Submissive to all ages: the best circus. Russian artists of the Cirque du Soleil do not want to return home Russian artists in the circus du Soleil

I used to say Cirque Du Soleil went down to Brooklyn, but now I'm going to say Cirque Du Soleil went down to Brooklyn because Brooklyn has the Barclay Concert and Sports Center, which came out on top in New York City in terms of sales. tickets.

In this center from July 24 to 28, the Cirque du Soleil performed 7 performances of Quidam, its first performance in Brooklyn. I was invited to a rehearsal. It is always interesting to look not only at the result, but also at the process. I talked with two acrobats - the Bondarenko brothers: 26-year-old Andriy and 29-year-old Oleksandr. They said that as a child, naturally, they loved the circus. But the dream to work in the circus came later. “I started dreaming about the circus when I first saw the Cirque du Soleil on TV,” says Andriy. - It was in 1998, when I just saw Quidam, and in it is the Bankin number, in which I now work. Dream come true". Andriy has seen seven other Cirque du Soleil performances, but he finds Quidam the most interesting for him as an acrobat.

Oleksandr answered this question: “Here the acrobat can reveal himself to the maximum, because here we do what we did before in sports - the same “grid”, we also throw the top ones, we do the same pyramids. It’s like a continuation of our sports career, but at a higher, professional level.”

The Bondarenko brothers are from Nikolaev, Ukraine. As part of the four acrobats, they participated in European and world championships in sports acrobatics. Won many medals. Champions of the VII World Games 2005. Since 2006, they began to perform at the Cirque du Soleil. And since 2010, they have been working in the Quidam show, in the Bankin group room. The number was prepared for 12 months, first in Berdichev (!), then in Montreal and Nashville.

Oleksandr is appointed captain of the room. He is married. He has a two year old child. Andriy is not married yet. The brothers said that in this circus, artists are given marks at the end of each year, on which both the renewal of the contract and the amount of salary for the next year depend. Experience is also taken into account. So the artists have an incentive, there are opportunities for growth.

Oleksandr: “We plan to stay with this company as long as possible.”

Andriy: "Then there is even the prospect of being a coach in the circus."

The performance of Quidam was first performed in Montreal in 1996 and has since remained in the repertoire of the renowned circus. Of the 52 participants in the performance, 18 speak Russian. This, for example, is all the participants in the Bankin issue: some from Omsk, some from Yaroslavl, Vinnitsa, even from Kazakhstan. All came from sports, not from circus families. This was told to me by the acrobatic coach Andrey Vintilov, who has been working in the Cirque du Soleil for 18 years. The strongest number is always put last in the circus program. In this performance, the final number is "Bankin".

Artists show miracles of flexibility, plasticity, dexterity and strength. Their performances and the whole performance is accompanied by beautiful music. The technical equipment of the show is amazing. And amazing directing. For example, the number of aerial gymnast Tanya Burka on a freely hanging bright red silk fabric is a dance elegy about life, love, passion and salvation. And Anna Ostapenko's “hand balance on racks” impresses with its technique, and at the same time with the ease with which incredible tricks are done.

One of the strongest impressions is made by the performance of the power acrobatic duet of Valentina Sidenko and Yves Decoste. They slowly, beautifully, even poetically move from one figure to another, each time creating a sculpture of incredible beauty and harmony.

After the "Bankin" number with its unique pyramids, a red theater curtain falls, reminding us that the Cirque du Soleil is a theater. Circus, but theater. The parting of the artists with the audience is shrouded in a slight sadness. Too bad the story is over. But it's good that she was.

Visitors to an ordinary performance of the famous Cirque du Soleil, held in Las Vegas, became witnesses.

Death in the "Circus of the Sun"

In the midst of a performance, a 31-year-old acrobat Sara Guillard-Guillot performed her part of the program at a high altitude. The girl's number was coming to an end. According to eyewitnesses, the acrobat was on the edge of a high stage and removed the safety ropes.

The next moment, for reasons not fully understood, the artist fell down from 15 meters. It's possible she just stumbled.

Everything happened so unexpectedly and quickly that part of the public considered this fall to be one of the numbers of the program.

