Combining the grace and agility of a gymnast with the flexibility of a contortionist and the dexterity of a juggler, the enchanting elfin-like performer weaves her way through a myriad of ever-spinning hoops.

As the clown rushes off stage to nurse his burnt fingers, Fleur calls to the Old Birds, who rush the stage. One by one they come out, each holding a metalic hoop. Seeing it as more of a toy than anything else, they try and manipulate it around their waists, but it falls to the ground. To lazy to pick them up, the Old Birds leave the hoops.

Fleur smiles again when a young woman appears. She is beautiful and Fleur takes to her immediately. She bends her body to and fro, causing Fleur to topple over in anticipation. And then, the young woman takes hold of her hoops and does amazing things. With her limber body, she whisks her silver hoops around her body - her limbs, her torso, her head - without losing motion or contact with her rings. The positions she can get into are amazing and when she adds two, three and way too many hoops to her body - she's all a glo in the limelight!

Hoops was not originally part of the Alegría line-up when the show premiered on April 21, 1994. Elena's father was invited to tour with his "Flying Lev" act (High Bar) and Elena and her mother tagged along. A few months into the tour, Elena would audition for Cirque and the company asked her to join the tour at 12 years of age. We believe she began performing in Alegría during the Santa Monica run (6 October to 18 December 1994), delighting audiences throughout the United States. Elena would go on to perform in Alegría for a number of years, before moving on to other Cirque shows in 2002.