Russian artist brings astounding ‘DUO LUAR’ to Spiegelworld’s iconic tent…
Beauty. Grace. Sensuality. Strength. Grit. Those are just a few of the words that accurately describe Yuliya Goryagina. An athletic performer of stunning talent, Ms. Goryagina and husband/partner Jonatan Rocha are DUO LUAR, a featured act at Spiegelworld’s ABSINTHE.
DUO LUAR has taken the attractive couple around the globe. They’ve performed everywhere from London and Spain to Madison Square Garden. But the partnership wasn’t always a sure thing. While Yuliya and Jonatan excelled in their craft, the romantic sparks didn’t come until much later.
“Not in the beginning”, the shy young lady confided to VEGAS 411. “I didn’t like him at first (laughing). When we started training together, he was so pushy. He’s a perfectionist, but so am I.”
A desire for perfection surfaced at a young age for Yuliya. “From as early as I can remember, I was drawn to the stage. Whether reciting poetry, singing, or dancing, I thrived in front of an audience.” Fortunately, her home city of Lipetsk in Russia was teeming with artistry…and institutes for artistic instruction.
“My mother enrolled me in rhythmic gymnastics in a sports school at age four. For the next eight years, I trained rigorously…four to five hours a day, five days a week.” Gymnastics were eventually mixed with formal dance training. Classic ballet, contemporary dance, jazz, and international folklore were among the disciplines Yuliya studied at Igumnov College of Art, where she graduated with Honors.
“After I finished school, Mama asked me, ‘What’s next?”. And I didn’t know. I was thinking about biology, mathematics…nothing felt right except for performing.” Despite the economic uncertainty of a career in the arts, Yuliya followed the urging of a schoolmate and took a leap of faith, which ultimately led her into the circus world.
“I was always the dancer who wanted to attempt the most daring tricks, the one being lifted, the one flipping in the air. This drive led me to begin training in aerial arts under a former Moscow State Circus School aerialist. I immediately fell in love with flying. The adrenaline, risk, and power I had sought in dance finally came to life in the air!”
“My first international contract was at a water park in China. I was a bit scared at first, and I didn’t have much time to prepare. My mom thought I was crazy because you normally start with the circus at a very young age.”
Yuliya seemed more motivated by a desire to explore the world and challenge herself than to have a career in the circus. Then the fledgling aerial hoops performer discovered Cirque du Soleil‘s long-running Quidam, which changed everything. Just by viewing the show on a DVD, Yuliya realized that the circus was indeed her destiny.
With hopes of eventually working for Cirque du Soleil, Yuliya accepted a performing contract in Brazil, where she met her future husband.
The company took them throughout Latin America, after which Yuliya returned alone to Russia for more lessons. Her prestigious instructor had created a discipline called ‘contemporary aerial straps’.
“I did trapeze, aerial hoops. aerial cradle and something called aerial bamboo. It’s like an aerial pole, but with a partner. A duet.” And soon Yuliya was back in Brazil, performing duet acts with “Jonatan Rocha, the Pushy Perfectionist”.
Jonatan and Yuliya after a recent performance at ABSINTHE
In Part Two, we’ll explore the ways ‘Duo Luar’ came to be, how the couple became members of the ABSINTHE family, and what life in Las Vegas means to Yuliya Goryagina…
Spiegelworld’s ABSINTHE performs nightly at Caesars Palace Resort. Click here for tickets and showtimes.
