How Can I Turn Circus Into a Job: Big Show Rejection
By this point, you’ve read about all of the amazing opportunities I’ve had in my jobs, from being “discovered” while coaching, to working at Disney World, to traveling to incredible countries! Still, it wasn’t enough for me, which in retrospect, it should’ve been. But, like everyone, I had a dream to one day work for Cirque Du Soleil.
Lucky for me, La Nouba was 20 minutes from my house, so they had auditions often enough in Orlando. Unlucky for me, I was a scaredy cat who hated auditioning and thought I would never be good enough to work for Cirque. Let me tell you, that is the wrong way of thinking! You never know what a show is looking for. There may be other performers out there who know more skills than you, but you might have that little extra something that a show needs. Anyway, I was scared and busy, so I figured it would never happen for me.
If you remember from last week, I had joined the acro team Gym Crew. One of the guys from the team worked for La Nouba as a trampolinist. While they weren’t looking for anyone that fit my description in that show, he knew a casting director who was looking for a girl of my height for another show. He helped me put together an audition video (it’s how he got in, and another way that cirque accepts performers). Doing an audition video was great because I didn’t feel the pressure of having to prove my skills in front of a bunch of talented strangers.
I submitted my video and forgot about it, thinking that nothing would ever come of it. One day, weeks later, I was working at Sea World when I got a call from an unknown number. This was before there were so many scam calls like there are now, so I picked up and it was a casting director for Cirque Du Soleil! They let me know that I was one of four girls who was qualified for the show, but that it was up to the artistic director to see which one of us looked like we fit the role the best. Not only had they seen my audition video, but they told me I was good enough to work for them! I was so excited! I tried not to get my hopes up, but of course failed, and started picturing how my life would change. Unfortunately, I was not chosen for the role, and it shattered me! I went back to feeling like I would never be good enough, even if that wasn’t the reason I didn’t get the job.
I was down on myself for a while, but eventually I had to snap out of it! I did that by continuing to train and becoming even stronger than I was then. You all know that eventually I got a contract for Le Reve, but for today, I’ll leave it here with my Cirque Du Soleil disappointment. Rejection is a big part of being a performer and we all have to work on ways to move past it so that we can open ourselves up to success.
Just remember kids, even Michael Jordan didn’t make his high school basketball team.