Jury Members
2026

Regina is a fifth-generation member of France's premier circus dynasty, the Bouglione family, owners of Paris's legendary Cirque d'Hiver — the world's oldest and most beautiful permanent circus building, inaugurated in 1852. A versatile and accomplished artist, Regina has presented a wide range of acts throughout her distinguished career, performing both within her family's circuses and in circuses and variety theatres across Europe.

In the United States, she was featured in Feld Entertainment's Barnum's Kaleidoscape. Beyond her performance career, Regina is deeply involved in the creation of Cirque d'Hiver productions and is the creative force behind their renowned and magnificent costumes.

A former competitive power tumbler, Charlie Burrows competed in more than 20 World Championships and was a European Team Champion in 2006. After completing a degree in Business Management, he joined Cirque du Soleil as a performer, appearing as an acrobat on a fast-track and a trampoline in La Nouba at Walt Disney World Resort.

Charlie later transitioned into casting, serving as Casting Advisor and Talent Scout for some of Cirque du Soleil's most renowned productions worldwide. Now based in Las Vegas, Nevada, he holds the dual roles of Head of Scouting and Head of Casting for Resident Shows — two integral components of the company's global casting operations.

A graduate of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Lyon in France, Sarah moved to the United States to join the original cast of Céline Dion's A New Day…, produced in Las Vegas by Franco Dragone. While in Las Vegas, she discovered a passion for circus arts and went on to perform in Dragone's Le Rêve, followed by Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis.

In 2012, Sarah transitioned into casting with Cirque du Soleil, beginning as an Artistic Advisor before advancing to Head of Casting for the company's Las Vegas resident shows. In 2021, she became Creative Manager for The Bourne Stuntacular in Orlando. Two years later, she joined Feld Entertainment as Director of Casting and Performance — roles that, since early 2024, have encompassed Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.

Born in Toronto, Canada, Ian Garden, Jr., has produced numerous landmark productions, including the first-ever circus presented at Toronto's Skydome, The Ultimate Thrills Circus, and shows at Canada's Wonderland, while also touring extensively throughout the United States. Ian was featured in the documentary series Circus and the A&E television movie P.T. Barnum (1999), starring Beau Bridges.

Today, Ian is a leading circus producer in the U.S., creating productions for many of the country's largest State Fairs, including The Big E, Miami-Dade Fair, Wisconsin State Fair, Illinois State Fair, Virginia State Fair, South Carolina State Fair, and other major venues.

Renee Massie is an Emmy- and PGA award-nominated Casting Director and Producer. Born and raised in Long Beach, California, she attended the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. She began her career as an A&R consultant for major record labels, travelling the world to scout emerging musical talent. She later transitioned into television, working at Dick Clark Productions on major live broadcasts, including the Golden Globes and the American Music Awards.

This led her to casting and producing television shows such as America's Got Talent, where she has helped discover some of today's most noticeable performers for the past 14 years. Renee Massie also serves as a judge, talent consultant, vocal coach, and lecturer for dance, music, and circus competitions across the United States.

Fabio Montico is President of the International Circus Festival of Italy, internationally recognised as one of the leading events in the world of circus arts. Raised in a circus family and inspired by his father, Giulio Montico, he founded the festival in 1999 in the city of Latina.

Renamed in 2015, the festival has earned international recognition for artistic excellence and innovation, with its 27th edition scheduled for October 2026. Highly respected within the global circus community, Fabio Montico is known for his artistic vision, organisational expertise, and long-standing commitment to the advancement of circus arts worldwide.

Suzy Eötvös is 8th generation of one of Hungary's oldest and most celebrated circus families. She started performing at age fourteen in a variety of circus disciplines, before becoming the co-director of her family's circus, a position she held for twenty years.

She is now Director of the International Circus Arts Network at Budapest's Capital Circus, and a casting member of the International Circus Festival of Budapest. Suzy Eötvös, who is constantly touring the world in search of new talents, has sat on the juries of major international circus festivals around the world.

Frederico Reder is an internationally recognised artist, entrepreneur, and director. Beginning his career as a theatre actor at age nine, he later became the creator of the Doc Musical genre, blending live theatre with audiovisual storytelling.

Founder of the award-winning Reder Circus, he has managed multiple theatres and circuses nationwide and received honours including the Picadeiro Award and the Governor's Award. Frederico has served on juries for major circus festivals across the United States, Europe, and Latin America, and is proud to serve as a Jury Member of American CircusFest.

Adans was one half of The Peres Brothers, a celebrated Spanish hand-to-hand balancing act that won a Gold Medal at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris, and a Silver Clown at the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo — two of the world's foremost circus festivals. Later, he and his brother Ivan created a new show concept, La Bouche-Ohlala, which showcased their versatility. Adans gained further fame in Spain when he appeared on the television reality show Big Brother VIP.

He is the founder and president of Starlight Production & Showbusiness, which produces shows and special events.

Maxim Popazov is 7th generation of one of Russia's most prestigious circus dynasties, the Popazov-Kochs. Trained as a hand-balancer, he has performed his award recognized hand balancing act all over the world: one in the style of the legendary Anatoly Zalevsky, another one, Advocate, directed by the contemporary circus choreographer Ruslan Ganeev, and Balancing on Chairs, directed by the legendary Russian director Valentin Gneushev, which he has performed for 15 years in Absinthe at Caesar's Palace Las Vegas.

Maxim now produces circus and variety shows through his Las Vegas-based company, Vegas Show Events, and he is the founder and producer of the annual Las Vegas Variety Circus Festival.