Yes, the format of these particular festivals hold back the progress. On a stage where you just get 8 minutes to shine, your best bet is to go with the "look at me, I am awesome" style, which results in similar acts.
Of course there are also festivals where companies can play their long shows, but these have not yet acquired the fame of Monte Carlo. In the Netherlands we have Circo Circolo for example, which definitely shows a varied & dynamic art form.
Getting a press pass was easy, I sent the press office of Demain an email, linking to my author profile at eZine.
by Daniel Simu, in response to this post 2016-02-08 16:20:00