Katy Perry, with whom he performed an aerial routine for the 2012 Billboard Awards. The many commercials for which he has provided choreography, stunt coordination and/or direction include Pink's 2012 CoverGirl spot.
To see more of Sebastien Stella's work be sure to check out his SohoMuse profile by clicking the link below.
