Olga Pikhienko

Olga Pikhienko (born February 11, 1980) is a circus performer who specializes in handbalancing and contortion. Pikhienko started in rhythmic gymnastics at the age of five. When she was eleven, she started performing with her father, Sasha Pikhienko, at the Nikulin Circus based in Moscow. Olga's act with her father won them a gold medal in 1992 at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris. which won an Emmy Award in 2003.

After touring with Varekai for three years, Pikhienko decided to branch out artistically, developing new acts for special events, commercials, print and video. Her new act was choreographed by Debra Brown, who has choreographed for many Cirque du Soleil shows. She returned to Quidam in 2006, and toured with the show once again until she went back to the Cirque du Soleil headquarters for the creation of Iris, her third show with the company. The show premiered in July 2011. According to her personal Facebook page, she left Iris on September 2, 2012. After that, she performed briefly in a show called Le Noir: the Dark Side of Cirque, and also Empire, a show touring in Australia. She has returned to doing private events and resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her family.

History 1985-1990: Rhythmic gymnastics (Russia) 1991-1992: Nikulin Circus (Moscow): hand-to-hand contortion with Alexander Pikhienko 1993-1994: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus: hand-to-hand contortion with Alexander Pikhienko 1994-2001: Cirque du Soleil's Quidam, North American Tour and European Tour: hand balancing and contortion with canes 2003-2006: Independent artist — special events, television, film, print: hand balancing and contortion with canes 2006–2011: Cirque du Soleil's Quidam, North and South American tour 2011–2012: Cirque du Soleil's Iris in Hollywood 2012: Le Noir: The Dark Side of Cirque 2012-2013 Empire, Australian tour 2013–present: Independent artist - special events, television, film, print: hand balancing and contortion with canes

Film and television Cirque du Soleil — Quidam Cirque du Soleil — Varekai Cirque du Soleil — Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within