As often happens in such extreme situations, those who were present describe what happened next in different ways. Some claim that there was a terrible scream, after which a colleague of the broken artist began to cry right on the stage, after which it became clear that something extremely serious had happened. Others say that the acrobat who fell into the pit behind the stage was not immediately noticed by her partners, so the program continued for several more minutes.

The girl was conscious, but the doctors who arrived at the scene stated that she had severe injuries. The victim was sent to the hospital, and the performance was discontinued.

Despite all the efforts of doctors, the acrobat died from her injuries. In the almost 30-year history of the Cirque du Soleil, this is the first such tragic incident.

In connection with the incident, the management of the circus announced the cancellation of all planned performances in Las Vegas.

31-year-old Sarah Guillard-Guillot was an experienced professional, whose experience exceeded 20 years, so the version of the artist’s insufficient preparation has not the slightest reason.

Most Successful Project

Created in 1984 in Canada Guy Laliberte and Daniel Gauthier Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun) is considered the most successful circus project of recent decades. The total number of participants in the circus troupe reaches 4,000 people. Broken into separate artistic groups, they give simultaneous performances in several countries of the world.

The best representatives of circus art from around the world are invited to participate in the spectacular performances of Cirque du Soleil.

A distinctive feature of the "Circus du Soleil" is that it does not include in its performances, for which the circus enjoys special respect among animal rights activists.

Despite the extreme success of the Circus of the Sun, in January 2013 it underwent a staff reduction - 400 people were fired at once. Representatives of the circus noted that there is a slight decrease in profits due to the fact that the cost of staging new performances is constantly growing.

In the fall of 2012, it became known about the death in Mexico of a Russian member of the Cirque du Soleil troupe, a 35-year-old Russian acrobat Anton Alferov. However, the tragedy that happened to him has no direct relation either to the "Circus of the Sun" or to circus art in general.

A Russian permanently residing in Mexico was detained on the beach in Acapulco for some kind of administrative offense and placed in a cell at the police station. Further, according to the Mexican police, the artist went “mad” and began to beat his head and other parts of the body against the toilet, walls, bars, as a result of which he inflicted severe injuries on himself. Delivered to the hospital, Alferov died from great blood loss. The Mexican authorities insisted that the incident was a suicide.

Life on the edge of the abyss

Spectators who are accustomed to watching the most difficult acrobatic stunts in the circus sometimes do not fully realize how serious the risks are for the performers.

Meanwhile, cases when the participants in the performances are seriously injured in the circus are not uncommon.

In the fall of 2012, in the capital's Circus Art Center, the most experienced 26-year-old gymnast, performing somersaults, landed unsuccessfully on her head and received severe injuries. The girl was taken to the hospital with fractures of the cervical vertebrae, and the doctors fought for her life. Thanks to the efforts of doctors, the girl was saved not only her life, but also her professional career - after a course of rehabilitation, she will be able to return to the arena.

In the spring of 2013, a Kenyan trapeze artist was seriously injured during a performance at the Great Moscow Circus on Vernadsky Avenue. From under the dome of the circus, he fell onto a special safety net, but it could not withstand the load and burst, as a result of which the artist was injured from hitting the arena. According to experts, such an incident with a safety net is absolutely unique both in Russian and in world practice.

Fortunately, the doctors were on top here too - the gymnast not only saved his life, but will also be able to return to his work.

However, not all such cases end at least relatively well. In December 2008, the Russian aerialist Ravshan Alimov crashed at Blackpool Tower Circus in Lancashire, UK. During the performance of a dangerous stunt, 24-year-old Alimov fell from a height of 6 meters, and the blow fell on his head. The gymnast was taken to intensive care, where he died the next day.

Toffee's death

Those who are older remember well the star of the Soviet children's TV show "ABVGDeyka" clown Iriska. Under this image was a circus performer Irina Asmus.

Irina Asmus was an extremely versatile person. After graduating from the circus school, she began her career as a tightrope walker, but after a serious injury she was forced to interrupt her performances in the arena. After that, Asmus entered the theater, where she brilliantly established herself as a dramatic actress.

But the circus nevertheless overpowered, and Irina Asmus returned to the arena again, now as a clown. It was in this image that she appeared on television, where she starred in ABVGDijk for seven years. At this point, Iriska's popularity could be compared to that of pop stars.

