According to a report in the Las Vegas Sun, a performer in the Cirque du Soleil production “Ka” fell to her death Saturday night during the show.
Sarah Guyard-Guillot, an acrobatic performer in the Cirque show at the MGM Grand in Vegas, was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m. Saturday night by the Clark County Coroner. She was a mother of two young children, ages 8 and 5. She had spent more than 22 years as an acrobatic performer. She was born in Paris, and had been a part of the “Ka” production since it began at the MGM Grand in 2004.
The night’s performance of “Ka” was almost over. There is a climactic Final Battle scene that closes the show. It was in that scene that multiple performers were suspended from wires in front of a vertical stage area, including Guyard-Guillot. This is when the tragic accident took place.
According to eyewitnesses, Guyard-Guillot was being flown to the top of the vertical stage when she slipped from her safety cable and fell 50 feet to the pit area below the stage, out of sight of the audience. Audience members thought it was part of the act until they heard screaming and groans. The production was halted and shortly thereafter the audience was told over loudspeaker that they could obtain a refund or voucher for future shows, but that the crowd was dismissed.
Further performances of “Ka” have been suspended until further notice.
Guy Laliberte, founder of Cirque du Soleil, issued a statement on Sunday.
‘‘I am heartbroken. I wish to extend my sincerest sympathies to the family. We are all completely devastated. We are reminded with great humility and respect how extraordinary our artists are each and every night. Our focus now is to support each other as a family.’’
The official cause of death has not been announced at this time.
