Olek Zen
Cyr wheel / Ukraine /
“At first, I didn’t know anything about circus. I just loved moving, jumping and doing acrobatics on anything I could find on the street.”
He moved through parkour and breakdance before finally discovering circus. One day he saw a friend training on the Cyr wheel. That moment opened up an entire world of possibilities and new forms of expression — a chance to explore the language of movement.
He has always been fascinated by the world of human emotions. That’s why he once wanted to become a psychologist or psychotherapist. Soon, however, he realized that circus also provides a way to explore emotions.
“I love exploring different ways of using the body to express emotions and ideas.”
For the most part, he is self-taught. He learned from tutorials, took lessons, attended workshops and conventions, and met people who shared his passion. He gathered knowledge and experience along the way. Circus gave him the freedom to combine diverse skills and shape them into a single artistic whole.
On stage, he likes to build on stories. Sometimes he finds inspiration in music; other times, in a specific theme. This time, he tells the story of a man embarking on a journey to find his inner strength.
“The performance has a calm, grounded, and spiritual atmosphere that invites the audience into a ‘Zen’ experience”.