After filming on the TV show, Iriska continued to perform at the circus. The tragedy occurred on March 15, 1986 in Gomel. During the performance of their number, Iriska was lifted under the dome of the circus on the so-called "neck loop". However, during the ascent, the rotation mechanism failed, as a result of which the artist fell down from an 8-meter height.

44-year-old Irina Asmus died from her injuries right on the arena, in front of shocked spectators.

23/06/2010

The famous Cirque du Soleil, whose tour is about to begin in St. Petersburg, can be compared with the Chelsea football club. The Canadian circus, as well as the brainchild of Roman Abramovich, is the very place where talents from all over the world dream of getting. Among circus performers, Russian speech has been increasingly heard lately. Former Russian athletes and circus performers drop everything to travel the world under the Canadian flag.

Korosteleva: what gymnastics killed in me was resurrected by the circus

In the same team with Khorkina, why Cirque du Soleil lost its magic and how to marry an American - in an interview with Yulia Korosteleva.

In order to communicate with the well-known gymnast of the Russian national team in the 1990s Julia Korosteleva, the “Championship” had three important reasons at once. First, her own destiny. A former top gymnast, then a sports journalist and for 13 years now a member of the troupe of the most famous circus in the world Cirque du Soleil - it is surprising that there have not been any big interviews with her in the Russian press so far. Secondly, the opinion of a professional and a long-term colleague was interesting Svetlana Khorkina about current artistic gymnastics in context. And finally - very soon Julia is getting married.

“For little girls, gymnastics is hard labor”

Can I immediately ask a question that haunts me. Why do they call you across the ocean not Yulia, but Vasya (Vasya), and in social networks do you have such a nickname?
- I'll tell you now. After a big sport, I got a little lost in real life and spent a lot of time on the Internet.

Yulia Korosteleva. She was born on November 24, 1980. Member of the Russian national gymnastics team in 1994-2000. European champion among girls in team all-around (1995). Repeated winner and prize-winner of the Russian championships in certain types of all-around events. Vice-champion of Russia in individual all-around (1997). Winner of the World Summer Universiade in team all-around (1999).

Well, there was a period of such self-identification. Having finished with the sport, I realized that I was completely without friends. Everyone I knew stayed in the sport. Gymnastics is a specific kind, you start doing it early. Then you just don’t know how, not only to communicate with boys, but how to approach ordinary girls. Therefore, my step was logical - I got into the Internet.

- But we digress.
- Yes, that's it. On the Web, I had a nickname - Vasilisa the Wise. This went on for about six months. I sat on one popular chat, in which everyone communicated at that time, even went to some meetings. After some time, I passed the casting for the circus, and when they sent me a contract to sign, I decided to sign it as "Vasilisa the Smartest". There it was necessary to put a signature on each page, and thus I signed on a hundred sheets. A couple of days later they called me back from the circus, they were happy to sign the contract, but they didn’t like the way I signed it. They asked me to re-sign with my real name. When I arrived in Montreal, for them it was already a meme: “Oh, this is the same Wa-si-li-sa!”. The name for Canadians is long and complex, quickly shortened to "Vasya". Well, that's how it got on. In fact, this name suits me, even now sometimes. Among our people there is such a saying: “Well, you are Vasya ...” - this is about me. I don’t know who influenced whom more, I on the name or vice versa. And for a long time I introduced myself as Vasya. But now I'm Julia again.

- What do you remember when it comes to your gymnastic career?
- It was definitely not a job, because money is paid for work. Love? Possibly, but occasionally. I associate big sport with a huge moral pressure of a coach on a student. I understand with my head that this is not so, but I can’t help myself. It happens that a child has bad parents, but he still loves them, that's the same with me with gymnastics.

- Since you experienced such stress, why didn’t you quit?
- I didn’t even have a thought in my head that I could miss a workout. I couldn’t get sick either, even thoughts like that didn’t slip through. I don’t know why, probably, my dad influenced me, he’s a judo coach. As I got older, pleasure began to appear, especially if I was in good shape. But for little girls, gymnastics is hard labor. Unfortunately for many.

- Did you get into the national team in 1994?
Yes, but she left in 2000. I have never been in the first roles, neither the first, nor the second, nor the third number. There were moments when I approached my peak, I understood that I would be a cut above, but I got injured. Or the season began, and it was necessary to be better here and now, and at that moment I was, on the contrary, weak. All the time I was getting in shape at the wrong time.

