It might be considered “unusual” to be a traveling entertainer, but for the moms at Cirque du Soleil who have raised their children while working — the job has become a part of their family.
Alison Crawford, artistic director for Corteo, said she gave birth to her child while she was on tour 24 years ago.
“My child was born on tour,” Crawford said. “It was wonderful to have him with us. The tours are one big family and he was welcomed with open arms.”
Julie Dionne, an acrobat and coach for Cirque du Soleil, echoed Crawford’s sentiments. Describing her colleagues as members of her family, she has been with the company since 1998. In particular, Corteo perfectly tells the story of family. Dionne said her children travel with her on tour whenever possible.
“My kids are very proud of who their mom is,” Dionne said. “They enjoy very much the feeling of belonging to the show, Cirque du Soleil. They are well-traveled and open to discover new cultures, new worlds and accept differences.”
Svetlana Tsarkova, a juggler for Cirque du Soleil for five years, has one daughter. She said it’s never been easy to be a mother while on tour but any working mother will find similar challenges.
“Any kind of working life is never easy,” Tsarkova said.” You are always trying to find the balance between being a good mom and opportunity to be a professional. At the same time, you can get a lot of opportunities to share the whole world with your child.”
Aliaksandra Revutskaya, an artist on the show, said she communicates with her son on why her career is important. The communication has created a son who is very supportive of women in the workforce.
“I advise [other working moms] to communicate and explain to their children about why [their careers] are important,” Revutskaya.
It’s fitting that these three Cirque du Soleil moms would come together to produce Corteo for San Diego audiences as the production tells the tale of life and humanity.
Corteo, which means cortege in Italian, is a joyous procession imagined by a clown. The show highlights the strength and fragility of the clown, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the portion of humanity that is within each of us.
“Corteo is a celebration of life,” Dionne said. “It brings you through a multitude of emotions. Even though it is grandiose, it still feels like home — like family.”
Corteo will take place at Pechanga San Diego from Wednesday, Sept. 6 to Sunday, Sept. 10. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to cirquedusoleil.com/corteo.
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San Diego Moms is published on Saturdays. Have a story idea? Email hoaq@timesofsandiego.com and follow her on Instagram at @hoawritessd.
