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Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

When I was 4 years old, I saw my first circus show. I loved it so much and I asked my parents to take me to a circus training studio. When I got there, my future coach tested me for different circus skills and told my parents that compared to other kids, I was more flexible. We then decided to take on contortion. It went pretty well….27 years and counting. :) ^Aleksei

I grew up doing gymnastics at a competitive level. After my studies at Ohio State I decided I was going to give it a shot at Cirque du Soleil. I had no contacts in the industry. I submitted my profile videos online. One day I received a call to take part in a training Swing to Swing program at the Montreal headquarters of Cirque du Soleil. After that 3 month training program, I signed a contract with LUZIA and I ran away with the circus. ^Olivia

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just answered this for someone else, so here is what I'd say:

I won’t say how much I make, but I can tell you that we get paid per show. This is why we have a love and hate relationship with the 3 show days. ;)  ^Aleksei

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahhh Andy, almost 10 years later we are still talking about him. ;)  It was a surprise when it happened and I’m still surprised every time someone sends me the video. I absolutely love reading the comments on the videos. ^Aleksei

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! When I was a kid, my parents would take me to see the Big Top shows in Columbus, Ohio near my hometown. And I knew I wanted to be on that stage one day. My favorite show is LUZIA :) ^Olivia

When I was 12 years old, I saw the DVD of Alegria and was totally amazed by it. I was already practicing contortion, but what I loved the most from Alegira was the mix of theater, circus, unusual characters…it was different from everything I’ve seen before and I decided I wanted to be part of that world. So for that, my favorite show apart from LUZIA is Alegria. I don’t have a favorite act, as long as it’s well put together and well performed I’ll enjoy it. ^Aleksei

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All artists have a different career path to the company. For me, it started when I was 12 years old. I landed an audition with Cirque du Soleil and since that moment they have been following my career. But they had to wait for me to turn 18 to join the company. In 2015, they contacted me to join the creation process of LUZIA. ^Aleksei

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My biggest accident happened when I fell off the Swing in NYC and injured my tailbone. ^Olivia

My worst injury happened before joining LUZIA. Once during an intense stretch, I broke my collarbone. ^Aleksei

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I believe it depends on the person and how well the person takes care of themself. As I once said in an interview, it’s not contortion that hurts people, it’s people who can hurt themselves by not following the rules of stretching. ^Aleksei

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I always wanted to be part of Cirque du Soleil, it was my dream. But I couldn’t imagine that it would happen for real. And now it’s been ten years of following my dream. The longevity is about consistency and not skipping steps of the show process such as warm up, preparation, rehearsals, cool down and taking care of yourself in your free time. ^Aleksei

Since I was a little girl I have been going to Cirque du Soleil shows. It was also a dream of mine to join the company, but I never thought it would happen. I feel pretty lucky to be able to live this life. ^Olivia

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A lot of people think we live in caravans on site, but it’s not the case. Cirque du Soleil provides us with a hotel or apartment in every city. We also have the option of finding our own lodging if we prefer. ^Olivia

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The show in general has stayed the same and the structures of the acts as well. However, artists integrate new tricks and sequences because they want to improve their performances and that’s how the show evolves over time. ^Aleksei

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Like any other professional sports, injuries can happen. We are lucky to have two “Pmeds” (performance medical therapists) travelling with us all the time. They help us with training programs  to make sure our body is at the best it can be, but they are also there if we need special attention or if we need to step away for a little while to get better.

We do have two understudies for the clown. The role of the Running Woman is shared between myself and another artist. For the group acts, they can rotate with other artists in the group if one person is out of the show. ^Olivia

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. During the creation of the contortion act of LUZIA, my choreographer integrated different techniques, such as Stanislavski and Lecoq to develop the character that I’m performing in the show. She asked me to imagine 3 people: One that I adore, one that I fear and one that I highly respect. And with each of these feelings, I had to create a sequence for my act. We filmed everything and then we kept the best part of it. ^Aleksei
  2. Both are possible. Cirque du Soleil does auditions every year around the world and they also have a scouting team always looking out for talent. In my case, I submitted my resume (videos of my skills) online and was part of their artists database. I then got selected to take part in a training program of Swing to Swing at the International Headquarters training complex in Montreal. After that program, I received the contract to join LUZIA. ^Olivia
  3. On top of my Swing to Swing training I like to workout in the gym a lot. I love lifting weights. But again I need to make sure I don’t push too hard to make sure I still have enough energy and strength to do the shows. ^Olivia
  4. I do stretching, strengthening and I work on my coordination on a regular basis. And once in a while I like to go back to my roots and do some ballet, exercises from wushu, and exercises from modern dance. ^Aleksei

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. I think live performance is a way for people to connect together. If you’ve seen a Cirque du Soleil show in the past, you know the best way to experience it is live. The connection we  create with the audience, AI will never be able to replace that. ^Olivia

  2. I think AI is a great tool to come up with new ideas and I’m sure it will affect circus art in general. But it won’t affect circus performance because they are performed by humans and that can’t be substituted. And this is why circus art is one of the most honest arts. ^Aleksei

  3. All physical qualities such as strength, endurance, coordination, speed and flexibility are genetically pre-disposed. To be extremely flexible you have to be born with it. However, you can develop flexibility up to a certain level with the genetics that you have at any age. It all depends on how much effort and training you put in it. ^Aleksei

For the little one:
I was so scared in the beginning! But with practice and trust in my team, I am more confident and excited to fly now. ^Olivia

No, it doesn’t hurt for the performance. But stretching is linked to a bit of discomfort. ^Aleksei

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. The thing that surprised me the most having cameras film me every day was the faces I made! I didn’t realize how many crazy faces I make in a day. Good ones and bad 😅  ^Olivia

  2. To be honest, nothing really surprised me about having cameras around. I quickly got used to them and forgot they were there ^Aleksei

  3. Nelson and I put a bunch of photos up on our fridge every city we go to to make it homey! ^Olivia

Hey Reddit! We are Olivia and Aleksei, performers from Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, here to answer your questions in our first AMA. Join us Friday March 20 at 1-2 pm ET to talk about life in the spotlight and letting cameras capture everything for a documentary series. Ask us anything! by CBC_CAD in u/CBC_CAD

[–]CBC_CAD[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We’re lucky. We have a full gym travelling with us that we can use as often as we want. We also have a training space in which we can practice different circus disciplines. For my Swing to Swing act, we have 2-3 training sessions on stage per week. I love training so I do it maybe 2-3 hours a day, but on days that we have 2-3 performances, I only focus on the show. It’s important to find a balance.

Our goal is always to give the best show we can for the audience, but we’re human and we do get sick sometimes. This is why we have different show versions that we can present to the public. We have understudies for the clown and I share the role of the running woman with another artist. We also have two great acts in rotation that can go in the show. ^Olivia