- The most unfortunate moment - the one when you missed your main chance?
- The 1996 Olympics was the most real for me, but I did not go to it. Poorly performed at the championship of Russia. When I saw the girls off, I thought: thank God, it's all over. And now this is probably my biggest disappointment that I did not get to the Olympics. Plus, there was a very large and unfortunate injury - an open fracture a month before the 1997 World Cup. I was doing great at the time. She won the freestyle at the Russian Championships and received a silver medal in the all-around. The injury was so severe that recovery took more than a year. It is strange that I managed to return to sports at all, after such fractures they are tied up.

“We were closed together with Khorkina”

I remember how you wrote a very personal comment on Facebook about those injuries: “In our gymnastics, until you prove that it really hurts, work. And if you prove it, keep working.”
- Yes, it was before my second failed Olympics - Sydney 2000. Due to improper treatment, one knee failed me, and then the other. I can't walk - it hurts to step on. I drank painkillers and went to the competition. Three starts in a row, and then the collection of the national team in Greece. I approached him in a terrible state and at the same time I did not even know why.

Why didn't you go to the doctors?
- I turned, or rather, my beloved dad took me from the training camp and took me to the doctor. The hospital gave me the correct diagnosis. My coach decided that my dad had done everything wrong, and directly delivered an ultimatum - he would not work with me until my father apologized. Apparently it's still waiting. So everything slowly faded away. At the beginning of 2000, I got a minor injury and left the training camp. And never came back again.

- You played in the national team,. What do you remember about her?
- In general, Sveta is an individualist. She has always been on her own. This is probably normal for a gymnast of this level. I only remember a couple of stories. At the end of 1996, she and I went together to a serious competition in Japan. This is a tournament with a prize fund, which was important for us, because we are not tennis players. Then the cream of the crop came there - five countries, two people each. The day before the competition went to buy ginseng. Sveta and I had little knowledge of English, while the Japanese did not have it at all. We used body language to show that we needed to get strong and that we needed pills. Let someone try to buy ginseng without knowing the language. It was very funny.

- Really a challenge.
- Oh, I remembered another one! It was also in Japan. We went to the store and while we were inside, it was closed. They announced something over the speakerphone, but we didn't understand Japanese. The time is about six o'clock in the evening, well, who will be closed at such a time? We chatted, went to the second floor, went downstairs, and there were bars and everything was closed. We started knocking on the windows, and then they let us out.

- Do you now follow what is happening in world gymnastics?
- I mainly watch the main tournaments on the Internet. I saw big competitions live in Japan, a year ago I went to the Russian Championship in Moscow. Recently I drove through Dallas, drove into the gym where Nastya Liukin trains. Only recently Mila Ezhova and Egor Grebenkov started working there. Gymnastics fans know this couple well. It was interesting to see this hall, especially since two girls from there went to the World Championships as part of the American team.

- Has gymnastics changed a lot over the past 15-20 years?
- I didn’t find a new horse when the vault changed, so I can’t say about the sensations. But the girls jumped differently - that's for sure. Difficulty has increased a lot, despite the fact that now they are trying to return artistry. Well, for example. I started to practice and jumped three diagonals on floor exercises. Then we began to jump even a small fourth, then a large fourth. And now the girls just do five diagonals.

- At the same time, the Russian team is no longer a world leader.
- Yes, let's be honest - American gymnastics is in the lead.

Recently, the children asked: are you worried or afraid? I said that I want to go to the toilet before each stage appearance.

She is very athletic, especially freestyle. The Russian school holds the bars and balance beam, but on floor exercises, American acrobatics is beyond the limits.

“For me, elements in the circus are just ridiculous”

- Let's move on to Cirque du Soleil - tell us how the Russian gymnast can get there?
- I got it by accident. For a year now, after not training, I tried myself in sports journalism and on my day off I accidentally got into the CSKA hall, where some kind of screening took place. Just escorted a friend. Something interesting happened: you had to go out and talk in front of the camera, and then do something. I sat for half an hour and thought: why don't I try? I didn’t even have a uniform, I had to ask the girls. Since I did not know where I was looking, there was no excitement. English was already good then, the gymnastic numbness had already passed, I gradually became a talker. She smiled, asked a lot of questions, and, probably, that's why she liked it.

