Raphael Cruz (September 5, 1986 - January 26, 2018) was an American acrobat, clown and actor, a Bay Area native and international contemporary circus star, one of three brothers who performed together. After training in San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus and then Montreal’s National Circus School, Cruz had many brilliant performances with Montreal's

The 7 Fingers The 7 Fingers is an artist collective based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The group is also known by its French name "Les 7 doigts de la main", which is sometimes shortened to "Les 7 Doigts". History The 7 Fingers is a collective founded in 200 ...

and Cirque du Soleil, and the Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre Company. In 2011, Cruz played the lead role of Buster, a

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

inspired character, in the

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ** Filmmaking, the process of making a film * Movie theate ...

themed

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

production '' Iris''. Raphael was part of the choreography team for the opening ceremonies for the

2014 Winter Olympics The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...

in Sochi, Russia. Raphael died unexpectedly at 31 years old on January 26, 2018, in Paris from undiagnosed heart ailment causing heart and lung failure. The Raphael Cruz Scholarship Fund was created in 2024 by Club Fugazi, a performing arts theatre in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

to provide

Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...

youth with opportunities to be inspired by Raphael's example and follow in his footsteps.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cruz, Raphael 1986 births 2018 deaths American acrobats Cirque du Soleil performers American male film actors Hispanic and Latino American male actors American male stage actors American circus performers American clowns Actors from Vallejo, California