Most people who attend a Cirque Du Soleil show have no idea about each performer’s story. For one performer, her trek to Cirque Du Soleil started with daily 6 a.m. practices as a youngster. Gymnast Elise Ray is part of the incredibly popular Cirque Du Soleil show Love, which incorporates Cirque Du Soleil magic and Beatles music. Ray tells The Michigan Daily about her role, “It’s an incredible line of work. We work hard for sure, but being out on that stage every night, it’s just crazy.”
Ray has been a gymnast almost her entire life and realized a dream in 2000 by being a part of the 2000 Sydney Olympic team. After she qualified, she was made team captain and ended up placing 13th in all-around and nabbing eighth in the beam. After returning from the Olympics, Ray attended the University of Michigan where she was on the gymnastics team and found lifelong friends through her team. After graduation, she found the job at Cirque Du Soleil in Las Vegas. Her days are scheduled much differently now for Ray with her workday beginning at 5 p.m. and ending at midnight. To see her or another show, get your Cirque Du Soleil tickets from StubHub.com.
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