“I’m the 4th generation of circus artists in my family. My great grand-parents were high wire artists and I’m an aerial gymnast. In the beginning I didn’t want to work in the circus at all and I went to university in Moscow. It was good experience for me, to know how people live who are not from the circus world. And I still have friends from “normal life” (laughs)! But then I understood that it’s not for me, so I chose the circus in the end.
It’s a kind of style of life, you cannot explain it. It’s everything together: traveling, performing, hearing the audience clap, and it’s like … I have goosebumps when people clap! I mean, you share your feelings and people admire you for it. It’s an environment that I cannot live without. We live like this and there is no way out (laughs)! In traditional circus in Russia, the ring where we perform is a saintly place for us. You cannot show your back to the ring out of respect because the ring is what gives you bread. And if you have pain somewhere, or fever, you forget it as soon as you enter the ring. This is really true, it’s the magic of the circus (laughs)! But it’s a hard job. You need to train, you need to keep your body fit, and it hurts sometimes. It’s also dangerous. You have to do all your tricks with 100% of your brain, always.
My mom inspires me a lot, she’s a great artist and a very strong person. She won the Golden Clown in the Monte Carlo festival with my stepfather. This was a very precious moment because it’s the highest level that we have in the circus world. And you know, when they give you the award, you’re very… wow! Later, she fell from 6 meters high during a show. She broke her elbows, wrists, spine… The doctor said she will never perform again. But she did come back and this was very inspiring for me. I was in Circus Knie for the first time with my mom in 1998 and now I perform a solo act. It’s a big achievement and a big honour for me because it’s really the best travelling chapiteaux in the circus world. And I also have my private life here so, you know, I found my balance!”
(Plainpalais | original English)
Note: I met Katia in September 2021 when Cirque Knie was in Geneva. Discover her world and follow her performances on her Instagram account: @katiabacardi
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“I’m the 4th generation of circus artists in my family. My great grand-parents were high wire artists and I’m an aerial gymnast. In the beginning I didn’t want to work in the circus at all and I went to university in Moscow. It was good experience for me, to know how people live who are not from the circus world. And I still have friends from “normal life” (laughs)! But then I understood that it’s not for me, so I chose the circus in the end.
It’s a kind of style of life, you cannot explain it. It’s everything together: traveling, performing, hearing the audience clap, and it’s like … I have goosebumps when people clap! I mean, you share your feelings and people admire you for it. It’s an environment that I cannot live without. We live like this and there is no way out (laughs)! In traditional circus in Russia, the ring where we perform is a saintly place for us. You cannot show your back to the ring out of respect because the ring is what gives you bread. And if you have pain somewhere, or fever, you forget it as soon as you enter the ring. This is really true, it’s the magic of the circus (laughs)! But it’s a hard job. You need to train, you need to keep your body fit, and it hurts sometimes. It’s also dangerous. You have to do all your tricks with 100% of your brain, always.
My mom inspires me a lot, she’s a great artist and a very strong person. She won the Golden Clown in the Monte Carlo festival with my stepfather. This was a very precious moment because it’s the highest level that we have in the circus world. And you know, when they give you the award, you’re very… wow! Later, she fell from 6 meters high during a show. She broke her elbows, wrists, spine… The doctor said she will never perform again. But she did come back and this was very inspiring for me. I was in Circus Knie for the first time with my mom in 1998 and now I perform a solo act. It’s a big achievement and a big honour for me because it’s really the best travelling chapiteaux in the circus world. And I also have my private life here so, you know, I found my balance!”
(Plainpalais | original English)
Note: I met Katia in September 2021 when Cirque Knie was in Geneva. Discover her world and follow her performances on her Instagram account: @katiabacardi