Evangeline Kumar from Naitasiri and Savusavu, who continues to stun audiences during the VOU Fijian Flying Circus, with her incredible hair hang act solo for the first time in Fiji apart from walking the tightrope, says she always thinks of her late mother as she flies high during her acts.
While speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan, the VOU Circus Rehearsal Director, Kumar says it has taken a lot of hard work and perseverance to get to where they have reached.
Kumar says Tadra Kahani – The Dream Story Stage Show which was organized by Communications Fiji Limited, pulled her into the creative arts world from when she first performed for Cathedral Secondary School (now known as Sacred Heart College) when she was in Year 9 and 10 back in 2013 and 2014.
She said unfortunately Tadra Kahani had stopped, and she looked for other opportunities, and she started taking classes at VOU when she was in Year 12.
Kumar says her family let her follow her dreams and passion.
She says her family has been very supportive.
Kumar’s father is Anil Kumar who is from Naitasiri and her late mother Betty was from Savusavu.
The VOU Fijian Flying Circus is currently underway in Nadi.
The show times are 7pm from Tuesdays to Fridays, there is a 3pm and a 7pm show for Saturdays, and 1pm and 5pm shows for Sundays.
Tickets are available on ticketmax.com.fj
Tickets are $15 for General Admission and $50 for VIP seating.
Door sales are available but don’t leave it to the last minute.
The idea for the Fijian Flying Circus came about purely by circumstance, which aligns with VOU’s ethos of creating new works based on the latest ideas and exploring the next boundary they can push.
Fijian Flying Circus choreographer, Navi Fong highlighted this during fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan that the concept began when they already had a circus tent and some Cuban friends who joined them in 2023, were willing to teach the artists circus skills.
Fong says no one had originally set their hearts on creating a circus show; instead, it developed naturally from training their artists in a different discipline, as opposed to only dancing.
Fong says that it began as part of their artistic evolution and the next step in pushing themselves as artists, and it snowballed from there.
He adds that they moved into full-scale training, creating the circus from their existing strengths in dance and storytelling, combined with these new circus skills.
Fong also emphasised that in everything they do, they remain conscious of expressing creativity in a uniquely Fijian way, drawing inspiration from local flora and fauna, and weaving in Pacific humour.
The Fijian Flying Circus shows are currently underway in Nadi.
The shows will continue until the 20th of this month.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations
