Ulziibayar Chimed: contortionist
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| Ulziibayar Chimed (Ochki) |
Ulziibayar Chimed,
nicknamed Ochki, is a contortionist currently performing for Cirque du Soleil.
She was born in Mongolia in 1984 and was cast into Cirque du Soleil’s Alegria
in 1994, at the young age of ten. She continued touring with Alegria until her
2005 transfer to Zumanity in Las Vegas where she is currently part of a
duo waterbowl act.
I discovered contortion
and circus arts during my sophomore year of high school. Ulziibayar’s solo
contortion act in Alegria was the first video I had ever seen of the
circus. As I watched her performance I became hooked, and to this day I
continue to train as a contortionist and look up to her and other Cirque du
Soleil artists as my inspiration.
One of the amazing
things about Ulziibayar is her longevity as a performance artist. She began
contortion training in Mongolia around the age of five, possibly yonger, and
was hired by Cirque du Soleil at the age of ten. Cirque du Soleil only hands
out contracts lasting one to two years maximum before they must be renewed and
so her almost 20 year career is an amazing feat.
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Ulziibayar
during her solo contortion act in Alegria, showcasing her signature move
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This link takes you to
the professional artist web page of Ulziibayar Chimed. Here you will find
pictures, videos, and a link to her current show Zumanity.
This video
on YouTube was made by a fan and shows pictures and video from
Ulziibayar's early life and training and also her time as a solo and duo
contortionist with Cirque du Soleil's show Alegria.
This video is of young
Ulziibayar and her partner performing a duo contortion act for Alegria. This
was from her early years with Cirque du Soleil. There used to be a higher
quality video of her solo act but it was removed from YouTube over copyright
issues.
Here is the web page
of Cirque du Soleil, the company Ulziibayar performs for. This link
contains a wealth of information about the company, its various shows, and a
little bit of circus history.