How acrobat Terrance Robinson became part of Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Luzia’
McDonough-based acrobat Terrance Robinson is a perfectionist.
Before he goes onstage, he spends a half hour backstage stretching and doing leg workouts on mats.
Then, he moves to the stage, runs on a treadmill, does several flips, cartwheels and brings out foam rings to try out new tricks for another hour. Sometimes, he does additional leg workouts after rehearsals.
Robinson, 32, is an acrobat and hoop diver in Cirque du Soleil’s “Luzia,” the large-scale big top’s imaginative and dreamy take on Mexican culture, at Atlantic Station. The show featuring colorful lighting and water effects opened on Nov. 6 and runs until Jan. 26.
In an interview with UATL, Robinson said his workout regimen and attention to detail are to ensure his body can handle live performances and give audiences a good show.
“There is a lot of preparation to get our minds ready to be onstage. We do balance and strength exercises to make sure our joints, ligaments and knees are healthy and strong. We have to be flexible enough to make sure nothing rips,” Robinson said.
“Learning how not to do that is the one thing I struggle with but also strive for. I go for progress, so as long as I can keep learning, improving on anything that I do, then that’s good for me.”
Robinson dresses as both a hummingbird and a lizard in “Luzia.” He catches and does flips through hoops on a treadmill while wearing feathers, chest pads, a beak and leotards.
He said being an acrobat for Cirque du Soleil involves having stamina and endurance.
“We do eight-to-10 shows per week, so you have to save, regulate and keep your energy up to make sure you’re not too tired mentally and physically,” Robinson said.
Robinson, who grew up in St. Louis, was an athlete who loved all sports. He started tumbling in the street as an extension of his love of physical activities.
In 2007, the owner of Circus Harmony, a St. Louis-based youth circus program, saw Robinson flip in front of his school. She left her business card with the school’s security guard and invited Robinson to join.
Robinson started splitting his time between attending school in the morning and Circus Harmony in the evenings for the next four years. He said joining the youth circus exposed him to what goes on behind the scenes at the big top.
“I thought the circus was just clowns, but she invited us to come take classes to get better with technique for acrobatics. I knew in my mind this was my chance, and I haven’t looked back,” Robinson said.
He would go to school in the morning and not get home until after 10 or 11 p.m.
“Our teachers were big on stage presence and connecting with the audience,” he said. “We learned everything like how to juggle, balancing and aerial things.”
In 2011, Robinson enrolled in Ecole de cirque de Quebec, a circus college in Quebec City. He said he experienced culture shock after moving to Canada but quickly learned how to become a professional performer.
“It was pretty hard and lot of trial and error. I was this kid (from St. Louis) with a strong accent, so most people couldn’t understand me. I had to change the way I talked in order to communicate with people and learn how to speak French all on my own,” he said.
In 2015, Robinson started freelancing with various circuses and touring productions. He was part of Duo Tux, an acrobatics duo, for two years.
Three years later, Robinson was referred by two Cirque du Soleil performers to audition. The artistic director handpicked him to join the tour.
In 2020, Robinson relocated to McDonough after living in Quebec City to be close to his immediate family. He spent summers throughout metro Atlanta with relatives since childhood.
Robinson said he was resourceful and used what he learned in Quebec City to help him land the job.
“I was always a few months on and a few months off contracts, but I had two best friends on the show before who asked me if I wanted to come and be the replacement,” he said.
“I sent in my resume and video. The artistic director said she liked it, wanted me to come meet everyone and that’s how I started.”
Robinson’s long-term goal is to open a youth center. He said his mission is to help families learn transferable skills that can help them navigate society.
“I want to teach them things we weren’t taught in school that’s useful in a grown-up world like how to monitor, build credit, find jobs and dealing with law enforcement,” he said.
About the Author
Christopher A. Daniel is a Black Culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is an Atlanta-based, award-winning journalist, cultural critic and ethnomusicologist. He previously taught courses at Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Georgia State University.
