Julian Moreno is a Colombian circus artist who has performed on some of the most acclaimed stages in his field, including the famed Cirque du Soleil. Turning challenges into opportunities, he has become a prominent figure in the global circus arts.
In an in-depth interview with Colombia One, Moreno shared details of his remarkable journey, including his start living alone on the streets.
A journey in creativity, from home to the streets
Moreno, 42, was born into an artistic family in San Juan de Pasto, a city known for its cultural richness and striking colonial architecture.
“My mom was a singer, and to this day, she still sings. My dad loved everything related to comedy,” he says. He explains that it was his father — who often took him to circuses in the city and even entertained him by juggling three lemons — planted the seed of what would later become his passion.
At just 12 years old, after his parents separated, Moreno left home to live on the streets. “I set out to survive, to figure out what to do. At that time, I was in fourth grade, and I decided to stop going to school. I always liked going against the grain,” he explains.
Moreno survived by asking his friends for places to stay. However, one day, he could not find anywhere to sleep. Given the extreme cold of Pasto, a city located at 2,517 meters above sea level, he decided to travel to the warmer climes of Cali, with the hope of finding a new path.
“I hitchhiked to Cali, getting rides from people and truck drivers who helped me. … I started sleeping on the streets, and even though it was warmer, it brought me a lot of problems. The police often woke me up, hitting me because I was sleeping in places I wasn’t supposed to,” Moreno says. “Cali was the hardest time I had on the streets.”
While sleeping in the gardens of luxurious homes in the city, Moreno had his first encounter with the arts. He met a friend who taught him craftsmanship, a skill he combined with his ability to play wind instruments.
He traveled across various regions of Colombia, and on one of those journeys, met a group of Argentinians and Chileans who blended juggling with drum music.
“I had this image of my dad juggling, and I became interested. So, I approached them, and we clicked. They lent me their props to practice and I found it quite easy,” he explains.
With the group of artists, Moreno traveled across Colombia in the mid-1990s. Later, he became a traffic light circus, pioneering an unusual practice that challenged traditional ideas of street performance.
European circus school: next stop on Moreno’s journey toward Cirque du Soleil
Some time later, Moreno met a woman with whom he later had a daughter. She convinced him to move to her native Switzerland and in 2001, he started a new life there. After two years working in restaurants and cleaning, he decided to return to his art. He started practicing juggling in parks and reconnecting with other circus arts.
“I met some guys who had a very different and cool juggling style. I went up to talk to them, and it turned out they were from a circus school. That’s when I discovered circus schools in Europe,” Moreno recalls.
In Europe, circus artist training has been professionalized and in countries such as France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, specialized schools and universities offer courses. Institutions such as CNAC and ESAC offer advanced training in acrobatics, juggling, and stage performance.
In Switzerland, the École de Cirque de Genève (ECG) trains artists from beginner to advanced levels. Additionally, the Accademia Teatro Dimitri offers a specialized circus program that integrates traditional and contemporary techniques.
Switzerland is also part of the Fédération Européenne des Écoles de Cirque Professionnelles (FEDEC), a European network of professional circus schools that connects students to international opportunities and promotes high-quality education.
In this environment, where his art was now seen professionally and with greater vision, Moreno became inspired. His daughter’s grandfather also encouraged him to join one of these schools.
“He told me, ‘Julian, I saw a big tent over there. I don’t know what it is, but if you want, we can check it out,'” Moreno recalls. “So, we went, and it turned out to be the very circus school those guys had told me about. The moment I stepped inside that tent, my life changed completely. I thought, ‘Wow, this is what I want to do.’”
Moreno went on to participate in an audition and was one of the six people selected out of 30 contestants. Four years of academic schedules, training in different disciplines, and intense workouts followed.
He got his first opportunity on a major stage in 2006, when he replaced an acrobat at Cirque Knie, the Swiss National Circus. Amazed by its seemingly magical world filled with top-tier artists, he decided to specialize and went on to join the Académie Fratellini in Paris.
There, he specialised in Hand to Hand, the discipline in which he excelled the most. This acrobatic discipline is performed in pairs, where one artist, the “porteur,” serves as the base while the second, the “flyer,” performs balances, jumps, and figures on top of their body. Moreno, who is a porteur, stands out for his strength, stability, and technique in supporting and guiding his partner’s movements.
“Paris was the city that propelled my career. I participated in festivals and secured many contracts there. When I graduated, my act received the second-highest score, which led to a flood of job offers. I worked all over Europe — Germany, Belgium, Denmark,” Moreno said.
Moreno is scouted by famed Cirque du Soleil
During a run of performances with the Peter Garden Cabaret in Berlin, a Cirque du Soleil talent scout approached Moreno and invited him to join a new show in Montreal.
“He told me my look and my work were perfect for one of the characters. I wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t even consider it because I thought [that] the people at Cirque du Soleil have been doing this since childhood [whereas] I started relatively late,” Moreno says.
Moreno joined Cirque du Soleil in 2010 as part of the show Amaluna, a production inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Recognized for its innovation and artistic excellence, Cirque du Soleil is the world’s leading contemporary circus company, blending theater, dance, and high-level acrobatics.
For five years, Moreno toured with Cirque du Soleil across North America. During this time, he excelled in a new technique called teeterboard, where an artist jumps on one end of a board to launch their partner into the air, allowing them to perform aerial acrobatics.
However, free-spirited Moreno eventually decided to move on. “When your work becomes mechanical on stage, you feel like you’re giving less, you know? The soul gets lost, so I didn’t want to fall into that,” he explains.
He went on to perform in various other locations across the world, including in Monaco in Canada, sponsored by Prince Albert city; in La Perle, Dubai’s first large-scale circus show; and Rhythms of the Night in Mexico. He then spent a few years in Mexico, working as a coach in acclaimed acrobatic techniques while staying close to his daughter.
Later, Moreno returned to his signature discipline, Hand to Hand, with a new partner. After posting videos showcasing his skills on social media, he was contracted to open a show in Hong Kong. While the two acrobats signed the contract and traveled to Hong Kong, it was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and they had to return home.
Moreno reflects on circus arts in Colombia
Despite this setback, Moreno and his acrobatics partner soon received a new opportunity. “When the entertainment industry started reopening, the same company contacted us and offered us work on cruise ships. I had never done that before, so we accepted and launched a cruise line show,” he explains.
Speaking from the Celebrity Cruises’ Equinox, Moreno praised Latin America’s “strong” new generation of circus artists. He cited in particular Colombia’s Nicolas Nieto, who received a special Cirque du Soleil award in 2024 for his performance at the World Circus Festival in Paris.
Moreno also shared his thoughts on circus arts in Colombia, explaining: “For us, the circus doesn’t hold the same value as it does abroad. In Europe, it’s considered a legitimate artistic career. We have great talent, but we need much more support.”
With this in mind, Moreno is preparing to open a circus school in his hometown Pasto. To be called ENAC, it will serve as a circus skills training center and will seek partnerships with regional universities to expand opportunities in the discipline.
Moreno attributes his success to respect for his craft, as well as his discipline, perseverance, and passion. These qualities have shaped a solid career that has taken him across dozens of countries, immersing him in diverse cultures while showcasing the undeniable strength of Colombian artists.