1. Cirque Du Soleil’s Dralion: The Cast.
Farrago talks to a musician and a juggler on the upcoming Cirque du Soleil show Australian tour
Dralion about being in one of the best internationally-renowned circus in the world.
By Melita Rahmalia
Cirque du Soleil’s latest show, Dralion, is guaranteed to be an unforgettable spectacle. Cirque du Soleil
produce shows that are impressively imaginative and contain some of the best circus performances in
the world.
For Cirque du Soleil, excellence begins with the people they choose. “We have people coming from
theatre, ballet, gymnastics, and traditional circus. But I think you have to be one of the top in your field.
Basically people that do this are really dedicated and love what they do,” Vladik Myagkostupov, a
trilingual juggler from Ukraine, explains.
The name Dralion is a combination for “dragon” and “lion”, as the show’s concept revolves around the
ancient Chinese circus tradition, mixed with Cirque du Soleil’s style. In the show, the dragon represents
the East and the lion represents the West. The production is directed by Guy Caron, who pioneered the
rebirth of the circus arts in early eighties. When asked about the essence of the show as he understands
it, Vladik answers, “Dralion is a tribute to Chinese acrobatic arts, the concept is based on the fusion of
China’s 3000 year-old acrobatic tradition with Cirque du Soleil’s theatrical approach to the circus arts.
It is a very colourful and energetic show.”
The title act, “Dralions”, involves Cirque du Soleil artists on wooden balls which they roll under their
feet and on which they perform somersaults. Meanwhile, five “dralions” perform acrobatics around
them. Mythical characters such as Gaya, the goddess of Earth, The Little Buddha, a chosen child who
dreams of being ordinary, Azala the Goddess of Air, Oceane the Goddess of Water, Yao the Fire, and
the Clowns, add story to the performance.
Vladik himself performs a combination of classical juggling, acrobatics, and dance, using clubs and
balls with a modern twist. His training regime includes practicing juggling for up to two hours and
doing an hour-long work-out everyday. “My father taught me everything I know. He always told me
that the most important thing is not the tricks that you do on stage, but it is how you do it. In other
words, the presentation and the character you put on stage are a big part of the act itself. It is also
important to be able to move very well on stage and have a good showmanship.” Nevertheless, he still
gets nervous sometimes, mostly at premieres or when important guests are in attendance. During these
moments, Vladik tries to let go and think about something else. “The last thing I want if I drop a ball is
to tell myself ‘I’m going to drop again’ that’s why I need to forget about it right away!”
Vladik has roots firmly planted in circus performances. With his family as part of the Moscow State
Circus, he toured the United States, learnt to dance at four, learnt to juggle at 6 six, and has a high
school degree in performing arts. As soon as he graduated, he traveled and performed in cabarets and
variety shows in Europe and in Japan. “I love going on stage and entertain people while traveling the
world and seeing other cultures. My favorite moment is to see people’s face in the audience before I get
on stage. It reminds me every time the joy that the show gives them.”
A career in dancing and juggling allows Vladik to tour and travel constantly, which he rates as the best
thing about his job. However, it does have a downside. “As a circus performer, later on in your career,
you will get physically limited in what you can do” he said. So what would Vladik do if he isn’t
performing, or stopped performing? “I am really into music. I have been composing for about 7 years
now. Maybe someday I will lean towards this. I don’t see myself doing a regular job!”
Natasha Rumiz, a musician for the Dralion Australian tour, is from Sydney and a trained classical

2. musician from the Conservatorium of Music, New South Wales. She recalls her impression when
watching the show in Belgium for the first time, “I saw it in 2004 and was not only impressed with the
acrobatic performances. The craziness of the clowns got my attention and even today, after seeing the
show so many times, they make me laugh while I’m working, and there are moments where I
improvise along with them.”
When discussing the music, Natasha explains that Dralion has singers and instrumental music with an
international feel and operatic overtones. The music is so powerful and well performed, she says, that
some audience members actually think that it is not live. “I take it as a compliment that some think it’s
a recorded backing CD.”
Originally from Sydney and now based in Paris, Natasha studied violin and piano at the
Conservatorium of Music NSW. After that she dived into a world of performing, recording, arranging
and composing, including work with several indie bands in Sydney, companies such as Belvoir St
Theatre and The Sydney Dance Company, and Australian movies such as Candy and Last Ride. She
joined Cirque in early 2008 when the show is touring Japan. “Although I am classically trained, my
work has taken me on a diverse path which has allowed me to explore music from all over the world.
But my passion is live music.” If Vladik’s downside of the job is about the future, for Natasha the
worst aspect of the job is constantly experienced during her career. “I really dislike wearing
headphones for long hours.”
- Thanks to Larissa Cavanagh for the interview.