A typical work day for Orlando-based acrobat and performer Evgenii Konovalov is far from your average 9-to-5. The 40-year-old begins with a warm-up, follows with a workout and, finally, performs the high-flying Russian swing act twice a day at Cirque du Soleil’s Drawn to Life show at Disney Springs.
“It’s very dangerous,” says Konovalov, who has worked in the circus art and acrobatics industry for 23 years. “It’s the most dangerous genre in the circus.”
Konovalov knows this from firsthand experience — the former flyer injured his leg in 2010 while working for the Russian State Circus Company in Orenburg. Following his six-month recovery, Konovalov continued as a “catcher” and “pusher” with the Circus’ swing act.
Born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Konovalov grew up doing gymnastics and playing sports. At 17, Konovalov joined the Ukrainian circus and then moved to Russia to join the Great Moscow State Circus three years later. Konovalov met his wife, Anastasia Yakovleva, in Moscow — a fellow circus artist and flyer at Cirque du Soleil.
Now living in Orlando, Konovalov and Yakovleva joined Cirque du Soleil in 2023 after finishing a two-year contract with the Friedrichstadt-Palast Theater in Berlin. The couple will work as part of the Disney Springs venue’s Drawn to Life production until 2027.
Even between their shared work and home life raising their 15-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son, Konovalov tells Orlando Weekly that “needing space” isn’t a concern for the duo.
“We are always together, 24 hours a days, seven days a week,” Konovalov says. “And sometimes when we don’t see each other for two days, it’s already terrible.”
Throughout his long acrobatic career, Konovalov has been honored with eight major awards, including gold prizes at six international festivals and two silver prizes at prestigious venues in Monaco, France, Italy, China, Russia and Hungary.
Konovolav says he aspires to stay in Florida and share his experience with the next generation of talent by becoming an instructor or coach once he retires.
“I see a lot of young people [in Orlando], and I think we can create a very good school here — a circus school or maybe acrobatics school,” he says.
When asked if he still looks forward to every performance even after two years with Cirque du Soleil, Konovalov’s answer is very much affirmative.
“One thing I still genuinely look forward to every time is the audience’s reaction. That moment when someone’s eyes light up — whether it’s a child seeing something magical for the first time or an adult rediscovering joy — it reminds me why I love what I do. Every performance is unique because the energy from the crowd is always different.”
Drawn to Life is staged at Disney Springs on select days, visit Cirque du Soleil’s website for ticketing information.
Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
This article appears in Jul 30 – Aug 5, 2025.