SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The world famous Cirque du Soleil features performers from all over the world, including one from right here in San Diego. Betsy Allison was born in Escondido and grew up in an artistic environment.
At the age of 2, she was already involved in gymnastics. She says she always had the passion for performing.
"I had too much energy, so my mom said the gym is where you need to spend your time. I really liked the competition aspect of competitive gymnastics, and so when I finished my collegiate career, I just wasn't finished performing. It's quite a big transition going from competitive sports into more of a performance theatrical side," Allison says.
She was a college gymnast at George Washington University, and she attended her first Cirque du Soleil show when she was 18. She said that performance had her totally hooked.
"I kind of tucked the interest in Cirque in the back of my brain. I said to myself that when I finish my college career, and I still want to do this and I have a love for it, I'll bring it back up," she says.
Betsy wound up auditioning for Cirque in 2016, and impressed so much that she landed a spot in the cast.
"To work with the company is really the professional level of gymnastics. Now it's very different, but when I graduated there wasn't any professional gymnastics and so this was really the next step," she says.
Allison is currently performing in the Cirque du Soleil production of Corteo, and she is a part of the Bouncing Beds act.
"It's bringing back that memory of when you were a kid in your pajamas jumping with your friends on the bed having pillow fights. Having just pure fun and joy. it's bringing back that memory because you don't know what is going to happen," she says. "Somebody is going to go over here, and it always keeps you guessing. It's such a fun act to perform and we have a great time doing it. Hopefully you can feel the energy in the audience and you can give it back to us."
