Cirque du Soleil Artist Killed in Fall During Las Vegas Performance (+video)

Sarah Guyard-Guillot, an artist in “Ka” at MGM Grand and a mother of two young children ages 8 and 5, was killed Saturday night after a fall from the show’s stage at MGM Grand. The Clark County Coroner’s Office said this afternoon that Guyard-Guillot, 31, was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m. Saturday at University Medical Center.

No formal cause of death has been determined pending further examination of Guyard-Guillot’s body. She was born in Paris and had spent more than 22 years as an acrobatic performer. She was a graduate of Annie Fratellini Art & Circus Academy, named for the famed French circus clown and actress. The official website for Cirqeufit acrobatics school in Las Vegas, where Guyard-Guillot served as a coach, said she was an acrobatic and aerialist specialist. She was hired by “Ka” as the production opened at MGM Grand in 2004.

Also this afternoon, MGM Resorts International, Cirque’s artistic and business partner in Las Vegas, issued a statement about the tragedy: “Our company is deeply saddened by the loss of one of the talented KA artists Saturday night. The thoughts and prayers of our employees are with the performer’s family, the cast of KA, and the entire Cirque family during this difficult time.”

It is the first reported death from an accident onstage in Cirque’s 30-year history.

According to reports from audience members, the incident occurred Saturday night during the latter stages of the production at MGM Grand. Guyard-Guillot was one of the artists suspended by a wire from the show’s vertical stage in the show-closing Final Battle scene. As she ascended to the top of the stage, she slipped free of her safety wire and dropped to the open, unseen pit below the performers.

Read more from this story HERE.