We were lucky to catch up with Maggie Bolillo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Maggie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
From the age of 15 I knew I wanted to perform professionally, so when I received the opportunity to move to Orlando Florida all the way from Boise, Idaho after high school I jumped in with both feet, took a risk, and went for the opportunity. I had met a woman at a circus school in Vermont where I was training for just a quick few days. We quickly became friends and she mentioned she could help me find work performing in Orlando. I was fresh out of high school, had never lived alone away from my family, and knew no one on that side of the country, but in my mind none of that mattered. Of course I was nervous to leave what I knew and what was familiar, but there was a deeper burning desire that was stronger than my fear. I took the opportunity and it was that moment that had launched my what is now over 18 years professional performing career.
Another time I took a risk was after 5 years working for Cirque Du Soleil in the Beatles “Love’ show in Las Vegas Nevada. I had the deep desire to continue my growth as a performer. I knew I had reached what I could do in the show I was in. It was a steady great job, but again that deep burning desire ran strong within me and moved me stronger than the desire for a consistent pay check. I craved purpose, growth, and meaning. My mom at that time was battling colon cancer as well and I wanted more freedom to be able to spend time with her. So I made the difficult decision to not resign my “Love” contract and to spend some very important time at home with my family. Eventually I went to explore LA for a while once my Mom started to recover and get better. While in LA Cirque Du Soleil contacted me to audition for the show KA’. My lease in LA was up the same week of the audition so with faith, trust, and a bit of balls I packed up everything, drove to Vegas to audition without a guarantee of a job. I took a risk and it paid off. I got the job at KA and have been proudly performing for the show since 2014 and am still performing there today.
Maggie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Maggie Bolillo. I have been performing since I was 3 years old and professionally since I was 19. I was born in Boise Idaho and grew up in a small town right outside the city. I spent my time growing up training and competing in various dance styles and artistic gymnastics. At the age of 15 I saw Cirque Du Soleil for the first time on TV. It was in that moment a spark was lit within me. It was that moment a dream had begun, a seed had been planted. I became obsessed with Cirque Du Soleil and had a drive and dream of working and performing for them in one of their amazing spectacular shows someday. From that night on I did all I could to research, learn, train, see shows, anything to get me closer to this goal of mine. At the age of 19 I had the opportunity to move to Orlando Florida where I began my professional performing career. I worked for Disney World, Sea World, and auditioned for Cirque Du Soleil many times in those first two years. Although I didn’t make it to Cirque the first few times I auditioned I never gave up. I kept going. Training, building my resume and professional experience. I was determined and with hard work and a lot of drive my fourth time was a charm and at the age of 21 I was hired to work for Cirque Du Soleil in my favorite of their shows La Nouba which was at the time in Orlando Florida. I got the opportunity to perform the fast track trampoline act which is still today one of my favorite Cirque Du Soleil acts of all time. After 9 months working for La Nouba I was transfered to their show “The Beatles Love” located in Las Vegas, Nevada. I was apart of that amazing show for 5 1/2 years performing a wide variety of acts including bungee, trampoline, parkour, dance, acting, and more.
I took a pause from Cirque Du Soleil when my mother got sick with colon cancer. She was very sick and I had already for some time been feeling that it was time for me to seek a new adventure. So I made a difficult choice to leave the “Love” show and went home to be with family for awhile. When my Mom started to get better I moved to LA where I began working for Disneyland performing as Peter Pan in their stunt show Fantasmic. I worked there for almost a year when one day Cirque Du Soleil reached out to me asking if I was interested to audition for their show KA’ located at the MGM Grand Hotel back in Las Vegas. The timing truly was divine in so many ways because the week of the audition was the same time my lease for my apartment in LA was up and I had been unsure and debating for a while whether I had wanted to stay living in LA anyways. So with faith and some guts I packed up my things, didn’t resign my lease, and with no guarantee of a job drove to Vegas to audition for KA. I got the job and joyfully joined the cast in 2014. I have been with the show since and am still performing in the show today.
