ABOUT OLGA

biography

Olga Pikhienko was born February 11, 1980 in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) Russia. Olga started in rhythmic gymnastics at the age of five. When Olga turned 11, after two hard years of Training, she started performing with her father, Alexandre Pikhienko, at the Nikulin Circus based in Moscow. Olga's act with her father won them a gold medal in 1992 at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris. In 1993, they won a silver medal in Beijing, China at the World Festival.

Olga started working with Cirque Du Soleil in 1995. She began touring with Cirque's production Quidam in 1996 and for the next six years performed her famous hand balancing and contortion with canes act throughout Europe and North America.

2003 Emmy Award Winning Series - Fire Within

In 2001, while in Quidam, she worked on the creation of Varekai and at the same time was being filmed for the Bravo network's documentary series Fire Within, which won an Emmy Award in 2003. She performed at the Nuit d'Or du Cirque de Demain for their 25^th Anniversary in 2004 and was touted as "one of the best acts in the world".

After touring with Varekai for two years, Olga decided to branch out artistically and spend her time developing new acts for special events, commercials, print and video.

Returned to Quidam a couple of years later, where she met her husband. On 2008 Olga was on a maternity leave for her first child, Sasha. In Winter 2010 while touring with Quidam, Olga was offered to work on the creation of Iris, a journey though the world of Cinema, first residence show of Cirque du Soleil in Los Angeles. While in Iris she was part of the elite cast of artists who performed during the Academy Awards ceremony of 2012.

Today, Olga Pikhienko is a model, actress and freelance performer, showing her talent around the world.

resume

— 1985-1989

Rhythmic Gymnastics—Russia

— 1991-1992

Nikulin Circus—Moscow

— 1993-1994

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Hand to Hand contortion with Alexander Pikhienko

— 1995-2001

Cirque Du Soleil—Quidam
North American Tour and European Tour
Hand balancing and contortion with canes

— 2002-2003

Cirque Du Soleil—Varekai
North American Tour
Hand balancing and contortion with canes
Principle Character

— 2004-2006

Independent Artist—Special events, television, film, print.
Hand balancing and contortion with canes

— 2006-2010

Cirque Du Soleil—Quidam
World tour
Hand balancing and contortion with canes

— 2011-2012

Cirque Du Soleil—Iris, a journey through the world of Cinema
Resident Show in Los Angeles
Hand balancing and contortion with canes
Principle Character

— 2012-

Independent Artist—Special events, television, film, print.
Hand balancing and contortion with canes

awards

Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain 1992 (Paris) - Gold medal
World Festival 1993 (Beijing) – Silver Medal
Bravo Network "Fire Within" 2003 – Emmy Award
Nuit d'Or du Cirque de Demain 2004 (Paris) – Gold Medal