I was watching a marathon Cirque du Soleil special on the Bravo network today.
Some of the stunts these guys pull off, seems to me any one of them could enter the olympics & do well if not win. Sure sometimes they have wires or trampolines to assist, but some of it is still really amazing to me.
How does an Olympic gymnast compare to a Cirque acrobat?
To add to this, it always seemed like some of the singers could be in an opera.
They are very close in ability to Olympic gymnasts. Olympic gymnasts success is based on passing the elimination tournaments, and peaking at the right age, in time for the Olympics. The skill level is close, but the difficulty of performing for judges, and hitting technical marks at certain tournaments at just the right age and just the right time means tons of talented gymnasts go home, while a few who were better for brief moments go on.
Cirque contortionists and Gymnasts have a conditioning program that is very specialized for their very special routines, and while similar, it is a somewhat different art than Olympic gymnastics. But the skill base is similar.
To a lay person, the Harlem Globtrotters look like the greatests basketball players ever, but all are just short of NBA ability. But, being just short of NBA ability still means you are quite dominant at your sport. Curque athletes might not have tried for the Olympics, or been in the right shape at the right time, but Olympic athletes might not be cut out for Cirque.
Don’t be surprised if some are ex-Olympic contenders.
I am not sure about Cirque acrobats, but Olympic gymnasts train for years and years before they are ready. I seriously doubt that the Cirque people do that.
Urban Ranger,
Do you get the Bravo network where you live? You should watch some Cirque tonight if you get the chance.
If those guys don’t train for years & years to do that stuff, then olympic gymnasts are a bunch of no talent weenies, IMHO. And, I’m signing up for an acrobatics class tomorrow! 
In fact, at least one of the Cirque performers (and probably quite a few others) are ex-Olympic gymnasts. Stella Umeh, who represented Canada as a Gymnast in the '92 Olympics is part of the touring cast of Varekai. For anyone who has seen the show, she’s one of the four blue coloured girls who do the routine hanging from the bars above the stage.
The Cirque du Soleil website, in their section on performing roles offer specific information on athletes who wish to become cast members. They specifically look to gymnasts, tumblers, trampolinists, synchro swimmers and divers. http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/jobs/onstage/specialities/athletes/default.htm
While the training may be different and less intense, I have no doubt that most Cirque performers have indeed trained in their respective areas for years.
There is currently a fascinating documentary series on the Cirque airing on stations in the Global network in Canada, that looks at the casting and rehearsals and making of Varekai. I’m not sure if it’s airing elsewhere but it’s called “Fire Within” and is worth watching for locally if you’re a fan of Cirque.
I would love to see a Cirque VS Olympians Gymastic match.
If it’s Olympic gymnastics events, the Olympians would clean up. It would be a total slaughter. These are very specialized skills. If your event is uneven bars, you practice uneven bars.
On the other hand, if the events are Cirque de Soliel stunts, the Cirque folks would win and the Olympians would probably not even complete the events. Specialization, you see. They’re not very comparable skills.
To illustrate a comparison, Michael Jordan and Barry Bonds are both magnificent athletes, blessed with tremendous physical skills, sharp intelligence, and are both widely known for their dedication and work ethic. But Jordan was a disastrously bad baseball player, and Bonds would be every bit as bad a basketball player. Specialization.
It almost seems to me that the Cirque acrobatics encompass everything gymnasts do, just as well, and more. Whereas olympic gymnasts are pretty limited in what they do.
I see it as professional American football vs. olympic football. A professional American football team would slaughter an olympic team. It’s like the olympics are a way for young athletes to show off their skills before becoming “professional.” Once they’re professional, they get even better. This is how I see the Cirque acrobats.
There are places where you can train for years and years and years as a highly specialized contortionist and gymnast, for the very purpose of performing as a entertainer, much like the Cirque entertainers.
There are conventions, well known trainers, and well known organizations that train gymnasts (see acrobatics) and contortionists/gymnasts to perform for the sake of art, instead of the specialization of sports competition.
Search on acrbatics and contortionists and see if you can read up on the years of dedicated training that go into the art of the performers in Cirque and other artistic shows that make use of such entertainers.
National Circus School
Nan Jing Acrobatic Troupe
San Francisco School of Circus Arts
etc
In the US, this is showing on Bravo starting tonight at 9 PM.
When I saw Circque here, I’m pretty sure I read or heard that many of the tumblers were ex-Russian (or at least East European) olympians.
The Cirque bothered me as a kid… to the point that I’d turn off the TV if it came on.