An aerial performer with Cirque du Soleil was hospitalized following a mishap during a Portland show this past Saturday. During the 7 p.m. performance of "KOOZA" at the Portland Expo Center, the artist fell while performing an aerial hoop act. KGW reports that emergency protocols were promptly enacted, and the injured performer was transported for medical evaluation.
In an unsettling incident, while recording the aerial act, 10-year-old Benjamin Goldstein witnessed the fall, initially mistaking the accident for part of the show. "At first, I thought it was part of the show, like, it looked like it was purposefully," Benjamin told KOIN 6 News. "But then we’re, like, people were acting weird. I was like, oh, this isn’t part of the show. Something’s up." His sister, Samantha, also present, shared her alarm, adding, "got really, really, really scared when she fell. Yeah, yeah. I also thought it was part of the show, but I saw she was actually really hurt. And it’s all really scary."
Following the incident, Cirque du Soleil reassured the public about the performer's condition, highlighting that the individual was receiving proper medical attention. According to OregonLive, a statement from the company confirmed, "The artist is conscious, stable, and being cared for by medical specialists and our team." Cirque du Soleil's show "Kooza" is known for its high-risk, gravity-defying acts, and has performances scheduled in Portland through October 6.
Tickets for "KOOZA" remain on sale, and the show continues to draw crowds with its spectacle of agility and daring. The Cirque du Soleil has not publicly disclosed if any changes to the performance schedule or the acts will follow this incident. However, as for now, under the big top at the Portland Expo Center, the show, as they say, must go on.
