Circo Fest Adjudicators
Payton glagau
Payton Glagau is a Montreal-based performer, choreographer, instructor, producer, and adjudicator with a passion for storytelling through movement. Her work blends diverse styles and techniques, creating emotionally powerful and politically resonant performances.
With a foundation in dance since age seven - training in jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop, contemporary, Irish dance, and acrobatics - Payton later expanded into circus arts, specializing in pole, aerial hoop, hammock, and silks. Over the past 12 years, she has performed on prestigious stages across Canada, including The Bella Concert Hall, The Jack Singer, The Jubilee Auditorium, The Grand, Le Monastère, Bain Mathieu, and Cabaret Lion d’Or.
After 10 years as a dedicated coach, Payton founded Cirque Célestial in 2023, offering circus and dance training for adults with a focus on community, technical excellence, and performance. Her students have competed at national and international levels, with multiple national champions in 2023 and 2024. She also mentors and coaches Natalia Promchuk, who won bronze at the 2024 World Aerial Championship in Argentina.
Payton holds an Instructor E-Learning Diploma from École Nationale de Cirque and is a certified pole and aerial instructor through Pole and Aerial Fitness Academy. She is a lifelong learner and always looking to improve as a coach, performer, adjudicator, choreographer and mentor. She continues to push creative boundaries while fostering the next generation of performers.
Excited to be part of Circo Fest, she looks forward to seeing this year’s incredible acts!
Nathalie Hébert
Nathalie Hébert is a movement specialist, trained in dance and physical education. A former gymnast, she began her career as a gymnastics teacher before devoting herself to the circus arts. A teacher at the National Circus School of Montreal since 1998, she is renowned for her expertise in aerial hooping, acrobatics and acrobatic research. Driven by a deep passion for exploring the body in movement, Nathalie combines technical rigor and creativity to support the development of future circus artists and encourage innovation within the disciplines. An excellent pedagogue, she is renowned for her ability to pass on her knowledge with clarity, kindness and high standards, while cultivating her students' curiosity and progress.
Bryan Saunders
Bryan has trained in a variety of circus arts for 10 years and has performed at events such as Burning Man, Future Forest, and Acro Unity. He is a graduate of the Instructor in Circus Arts diploma with the École Nationale de Cirque in Montreal. Today, he trains primarily on aerial rope, silks, & straps.
