Kaely Michels-Gualtieri

Kaely Michels-Gualtieri is an American trapeze artist known for her work as a leading artist with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, often performing under the stage name "Electra".[1][2] She is the winner of two Golden Flyer Awards as one of the world's leading swing trapeze artists.[3] She won a Silver Ring, Russia's highest trapeze honor, in 2017.[4] She is the youngest person ever nominated for membership in the Circus Hall of Fame.[5]

Career

Michels-Gualtieri is a graduate of The Field School in Washington, DC.[6] She subsequently trained with L’Academie Fratellini, the first American ever to be admitted to the school, where she studied under coach Alexander Doubrovski and with coach Victor Fomine in Montreal.[7][8]

Michels-Gualtieri performed internationally with Circus Gerbola (Ireland), Cirque Italia, Cirque de Demain (France), Corpus Acrobatics (Luxembourg), NoFit State Circus (England) and Star Parivaar (Indian) before joining Ringling Brothers in 2014.[9][10][11][8][12]

She left the circus briefly to study at Brown University in 2016.[13][14]

Michels-Gualtieri later returned to performing at Circo Atayde in Mexico City, Cirque de Massy in Paris, Winter Circus Apeldorn, Le Grande Cirque in Manila and the Golden Trick Festival in Odessa.[15][16] She also performed for the Big E Circus in 2019.[17][18]

She is now a solo aerialist with Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Roddy, Laura (August 20, 2015). "Trapeze artist jumped at chance to join circus". Wichita Eagle.
  2. ^ Miller, Robin (August 20, 2015). "Local acrobat follows her passion at work and with circus". The Advocate.
  3. ^ Le Temps, Dec 2016
  4. ^ Argumenty i Fakty, August 3, 2017
  5. ^ "Home". Visit.circushalloffame.com. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  6. ^ "Up in the air: D.C. resident spends her 20s touring the world on a trapeze". WTOP. 2013-07-17. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  7. ^ Brown, Ebony (July 11, 2013). "The Circus Life". Baltimore Jewish Times.
  8. ^ a b Zauzmer, Julie (June 30, 2013). "Local trapeze artist wows in Manassas appearance". The Washington Post.
  9. ^ "Trapeze act provides thrill daredevil was seeking". Houmatimes.com. June 2, 2015.
  10. ^ "Flying," American Circus, July 2015
  11. ^ Le Quotidien (Luxembourg), December 2013
  12. ^ "Flying high for Cirque Italia". 7 August 2013.
  13. ^ Wang, Amy, Former trapeze artist joins U. through RUE program. Brown Daily Herald, February 15, 2017
  14. ^ Ziner, karen Lee (February 15, 2017). "Ex-trapeze artist ready for next act". Providence Journal.
  15. ^ Reformatorisch Dagblad, Apeldoorn, December 2018
  16. ^ "Cirque de Noël. Des numéros riches en émotions". Le Telgrame. 6 December 2018.
  17. ^ Carriage Towne News, July 18, 2019
  18. ^ "First Sorrow," Circus, Dec 2018