- How long did you wait for a response from the circus?
- I didn't expect anything. Three months later they sent me a contract. Then she paused - went to see the World Gymnastics Championships in Belgium. Until I flew to Montreal, I did not fully understand where I was going. When I was already in the circus, the scale struck me. It was a big and serious company.

- When did you first see the show?
- I saw the show only when I arrived in Canada, before that I was not even interested. I can't say that I was impressed. I'm a professional athlete. Any circus discipline, like trapeze and rings, did not seem difficult to me. I watched how the tracks in the circus were jumping, and I realized that I could do twice as much. To be honest, for a long time I did not associate Cirque du Soleil with my future, so at first I was a little casual about my work. I could be late for classes or argue with the coach about technique. Especially when I silently compared the level of Russian and Canadian mentors. Actually, that's why the director thought I was too obstinate, and asked another girl to take my place. I was not sent home, they offered to replace someone on another show. I went to another show, stayed there for a couple of months, and when I went on stage, I was already blown away.

- How long does it take from working out the performance to going on stage?
- I could leave in three weeks, as it seemed to me. I had a simple task - to do a rondade, flasks and a double somersault on the track. For me it was just funny. I was completely out of shape, but I performed such elements with my eyes closed. I asked to do something more difficult, but they told me: no need.

- They don't make complex elements at du Soleil?
- It's just that gymnasts of completely different levels got there. Plus, people grew up and were no longer so thin and small. Many athletes come to the circus and are still in their shell, which must be broken and liberated.

- How does the circus help artists to open up? Special trainings?
- There was a general approach to everyone, now the circus is trying to do it more individually. Even I faced it. Usually such acting classes took place in the summer. For some it was easy, but for many it was a revelation. The coach put you on the floor and said: imagine that the floor is green, and show it to me. What is it all about? Well, try it - show me. A normal person can get lost. Yes, and abnormal too. I fucking hated it.

- The first appearance on the stage is the most memorable?
- Not. I was in a group room. I don't remember anything in particular. Certainly it was exciting. I remember the first trapezoid and jitters. When you go on stage alone, you experience completely different sensations than when you are part of a single mechanism.

"Du Soleil" lost its magic and went into commerce "

- What is more difficult - a solo number or a group one?
- Everywhere is difficult. The artist of the group will say that the solo albums do nothing, the same can be heard in response. It’s just that solo albums are silent a lot in public, in a group it’s easier to talk and complain about a colleague (laughs).

- And who do you consider yourself to be?
- I'm definitely a soloist by nature, but for me it can be seen. What gymnastics killed in me was resurrected by the circus. In the past, I was afraid to say, "Look at me, I'm the best." In the circus, I learned to punch myself in the chest. If I have children, I will teach them the balance of modesty and arrogance. This will be very useful in life.

- What impressed you in life in French-speaking Canada?
- Cold winters. When they found out that I was from Russia, everyone told me: “Are you from Russia? Is it cold there". I was lucky enough to spend three winters here and I can say that it is cold here. I can't say that I'm in love with Canada. But Montreal is a very artistic city. This is the circus mecca.

- Is Cirque du Soleil really the best circus in the world?
- It seems to me that the circus lost its exclusivity, lost its magic and went into commerce. We started doing too many shows. It is difficult to create so many views while remaining at the same high level. I do not agree with the existence of some shows, but who am I against the whole company. Maybe these shows are making money. But there were examples when the circus aimed at grand performances, invested a lot of money, but nothing worked.

- You went to the circus in Moscow, what are your impressions?
- Of course, I try to do it as much as possible. Our Soviet circus is a storehouse of knowledge. All successful circus shows are obtained thanks to Russian coaches. However, the entire world circus is now moving towards Cirque du soleil. I don't know if there are any European circuses that preserve traditions. But as for the Russian circus, I see that make up, costumes have appeared, and instead of an entertainer, such a phenomenon as a story line has appeared. Can't say if it's better or worse.

- Is the circus a family?
- We have a great team. There has never been any kind of rivalry, as there is in ballet.

Here everyone has their own role, and everyone is happy. For me, the circus is family and life, even if it sounds like a cliché.

- It turns out that you have been in the circus for 13 years. It's a lot?
- It's hard for me to say. We recently celebrated an anniversary - one of our directors has been working in the circus for 10 years, although he started as an ordinary manager. And our trainer has been working for 22 years. Compare yourself.

