Dralion premiers 2/2 in Loveland

Millions of children dream of running away with the circus. All Russian-born juggler Vladik Miagkostupov had to do was stay put—he was born into one.

“I always kinda just wanted to do it, so finally my dad, ’cause he was a juggler, said, ‘Oh well, let me just teach you some things.’ So I started learning, but, of course, at some point, they weren’t making me do it, but encouraging me. Because, it wasn’t like I was just practicing ten minutes a day; it was many hours.”

Playing with balls all the time paid off. Miagkostupov was working the Moscow Circus stage by the age of nine. He’s got two Olympic medals under his belt—one gold and one silver. Nearly twenty years later, he’s so skilled that he can still thrill spectators even when his mind occasionally wanders.

“Sometimes I’m thinking about what I have to do tomorrow. Sometimes that actually helps me.”

Miagkostupov has been a staple in Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion for nearly nine years. Catch him February 2-5 at The Budweiser Event Center in Loveland. Dates at Broomfield’s 1st Bank Center and Colorado Springs’ World Arena follow.

George Peele enjoys strapping on height enhancers and aurally ambushing strangers. He is Music Features Editor for 303’s print edition. Look for a Custom Singing Telegrams mention on page 66 of 5280 Magazine’s February issue and keep your eyes peeled for Mantis Man at Westword’s Artopia February 18. Follow Peele on Twitter: @Orangepeelmoses. Avatar image courtesy Jonathan Shoup.