The Cuban artist Darián Cobas has achieved his dream of working for Cirque du Soleil, the largest circus producer in the world, as a specialist in aerial ribbons, aerial pole, and flying trapeze.
Born in Santiago de Cuba on January 26, 1991, Darián Cobas recalls that at the age of five, he saw the Flying Man on Cuban television during the show 'Alegría' by Cirque du Soleil, and that's when his dreams began. At six, he started his athletic career as a gymnast, which ended at 21. By that age, he had already been champion in both children's and youth categories and had been part of the Cuban national team since he was 16.
His interest in ballet and music led him to the circus. In the Island, he participated in the Circuba Festival. Throughout his successful career, he has worked for the State Circus of Budapest, Gandeys Circus England, the Circus of Horrors, and Circo Probst, among others.
His first contract with Cirque Du Soleil came in 2019 with the show 'Totem'. In 2023, he rejoined the company, this time as part of the show 'Kurios'.
A gymnast and personal trainer recounts that to achieve this, he lived and trained in an abandoned cinema, the former Alegría cinema on Calzada de 10 de Octubre in Havana, where he could practice his flying trapeze routine. His goal was to travel to Europe and make a living from his passion: flying on a grand stage. He accomplished this in 2015 when he arrived in Spain.
"Mission accomplished. I managed to showcase my skills at circuses and festivals in the old continent," he says in a video shared on Instagram, where he explains that upon arriving in Spain, he settled in Valencia with the intention of starting his career as a solo artist.
"I participated in the talent contest, Tú sí que sí. I took a very special trip to Girona to audition for Cirque du Soleil (2018) and was chosen to work with the company. Months later, I traveled to Montreal. There, I had an intensive month of training, makeup practice, acting, and dance. In The Hague, I joined 'Totem', my first Cirque du Soleil show. Everything was ready before my first performance. And at last, I fulfilled the dream of that child who longed to fly across that grand stage."
Darián Cobas is currently on tour and has committed to giving an interview to CiberCuba as soon as he has a moment to spare. From his heights, he enjoys the achievement. "Everything is possible when the desire is so strong that it pushes you even on the toughest days," he says.
Happy to travel through Spain in a van with his "princess," Darián Cobas also showcases on his social media the intense training he undergoes in search of perfection in his performances. He shares with his followers the demands of his work. He begins his makeup at noon and finishes his three shows by eleven at night. During those eleven hours of work, there are warm-ups, weight management, stretching, meditation, and a lot of effort.
Additionally, he proudly showcases the home he has built and how he balances the demands of his profession with family life.
"Since I was a child, I was passionate about flying. I believed that if I meditated and reached a very high level of concentration, I would be able to levitate. My deepest wishes came true, though not exactly as I imagined. Sometimes we overlook the great things that life offers us because they are not exactly as we want them."
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