Cirque du Soleil performer falls to ground during Portland show

Dramatic video shows a Cirque du Soleil aerial hoop artist losing her grip while performing a stunt and crashing to the ground with no safety net to break her fall.

The frightening incident occurred during a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza” at the Portland Exposition Center in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday night, according to the production.

The video, obtained by KOIN 6 News, shows performer Mariia Konfektova suspended in mid-air, spinning on her jump when she appears to lose her grip, slipping and falling to the ground below, in full view of all onlookers.

The Russian acrobat is seen lying face down on the stage as the other performers stop what they are doing and stand in awe of the stunt gone wrong before the video ends.

Konfektova, 23, like many other members of the Cirque du Soleil cast, performs her stunts without a net.

Benjamin Goldstein, 10, was with his sister and father as he captured video of the aerial artist and said he, like many others in the crowd, wasn’t sure if it was “part of the show” when she fell.

“At first I thought it was part of the show, like it was on purpose,” Goldstein told KOIN 6 News.

“But then people started acting weird. I thought, ‘Oh, this isn’t part of the show. Something’s going on.’”

The 10-year-old said he saw Konfektova fall face down on stage, and it “looked like she hit her nose, and there was blood from her nose, but she lifted her head, but she remained still.”

Goldstein told ABC News that Cirque du Soleil crew quickly rushed to Konfektova’s aid and that the performer “kept her cool” throughout the frightening incident.

“She gave a thumbs up as she was being carried off stage, which was a great sign,” he told the outlet.

“We appreciate your concern and well wishes for our aerial hoop artist. We want to assure you that the artist is recovering and is being cared for by our medical and coaching team,” “Kooza” said in a statement on Facebook Monday.

A spokesperson for the touring show also told KOIN 6 News that Konfektova was “taken to the hospital for evaluation” after suffering the fall and is “conscious, stable and being treated by medical specialists and (their) team.”

Goldstein said the show was interrupted for about 20 minutes before someone involved in organizing addressed the audience and said the performers were ready to end the show.

“I have to commend these artists. To go on and finish the show after something like that, it must be difficult,” he told ABC News. “They did a phenomenal job.”

Konfektova’s Instagram account responded to another concerned fan in the comments of one of her old posts: “Thank you. Luckily I’m fine.”

The 23-year-old artist was born in Omsk, Russia, and is a retired rhythmic gymnast, according to an online profile.

Konfektova holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest aerial hoop, completing 75 rotations in 30 seconds in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China, on April 2, 2021.

Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza” show opened in Portland on August 21 and will end on October 6.

The organization said its coaches and medical experts will continue to monitor Konfektova until they deem her ready to “return to performance.”