THE BALLOON MAN

At Cirque du Soleil, 2 acrobats juggle parenthood

 

This June 14, 2012 photo shows Cirque du Soleil "Zarkana" performers Jeremie Robert, left, and Julie Dionne play with their two-and-a-half year-old son Émile in their temporary apartment in New York. The couple, who are performing in New York City through September, met and fell in love while doing another Cirque du Soleil show. KATHY WILLENS — AP Photo
By MARK KENNEDY — AP Drama Writer
Published: June 19, 2012
NEW YORK — It's hard enough for the parents of a toddler to balance work and home. So imagine how hard it is if the work itself is all about balancing.
Meet Jeremie Robert and Julie Dionne, two acrobats in Cirque du Soleil's show "Zarkana" who are raising a 2-year-old son while both earn a living by spinning in a metal wheel that's thinner than a hula hoop.
While their jobs are unusual, they're like any other doting parents. Robert, 28, from Paris, and Dionne, 36, from Montreal, are clearly enchanted by Emile, an exuberant blur of movement who speaks French and Russian.
"It doesn't matter how bad the day went or how good it went," says Robert. "We step in the door and it's 'Papa!' and 'Mama!' and lots of running. If you have a bad day or you're tired, he makes you forget."
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/06/19/2230304/at-cirque-du-soleil-2-acrobats.html#storylink=cpy