Elena Lev, born in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

on December 1st 1981, began her training to become a rhythmic gymnast at an early age, assisted and coached by her mother, Elena Lev Sr. She developed a signature

hula hoop A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck. It can also be wheeled along the ground like a wheel, with careful execution. They have been used by children and adults since at least 500 BC. The modern hula hoop ...

act incorporating

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...

and

contortion Contortion (sometimes contortionism) is a performance art in which performers called contortionists showcase their skills of extreme physical flexibility. Contortion acts often accompany acrobatics, circus acts, street performers and other liv ...

. Her big breakthrough came when she was invited to join the '' Alegría'' touring troupe of

Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 ...

, of which she was a member from 1994 through 2000. She also performed briefly with the ''

Quidam ''Quidam'' ( ) was the ninth stage show produced by Cirque du Soleil. It premiered in April 1996 and has been watched by millions of spectators around the world. ''Quidam'' originated as a big-top show in Montreal and was converted into an arena ...

'' troupe in 2002. Lev performed with Cirque du Soleil's ''

Wintuk ''Wintuk'' (pronounced ''win-took''; amalgamating the English word "winter" with Inupiaq phonetics) was a semi-permanent and seasonal residency show created by Cirque du Soleil. ''Wintuk'' played seasonally from 2007 to 2011 at the former WaMu T ...

'' at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.The New York Times
/ref> Lev is currently performing in Cirque Du Soleil's ''Zumanity'' in Las Vegas. She is also in management and about to graduate with a degree in Food and Beverage Management. Her daughter Varvara, who is almost 12, is in synchronised swimming and training to follow in her mother's footsteps but in a different field.

References

External links

Elena Lev - Hoopsact.com
*
Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lev, Elena Cirque du Soleil performers Living people 1981 births