Olesia Shulha is a former athlete, Dmytro Hryhorov is a professional trapeze artist, and together they make a team that won the Golden Clown Award, the highest award of the most prestigious festival of circus art, with their number called “Flight of Passion.” This is the second time in Ukraine’s history that the circus counterpart of the Oscar prize went to our artists (equilibrist Anatolii Zalevsky was the first to win it).
Princess St phanie of Monaco presented the winners with the award, while the world’s elite, Hollywood stars, members of royal families, and other honored guests of the festival gave them with a round of applause. After their return to Ukraine, Olesia and Dmytro were given a reception in Kyiv that was fit for triumphant victors. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism awarded Olesia and Dmytro with the title of Merited Artists of Ukraine for their flight under the circus’s big top at the height of 18 meters with a number of acrobatic stunts that they performed without any safety equipment.
Olesia and Dmytro spoke about their path to this victory and the way the Golden Clown is likely to change their life in an interview to The Day.
When did you feel like real winners?
Dmytro Hryhorov: “We still cannot believe in our victory, for this award is the highest recognition we could ever dream about. The Golden Clown is an equal to the cinematographic Oscar prize. The only difference is that each year 18 Oscars and only one or two Golden Clowns are awarded. So many people wished us victory that we could not even imagine how we would return home without some kind of a statuette.
“The festival continued for four days, but all 35 numbers could not fit into one program. So the participants were divided to perform in the A and B programs. We performed in the A program, which was even better for us, because we were less anxious. On the fourth day, when all the participants had performed twice, the jury held the final session. Meanwhile, the acrobats were invited to a party, so that they would not fall into despair in case they did not win anything.
“About 1 a.m. the members of jury, together with Princess St?phanie, came out to us and began to announce the winners, presenting them with prizes from different circuses of the world. Then they named the winners of the bronze award (this year there were five ‘Bronze Clowns’). I came up to Olesia, saying that we would win silver now. Then four winners of the silver award were announced, and a thought crept in — were we left without recognition? But when we were pronounced winners, our joy was boundless.”
Who was the first to congratulate you?
D.H.: “Our supervisor Mykola Kobzov was the first one to do this, and then our friends and acquaintances were calling us for the whole night. The peculiar feature of the Monte Carlo festival is that the artist must prove that s/he alone performs better than six performing elephants, 16 tigers, or 25 trapeze artists. We managed to convince the jury that our number — a flight on aerial straps — was the best.
“In the entire 30-year history of the festival trapeze artists never won any awards, not even bronze ones. In the political aspect it was difficult to compete against Korean and Chinese artists. After the first day of the program we assumed that their numbers would win because of politics. But our hope for victory didn’t disappear, and I said that I would struggle to win and will grip it with my teeth, quite literally.”
How did you feel during the performance itself?
Olesia Shulha: “I was so much worried that I could not feel my body and what I was doing. I was brimming over with emotions. But we tried to calm down, to bring to the audience the feelings we acted out in the number, but this was difficult. This is a familiar feeling for me, because I am a former athlete. But knowing that the whole country is counting on you, that many TV channels are broadcasting the competition, it was not easy to cope with the emotions. I even drank camomile tea with Dmytro’s wife, who was our assistant in the number.”
D.H.: “I tried to overcome the stress with humor, but I understood that I could not be nervous, because we had many things against us anyway, including the new place and the 18-meter height at which we do not frequently perform. This is very important for us, because it influenes the amplitude of the flight and rotation. Another minus was the soft floor, although sawdust is traditionally used on the arena. Therefore, we had to overcome this, too, and absolutely forget about our worries.”
Who else won the Golden Clown at this year’s festival?
D.H.: “The team of Korean acrobats. But later we heard from the Russian members of the jury that this was a political move. Initially, the jury was going to give them a silver award. Besides, they had already come to Monte Carlo five years ago with the same number, although the number is indeed splendid.
“By the way, this award is not supported by any cash prize. Instead, the artists get free accommodation, board, and an honorarium for being broadcast on TV. However, participation in this festival is so prestigious that one can forget about honoraria. People from all the corners of the world are looking at you, and these are not only ordinary people, but masters of the circus art. The victory is followed by good and profitable offers. We have already several offers; and now we are considering which one to accept.”
How did you start preparing your number?
D.H.: “The preparation started at the beginning of my career, 18 years ago. My teachers described incredible stunts, which were unreal to perform, but I tried to reach this level. I have also dreamed of performing a number without the safety cord, because the jury assesses this very highly. So there were Koreans and Chinese jurors, but their artists’ programs are mere tricks. When they saw me and Olesia performing without a lunge, they gave us high marks at once. Performances without safety equipment are better accepted by the audience (they share our feelings and have goose bumps). Moreover, this does not limit the artists in choreography.
“In selecting the winners, the jury took several criteria into consideration: the number, costume, choreography, general composition, music, appearance of the artists, etc. Our criteria met their requests 100 percent.”
O.Sh.: “Few people know that in 1996 Dima fell from under the big top of the National Circus — from a 13-meter height. It took him several years to recover. Not in vain, as it turned out. We have been working together since 2003. At that time I performed in Cirque du Soleil. When Dmytro offered working together, I decided to try.”
What is the unique feature of your performance?
D.H.: “Among the original stunts that nobody performs is the “double teeth-holder,” when I hang on the straps holding on with my teeth, while Olesia lies horizontally on my feet, and all of this is done in rotation, which increases the load. If anyone tries to copy the number, she will manage to do this only by 70 percent, because we have technical secrets, which we guard as the apple of our eye. We also expected to be unique with the help our exclusive music and choreography: we were helped by the well-known choreographer Debby Brown, who had worked with Madonna and many celebrities in sports, cinema, and show-business. And our music was written by a Canadian composer who has worked with Cirque du Soleil.”
O.Sh.: “It was too difficult to perform this number for me. My sports training helped me, because I devoted 16 years of my life to professional sport. But at first it hurt very much, because the straps cut into my arms and legs, leaving bruises and scars, but this is all in the past now.”
What are your plans for the near future?
D.H.: “The first thing I want to do is to go to Luhansk, where my son and grandmother are waiting for me, and then I will do the rest.”
O.Sh.: “I would not mind if Dmytro’s wife (my sister) performed the same number with him — she is an acrobat as well. Meanwhile, I will think about having my own children. By the way, my sister was not neglected at the festival either — she was given the Golden Button Award for assisting us in this number. Although this is not an official award, it is still pleasant.”
