“Off Stage” is a 3-part, written series for the circus performer pursuing interests outside of the performing arts, or “off stage.” Our host and author for the series is performer, choreographer, and writer,Elena Suárez Pariente. The series presents three interviews between Elena and her guests as they offer personal stories and advice on pursuing parallel passions to circus performance. The topics here include pursuing a degree, starting and running a business, and turning a hobby into a lucrative side job.

Anastasia Strizhanova is the first guest of the newest CircusTalk Original Series, “Off Stage.” She is currently performing in Las Vegas as part of the show Absinthe by Spiegelworld, and her specialty is hand balancing, a skill that, as she explains, requires “a lot of time and patience.” On top of that, this 22-year-old artist combines her busy schedule as an artist with studies and internships in the hospitality industry. Her dreams are big, as are her dedication and hard work.

As soon as you meet Anastasia, you realize that she is an ambitious woman, very focused and grounded. It’s inspiring to hear how she talks about her passions and how she manages her time to combine two careers. She has been in the circus industry since she was born. Her parents were on tour with Cirque du Soleil, and her first steps were in a circus tent. Her godfather is the creator of the iconic banquine act in Cirque du Soleil’s show Quidam, and her parents were part of the company for many years, performing in different successful shows like Kurios.

When she was 3 years old, Anastasia started to copy her mother as she did  warm ups backstage—and that’s how her artistic devotion started. Even though she started to train for the circus very early, she also studied and went to school because, according to her parents, education was considered to be a fundamental piece of her development. She attended different schools in Russia and Canada, and received schooling provided by Cirque du Soleil  for all the children that were traveling with their shows, which helped her continue with her studies. Later on, she studied online in America and graduated from the iNaca Connections Academy. She learned different languages including English, Russian, and French.

At 18 years old, she decided that Las Vegas would be a great place to grow as an artist, and after her parents agreed, she moved to the US to continue her career. Spiegelworld offered her a contract in Absinthe and, since then, she has been part of the show’s Sway Pole act as well as performing her hand balancing solo act. Anastasia has also just finished a program in the hospitality industry. “I found this program during the pandemic,” she says, “and I did it for 11 months. It introduced me to the industry and I definitely see myself working in something related to this.”

I  talked with Anastasia to learn more about her artistic career and her other passion off stage.

–Elena: You are currently doing an internship at Superfrico, the restaurant from Spiegelworld. Are you doing this during your days off? How is your schedule usually?

–Anastasia: My schedule includes between seven and nine shows per week, and every minute that I have between shows, I use to study. I just finished my studies in the hospitality industry and, at the same time, I was making practices at different places like Superfrico, the restaurant created by Spiegelworld. The company has been an important part of my personal development because they have supported my new passion in different ways. Because Vegas is based on nightlife, the restaurant opens at night, so I had to do it on my days off, around 4 to 6 hours each day. With such a busy schedule, most  days I go to sleep at 3 am, studying after my shows. It’s hard, but it makes me feel good to have another passion off stage.

Elena:You just mentioned that your show company, Spiegelworld, helped you with this other passion. Can you explain to us how they supported you?

 Anastasia: The company provides a program for its artists that economically supports our studies in the field that we choose, and also they provided me the opportunity to learn firsthand how the different departments work. I had the chance to shadow every employee at Superfrico and Atomic Saloon, so now I have a better idea of what their tasks are. It was great to learn more about managing a restaurant…  but also, on a personal level, I could appreciate what others do while we, the artists, are the ones “shining” on stage.

– Elena: How and when did you start this hobby, that afterward became a side job?

–Anastasia: This new passion arrived in my life during the pandemic. At first, I felt lost and scared, and  I started to wonder what would happen and what would I do if the shows didn’t reopen. The pandemic made me reinvent myself and brought me focus. I just wish I had started it much earlier, because all of this has brought me to a good mental place that also helps me  in my artistic career. I found this new devotion, paying attention to the little details, that awakened something in me. I was watching TV shows about hotels and restaurants and I loved it. I wanted to know more about it. I felt like I could do it.

–Elena: Would you consider this your plan B if at some point you stop performing?

–Anastasia: Yes, absolutely. I have a dream of opening my own restaurant. I think about the future and I want to be prepared for any setback, since an artist’s career has many ups and downs and sometimes situations that are beyond our control, like injuries that keep us offstage…  or simply because maybe one day in the future I won’t feel like performing anymore. Growing up, my parents always pushed me to have a plan B, and I never realized why they told me that all the time. But at a certain age, everything made sense and I knew it was important for many reasons to have another path ready off stage.

–Elena: What would you advise to other artists that are struggling to find passions off stage?

–Anastasia: I encourage other artists to find other passions off stage, to activate their brains and not get bored doing the same show for a long time; to not get burned by the obstacles that the artistic life presents and to grow as individuals. Thinking about something else beyond the circus helps you to feel awake and curious to learn more; it helps you  focus on your own growth. I feel that while I’m busy pursuing my goals, I have less time to be worried about silly things or small situations that can lead me to feeling sad or bored. And it’s really about that—about paying attention to the small details that awaken an interest in you. That curiosity can push you toward a new path and guide you to a whole new passion that you didn’t have before.

– Elena: What do you think is the key to finding things that interest you, then?

–Anastasia: Definitely I would suggest you stay diverse,  keep your  mind open, and always  work on yourself. This is especially true for artists, because our career is very hard, and having this attitude helps us mentally.

Anastasia believes that all this hard work is going pay off, her interest is unlimited, and she is ready for the next chapter of this adventure. She has in mind to learn more about mixology and among her plans wants to open her own restaurant. After listening to her inspiring story, I will definitely make the first reservation!

Elena Suarez Pariente

Performer, Choreographer, Writer -Spain

Elena Suárez Pariente is an artist, journalist and barre coach from Spain. She was the original ballerina from the show Volta by Cirque du Soleil, and currently performs a hair hanging solo act in Spiegelworld’s Opium in Las Vegas, US. Elena has experience as a dancer, actress and hair hanger, and also studied journalism in Madrid. She is passionate about art, culture and sharing other people's stories.

Elena's profile