Cuban artist helps take Fiji’s flying circus to new heights

The Fijian Flying Circus is reaching new heights after staging 378 performances across Fiji, Tahiti, New Caledonia and New Zealand, with an Australian tour planned for later this year.

The success of the production has been driven by a collaboration between local performers from VOU Dance Fiji and Cuban circus artist Yosvel Cabrera Guerrero, better known as “Yoyo the Clown”.

For Mr Guerrero and his family, Fiji became a second home after their first visit to the country.

“When we discovered Fiji did not have a circus of its own, we decided to help create the country’s first circus,” Mr Guerrero said.

“That is when we met VOU Dance Fiji founder Sachiko Soro. The timing was perfect because she had already been considering a similar idea.”

Mr Guerrero said Ms Soro embraced the vision and provided access to local talent through VOU.

“She opened the doors of VOU to us and gave us the opportunity to train local performers. She also supported my daughter, Dalila, and my niece, Nayeddy, who both studied and graduated through the Conservatorium of Dance,” he said.

The partnership led to the launch of the Fijian Flying Circus, which premiered in Nadi in 2024.

“In that production, I performed as Yoyo the Clown, while my daughter and niece performed trapeze, adagio and dance acts.”

VOU artistic director, choreographer and dancer Navi Fong said the collaboration brought international circus expertise together with VOU’s strengths in dance and storytelling.

“Yosvel brings a lifetime of experience in circus training, performance and teaching,” Mr Fong said.

“He and his wife, Yordanka, teach a wide range of disciplines, from aerial acts such as silks, flying pole, hair hang and trapeze to ground-based skills including tightrope walking, juggling and acrobatics.”

Mr Fong said the performers, all graduates of the Conservatorium of Dance, had embraced the challenge of learning circus arts.

He said the success of the circus showed that creative careers were becoming a viable pathway for young Fijians.

“For generations, young people have been told the arts are not a real career, but what is happening in Fiji today proves otherwise,” Mr Fong said.

“Every day I see talented young Fijians turning passion into profession and potential into opportunity.”

He believes creative education and the arts can help address some of the social challenges facing young people.

“The arts will not solve every challenge facing our country, but they can be part of the solution,” Mr Fong said.

“Imagine a Fiji where a young person discovers purpose, belonging, discipline and a future they can believe in from an early age. That can change everything.”

The Fijian Flying Circus will next tour Australia, with performances scheduled in Darwin, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney from August 2026 to January 2027.