- How long have you had a show for all this time?
- Just three shows - it's not a lot and not a little. I have been working on the last project for seven years now and I never get bored. Of course, there is some monotony. People come and go, but I'm still in the same place. But the very appearance on the stage pays for all this routine. I already feel more comfortable inside the circus. Recently, the children asked: are you worried or afraid? I said that I want to go to the toilet before each stage appearance. The girl who asked me is only four years old, how can I explain this to her? (Laughs.)

"I'm getting married to an American, I'll make dumplings"

- And what - the whole life will pass in the circus?
- If I were a man, I would not leave this profession at all. Still, the female body is a little different, and I want to give birth to a child. And it’s much easier for guys: I went to Russia for a couple of months, returned with my wife. Men can work until the body gives up.

- It means that…
- My contract will end on December 31st. According to the terms of the contract, the circus should offer me a new position, but I think I will refuse. Now I have a man, my personal life begins, and, probably, it's time to tie.

Where is your young man from?
- He is an American, an ordinary guy, not from a circus. With Russian men, I never worked out, probably because you are spoiled. It’s more difficult for women in the circus, because a boy can bring a girl on tour, but if it’s the other way around, it already looks strange. One of these days we will play a wedding. There will be no big ceremony, we will quietly go and sign.

For the last time, he will perform in Moscow with the Kooza show, one of the most spectacular circus shows in the world. For our special project, the artists took pictures without costumes and makeup and talked about their life in the circus and beyond

BARRY LOWIN, ACROBAT

About work:“I am a perfectionist by nature. If I make a mistake, I get very upset and scold myself. Perhaps the viewer will not notice this, but I know that I could have done better. Therefore, I devote a lot of time to training and rehearsals. To keep fit, I do Pilates and yoga. Work in Cirque du Soleil not the easiest, but the best for me at the moment.
About personal: "Show Kooza fulfilled two of my cherished dreams at once: to work on stage and travel the world. I like that we never sit in one place. I like to travel around cities, to study the culture of different countries. Of course, sometimes I miss friends and family. But such is life: those who follow a dream always have to give up something. I do not regret anything and now I am absolutely happy.

BARRY LOWIN

Acrobat(role in the show - Dodger). Country: USA. Before Cirque du Soleil: worked on American television and radio, played in the theater. At the Cirque du Soleil: two years, half a year in the show Kooza.

VLADIMIR KUZNETSOV, ACROBAT

About work: « Cirque du Soleil creates excellent conditions for artists: medical insurance, travel around the world. If you are with your family, then the circus rents apartments ... And yet it's hard to perform in the same image, in the same show for so many years. It seems to me that five years is enough, and something needs to be changed.”
About personal:“A year ago my daughter was born. Now my wife periodically leaves for Russia to visit her grandparents, in the summer she and her daughter rested in Bulgaria. Before the birth of the child, my wife was with me all the time on tour. The second half of the "circus" hard. We work six days a week, leaving little time for the family. On weekends we try to go somewhere: to museums, theaters, just to walk around the city. But usually the wife has to look for entertainment on her own. I don’t think that without her support I would have been able to work in one place for so many years.”

VLADIMIR KUZNETSOV

Acrobat(number in the show "Flipboards"). Country: Russia. Before Cirque du Soleil: worked in the Russian State Circus. At the Cirque du Soleil: six years in the show Kooza.

YULIA KOROSTELEVA,
AIR GYMNAST

About work:“For a long time I perceived the work in Cirque du Soleil as temporary. I left a couple of times, trying to find myself, for example, in journalism. But I realized that the circus is my life. It also has a routine, and sometimes it becomes unbearable. Cities are changing outside the window, and you don’t even have time to see them. But a second wind opens up and everything is getting better.”
About personal:“I think my next role is wife and mother. But with our work it is difficult to find a good dad for future children. I am a strong person: sports and the circus have tempered my character. If I meet someone stronger than myself, I will drop everything. I don't care where I live. Previously, I could not imagine myself outside of Moscow. Now I know that home is a place where people love and wait.”

YULIA KOROSTELEVA

aerial gymnast(number "Trapeze"). Country: Russia. Before Cirque du Soleil: did gymnastics. At the Cirque du Soleil: 12 years, of which 5 in Kooza.

