Michael Ocampo is the first to admit there’s nothing better than flipping in the air and doing acrobatics.
In fact, the Windsor, Ont., native loves it so much that he’s spent the last 22 years touring around the world with Cirque du Soleil — and now he’s head coach with Cirque’s Toruk: The First Flight.
“I don’t necessarily miss performing, it was wonderful and at the end of the performance when everyone is applauding it’s amazing,” he said in a recent interview. “But I do miss the acrobatics. I still love jumping in the air and flipping off things — that really is a great feeling.”
For Ocampo, 43, the path to Cirque was quite simple. As a young boy he was an avid gymnast and soon found himself interested in tumbling. He made the Canadian National team for tumbling and by 1993 had landed himself a spot in Cirque’s Alegria as a Russian bar performer. Over the next couple of years, he travelled around the world performing in different Cirque shows including Saltimbanco. By 2005, the years of acrobatics started to take its toll.
“I started to have some problems with my lower back and decided I needed to stop before it got too bad,” Ocampo said. “The timing was perfect because Cirque du Soleil was looking and in need of some coaches.”
As head coach for Toruk, he spends around four hours a day with the acrobatics getting their moves perfected. Toruk has been a bit of a challenge since the production is story based. It was inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar, which envisions a world beyond imagination set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film.
“Toruk really is a different type of a show,” Ocampo said. “Usually, we have set acrobatic acts like the Russian swing and others where the show just stops and features those. But with this one, we have the challenge of making sure the acrobatics support the story.”
— Written by Kelly Steele
Toruk: The First Flight
Where: Canadian Tire Centre
When: Wednesday, June 29, through Sunday, July 3
Tickets: www.cirquedusoleil.com/toruk; CapitalTickets.ca; by phone at 613-599-FANS (3267) or 1-877-788-FANS (3267); or in person at Canadian Tire stores in Ottawa, Sens Stores or at the Canadian Tire box office.
