We are very proud of our iL CiRCo family member Sasha Pivaral who was honored with the Bronze Clown Award and the “Prix Des Amis du Cirque Italien” at the 39th Festival International Du Cirque de Monte Carlo in January in Monaco.
Sam Trego: “Sasha is now in a very elite group! Winning at the Festival in Monte-Carlo is akin to getting an Academy Award. She has put in so many years of hard work to achieve this level of artistry. This Bronze Clown Award is longer lasting in the history books than the last standing ovation.”
We got in touch with Sasha and her parents Goulia Rozyeva and Nelson Pivaral via Skype in Zhuhai, China, where they will perform at a permanent circus for three months to ask her about her experience in Monaco.
Sasha: “We have been participating in international competitions for 2 years and each one is different. In China the acts and acrobats are very strong; in Europe they also judge creativity, but Monte Carlo is really the toughest. It’s the Olympic games of the circus world. Everyone here brings a combination of top skill, talent and creativity. We had prepared very well for this festival, but the airline had lost my props. My peg and bow-and-arrow arrived exactly 2 hours before my first performance time. My dad had called every airline contact he could find to make that happen!”
Once Sasha got on stage, she convinced the jury. “Competitions take place over 4 days and I had two shows to perform. The jury’s decision came after the second show. I was overjoyed to win Bronze. Only top artists come to Monte Carlo and getting this prize verifies that I am a top international talent. Many show producers attend Monte Carlo and book the artists. This is a big step up in my career.”
It is very difficult for an American circus artist to achieve success at this level.
Sasha: “The Asian and Russian artists get a lot of support, financial as well as creative. They arrive with a whole delegation of support members. Prior to the Festival, they get months of financial sponsorship to practice new routines, get new costumes and musical scores. The delegations have members who get chosen for the jury. Americans come alone. In my case, it’s my parents and I. And we don’t get any special training time. We travel from the last show straight to Monaco.”
Sam Trego: “It is a fact that China and Russia have a long cultural history of circus. Their artists get the same level of support and sponsorships our Olympians receive. Our circus artists have to fend for themselves. I am very grateful that Imagination Entertainment has been able to find work for circus artists and thus provide a home base for artists like Sasha. She has been starring in Viaggio by iL CiRCo since age 8 and she had the chance to grow as a circus artist. I hope to raise awareness of the amazing talents we have right here in the USA and to find sponsorship possibilities for them. America should have associations, sponsorships and circus organizations to support growing talent right here.”
