Desire Of Flight

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Aerialists

Desire Of Flight (2014)

Russian-born Valeriy Sychev is a former competition gymnast, and a member of the Russian National Gymnastics Team. Valeriy converted to circus arts when his competitive career came to an end—as many former Russian gymnasts do. He made his debut in Perezvony ("The Chimes"), Valentin Gneushev's groundbreaking aerial creation, with which he performed on Broadway at the Gershwin Theater in 1991, in Steve Lieber's production of Cirk Valentin, and later in Pavel Brun's adaptation of the act for Cirque du Soleil.

Malvina Abakarova is a third-generation Russian circus performer whose family have performed a famous high-wire act, the Abakarov Troupe. Marina has performed with her family all over Europe, as well as in China and in the United States with tours of the Moscow Circus. Valeriy and Malvina created their arial strap actAerial act performed hanging from a pair of fabric or leather straps. (See Aerial Straps.) in 2004. With it, they have participated in (and been awarded by) several international circus festivals, and have worked in Russia and all over Europe (notably at the Cirque d'Hiver in Paris in 2010 and Circus Knie, in Switzerland, in 2017), and in the United States, where they were featured in the Big Apple Circus 35th anniversary production of Legendarium in 2012, and again in 2018-2019.

In 2014, Malvina and Valeriy, with a new presentation of their act, were awarded the coveted Gold Clown at the 38th International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo, which was presented to them by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. Malvina has a daughter, Ekaterina Stepanova, who was born in Houston, Texas, in 1990, during a tour of the Moscow Circus. Ekaterina made her debut in the ring in 2005 in England with a remarkable strap actAerial act performed hanging from a pair of fabric or leather straps. (See Aerial Straps.) performed on tissus. In 2017, while touring with Circus Knie, Malvina suffered from a fall and was replaced in the act until the end of the season by Ekaterina, who proved as talented as her mother.