The Flawless Irina Naumenko, The Hand Balancer
In circus, talent isn’t hoarded, but shared. Long before the advent of circus schools, which continue to grow exponentially, there was on the job training or gleaning.
“I want to be like my mom,” said Thomas, 6. Not the usual thing one might hear from most boys. Then again, most boys’ mothers aren’t world-renowned circus artists, capable of extraordinary feats. Who could blame him? He, like everyone who sees her is simply enchanted. One is compelled to focus on the enchantress of the canes, as if to look a way for a moment is to risk missing something quite significant. The very energy and lyricism of her act gives way to nothing less than a fluidity of brilliance that one must experience. Young and old alike, share in the mesmerizing state of Thomas, perhaps, just like him, wanting to be like her. Maybe not in the literal sense, but in the spirit of what she represents, the liberation of excellence. Thomas stays unmoved until his mother is done, a monumental feat for any 6-year-old. “He’s definitely my no. 1 fan,” says a smiling Irina Naumenko.
To see her is to witness the highest caliber of artistry. The Russian native is an experience, hailed as, “truly flawless…sublime elegance…”[1]. She’s a living fantasy, as her hand-balancing and contortion act is a seamless stream of impossible motion. Hers is not a mere presentation of poses, but a theatrical rendering connecting the magic of the artist to her audience. “I want to see them,” says Irina about her audience. “I believe we are in it together. I am doing this for them and their energy aids me.”
However, as otherworldly as her performance may be, what precedes it is most certainly earthly bound. Rooted in an unwavering lifestyle of discipline, preparation begins at least 90 minutes before the top of show. This has been her way since the beginning of her most remarkable venture into life in circus.
Destiny has its ways, as Irina began her stellar career at the children’s circus in her hometown of Marks, a small city in central Russia. “It was the only thing to do, besides running the streets,” she smiles. That foundation was the catalyst to her award-winning career, with prizes at Children’s Circus Festivals in Anapa, Russia and Monte-Carlo, Monaco, as well as, high honors at the International Circus Festival of Enschede in the Netherlands. She would go on to star in Cirque Du Soleil’sVarekai as its female lead.
Ever evolving, Irina Naumenko would collaborate with choreographer Julie Perron, to create her latest act on the hand-balancing canes, a spellbinding routine, which displays her effortless synergy of strength, balance, flexibility, and poise; a mesmerizing dance of power and grace that has astounded audiences far and wide, from Dallas, TX to the Arab Emirates.
“Working with Cirque Du Soleil expanded me artistically,” she recalls. The world of the circus has a tradition of artistic generosity. “Each one, teach one…” so goes the adage. In circus, talent isn’t hoarded, but shared. Long before the advent of circus schools, which continue to grow exponentially, there was on the job training or gleaning. Elements of dance, particularly ballet is evident in Irina’s beautiful act. “There were so many different artists to learn from during my time onVarekai, including ballerinas,” says Irina. And learn and perfect she has, creating a wonder that stands among the most excellent of the circus arts.
Scurrying to take his place backstage as his mother makes her way on to the stage to cast her unique spell is Thomas. As the music begins, he is still, as if in a dream state bracing his young imagination for what’s to come. He has no choice, but to share her for those few, yet indelible moments with strangers who are as mesmerized as he. But, alas some how, at only six, Thomas knows, in this moment of time she belongs to no one and is so much more than his mother. She is flawless.
[1] Theater Jones - Joy to the Circus: Cirque Joyeux, the latest from the Dallas-based Lone Star Circus, offers up an entertaining holiday show at Dallas Children's Theater by Amy Martin – December 30, 2017
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