I have been pretty lucky throughout my career in terms of injuries. I have only had one serious injury ever. It was in August of 2018 when I was performing a martial arts acrobatic duet in KA’. I was performing a horizontal twist off my partners back. When I landed by a random fluke my leg slipped from underneath me and in a split second I fully tore my ACL, MCL, a tiny part of my LCL, and a little of my meniscus. At first it was just pure adrenaline and I tried to get up to walk off the stage, but I instantly in trying could feel the injury was bad. I was helped off the stage by fellow cast mates and PMED quickly met me back stage to help me. It was a long road to recovery. I had an ACL repair cadaver surgery, shaving of my meniscus, and lots and lots of physical therapy. That same determination that once got me to that stage continued to flow within me. I knew I would one day return to that stage stronger and wiser. I refused to let that injury defeat me and after 353 days of perseverance, hard work, and never giving up I finally got to return to that stage doing what I love. I did exactly what I had set out to do and came out of that experience more understanding and loving of myself, my body, and my purpose then I had ever been before.
It has been a wild incredible ride throughout my career. I have been all across the country and picked up many skills and friendships, and I even met my wonderful husband all along the way. Throughout my journey I have become pilates, yoga, and nutrition coach certified. My next goal outside of performing is to one day work in the health and wellness industry, possibly becoming a functional medicine doctor, nutritionist, or some type of career along those lines. Ever since my mom got sick I have been super interested to learn how to help people reclaim their health and bring themselves not just to feeling better but to a state of thriving. As for my performing career I plan to do this for as long as I can. I still feel like that 15 year old girl who saw Cirque Du Soleil for that first time on tv. Getting on stage never gets old for me. The make up, the costumes, the high of connecting with the audience and with your fellow cast mates on stage, pushing yourself to new levels, learning new skills and exploring what you have within you to give and to share. I truly do hope to perform for many many years to come. Its been over 18 years already and I truly look forward to what next life has in store.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Im not sure I can speak for society, but on and individual level I think that it’s important to try to be supportive of others by not damping down on peoples goals and dreams. When I was young and had first developed my dream of being in Cirque Du Soleil I was teased beyond belief. So many of my peers, classmates, coaches, and even some family didn’t believe in me. People thought I was weird. I even almost got in trouble from a teacher one time in high school when I was researching Cirque Du Soleil for a school project. We were to pick two career choices to present and so of course I picked Cirque for one of my choices. The teacher thought I was messing around and I had to explain myself in great detail that I was truly wanting to work for them, that is was a legit career, and that I was determined to get there some way some how.
I think it’s important to encourage people to go after their goals and dreams. To think big and reach for the stars. Even if you never reach the stars you still don’t know just how high you could go and where your path might take you. The only guarantee is if you never go for it then you will never know and for sure will not achieve the desires of your heart. Constructive criticism of course is good from experts in whatever field, but all in all I think kindness and believing in others can help people more than we think. If a friend is performing in a show for the first time and they invite you to go, go if you can. If they created some program, give it a try. Wrote a book, read it. Support friends and family. It impacts people positively more than I think we truly know. All it takes sometimes is one person telling you that you can do it. To go for it and don’t look back. To give something all you got takes guts and we should celebrate people who embrace that kind of mindset.
Imagine how different the world might be if we had someone believing in us. Encouraging us to take ourselves to new heights. Who knows what inventions, music, and creativeness might be made.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Being an athletic performer truly has so much reward. I have had the opportunity to work with so many different people from all over the world. I grew up in a small town called Eagle, Idaho and so getting into this line of work has allowed me to meet and work with people from all over like Russia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Japan, China, England, France, India, Belgium, Australia, Canada just to name a few. It has allowed me to live on both sides of the country, and for some in this line of work if you get hired for a touring show, you get to travel and perform all over this planet. Being an athletic performer you get to work with your body allowing you to refine your physic and keep yourself in amazing shape. You also get to try things you may have never had the opportunity to do. I along my performing journey have learned all sorts of cool things I would have never thought I would do like teeterboard, stunts, unique styles of dance, clowning, flying trapeze, Chinese poles, bungee, and in KA’ I perform acts that are one of a kind in the world and can only be seen and performed at our show in our theatre. You get to learn different make up concepts, wear cool costumes, and explore and express parts of yourself you may have never explored if you weren’t in this kind of work. It requires high level athleticism, team work, bravery, balls, adaptiveness, and vulnerability all at the same time. I absolutely love it.
Contact Info:
- Website: maggiemart1.wix.com/maggie-website
- Instagram: @maggieb.leavesnyou