RON CAMPBELL, CLOWN

About work:“The main difference between the theater and the circus is the audience. People come to the circus to relax, so everything should be as simple as possible. We hardly speak, we convey information to the viewer with the help of facial expressions and gestures. AT Kooza clowns are not sentimental. Our jokes are on the verge of good and evil. You have to be careful not to offend anyone."
About personal:"Thanks to Kooza I met my girlfriend. We met while on tour in Japan. She has her own shop there. The work is debugged, so she calmly leaves with me for 2-3 months. I do Japanese martial arts. And if I play the fool on stage, then in life I can fight back. Although I'll joke about it. After the end of the contract with the circus, I will return to the theater. But for now I like to be the head of the kingdom Kooza».

RON CAMPBELL

Clown(role in the show - King). Country: USA. Before Cirque du Soleil: was a street actor, worked in the troupe of the California Shakespeare Theater. Hosted a show in Los Angeles
in which he played 49 roles. At the Cirque du Soleil: 6 years in Kooza.

SEAN KemptON, CLOWN

About work:“I don’t get tired of work: my work is me. There are two types of clowns: some with 30 years of experience and at the same time absolute children, others have been working, it seems, for three hundred years - such gloomy old people. I'm somewhere in between."
About personal:“My wife is an aerialist, but in the show Kooza worked as a clown with me. She has now returned to England with our daughter to send her to school. The daughter grew up behind the scenes and loves the circus. I think she will work here. But the main thing is her happiness. I grew up in a family of military doctors, but my parents did not insist that I follow in their footsteps. So I will treat the choice of my daughter.

SEAN KemptON

Clown(role in the show - Jester of the King, handyman) Country: Great Britain.
Before Cirque du Soleil: acted in theaters in the US and UK, performed in street shows, worked as a director Generating Company- the UK's largest company
organizing tours of circus shows. At the Cirque du Soleil Kooza.

VEDRA CHANDLER, SINGER

About work: “In musicals, I sang, played, danced, but here I only sing, without distracting attention from the stage. Of course, I miss dancing, but I like the new job. It gives you the opportunity to travel and communicate with the whole world.”
About personal:“I graduated from Harvard with a degree in politics. But I always dreamed of being on stage. It was difficult for my parents to come to terms with the fact that I work in musicals with such a serious education. And when they learned about the circus, they were horrified. But I invited them to the performance, and all questions disappeared. They saw a beautiful show and understood that I am happy here. Now everyone is proud to tell about my work. I am 32 years old, and I feel like a child thanks to the circus. I don’t think about what will happen tomorrow, but no matter what happens, I know that I won’t be lost. If I get tired of singing, I can go into politics. How do you like the new president of America from Cirque du Soleil?»

VEDRA CHANDLER

SingerCountry: USA. Before Cirque du Soleil: Performed in musicals on Broadway. At the Cirque du Soleil: four years, three of them in the show Kooza.

JIMMY IBARRA ZAPATA (LEFT)
AND RONALD SOLIS, ACROBATS

Jimmy about work: “Since childhood, I have loved adrenaline. When I saw the "Wheel of Death" at the age of 12, I promised myself that I would do this trick. And I've been performing with him for 20 years."
About personal: “Mom only came to the show once, but in the middle of the number she ran out of the hall. I think after finishing work Kooza, I will stop doing this trick. I have a girlfriend and I want to think about the future: family and children.”
Ronald about work: “The main thing is the relationship with the partner. Jimmy and I have known each other for a long time. There are quarrels. But, going on stage, we forget about them. Because we depend on each other. If one fails, both will suffer."
About personal:“When you take risks every day, it’s better not to think about the future. I try to live for today. My wife does not approve of my work, but she knows: for me this is life.

JIMMY IBARA ZAPATA (RIGHT)

Acrobat(number "Wheel of death") Country: Colombia. Before Cirque du Soleil: worked as an acrobat in German Circus Flic Flac. At the Cirque du Soleil: seven years, six of them in the show Kooza.

RONALD SOLIS

Acrobat(number in the show "Wheel of Death") . Country: Colombia. Before Cirque du Soleil: worked in Swiss Nock. At the Cirque du Soleil: year in show Kooza.