Acrobatics Is a Category, Not a Discipline
Writing “acrobat” on a CV is the equivalent of a musician writing “plays instruments.” It tells a booker nothing actionable. Every discipline within acrobatics has different physical requirements, stage requirements, and target markets — and casting teams search by discipline, not by the umbrella term.
Hand Balancing
Handstands, canes, balancing on props and moving platforms. Solo or duo. Requires minimal stage space.
Tumbling / Floor Acrobatics
Dynamic flips, handsprings, twists. Requires a long running track or sprung floor. High energy, often used in opening and closing numbers.
Contortion
Extreme flexibility — front and back bending, dislocations. Solo. Often used in cabaret, variety, and Cirque-style shows.
Cyr Wheel / German Wheel
Performer inside a large metal ring creating shapes and movement. Requires smooth flat stage, specific floor area.
Acrobalance / Adagio
Partner acrobatics — one base, one flyer. Requires knowing your partner's weight capacity. Elegant and theatrical.
Hand to Hand
Strength-based partner acrobatics. Base lifts and holds flyer in static and dynamic positions. Very sought after for cruise and theatre.
Teeterboard
Group act using a seesaw-style board for launches. Requires multiple performers and a production team that understands the prop.
Straps / Aerial Acrobatics
If you cross into aerial disciplines, list these separately — they have their own certification and rigging requirements.
List every discipline you perform at a bookable level. If your main act is Hand Balancing but you also have a Cyr Wheel number, both belong on the profile — they open different markets.
Solo vs Partner Acts — The CV Difference
Solo acrobats and partner acts are cast differently and need different information on their CVs.
Solo acts
Focus on discipline specificity, training pedigree, and act duration. Solo acrobats are often used as featured acts in variety shows, galas, and cruise ship productions. State your act duration and whether you have multiple acts (different costumes, different disciplines).
Partner and group acts (Adagio, Hand to Hand, Teeterboard)
Each performer needs their own section — individual name, age, physical stats, passport, and certifications. Bookers casting international contracts need individual details. A combined entry without per-member breakdown creates doubt and delays. For Adagio and Hand to Hand, include the weight capacity the base can support and the flyer's weight — agencies need this to assess act safety and suitability.
The Acrobat's Photo
For acrobats, the photo is a technical document as much as a marketing one. Bookers and production teams assess body lines, physical condition, and act aesthetics from the photo before they watch a video.
Show your body lines in a skill position
Mid-trick or in a static hold — not standing in costume. For hand balancers, a one-arm handstand. For contortionists, a defining pose. The body line should be visible from head to toe.
Include a clear face shot as your profile photo
Some agencies specifically request both a skill photo and a clean headshot. If you can include only one, the skill photo wins — but make sure your face is recognizable in it.
Use performance-quality lighting
Dark, unclear, or heavily filtered photos read as amateur. Stage lighting or a professional studio shoot is standard. Phone photos from rehearsal are not.
Multiple photos for partner acts
Include at least one photo of the act together — lifting, balancing, or in a position that shows the partnership. Individual headshots for each performer separately.
Video: What Agencies Need to See
The video is the most important element of an acrobat's CV. Unlike dancers or singers, acrobats are booked almost entirely on the strength of their demo — the CV fields confirm the details, the video gets the booking.
What Cirque du Soleil specifically asks for in video submissions
- —A personal introduction — who you are and what your specialty is
- —Flexibility demonstration: three splits (left, right, middle), bridge, shoulder extension
- —Strength capabilities shown on video — not just described
- —Your complete circus act or signature discipline
Cirque du Soleil has one of the most rigorous submission processes in the industry. Most cruise lines and variety agencies don't publish a checklist — but a video that covers these elements leaves no questions unanswered, regardless of who is watching.
2–3 minutes maximum
Open with your strongest moment. Agencies review hundreds of videos — if the first 20 seconds aren't compelling, the rest won't be watched.
Full body visible at all times
Shoot from a distance that shows the complete body. Close-ups of the face mid-trick are useless. The camera should capture feet through head throughout.
Clean, well-lit environment
A cluttered rehearsal space reads as unprofessional. Use a stage, a studio, or a clean gym. Lighting must be even — shadowed tricks lose the body line entirely.
Hosted directly in your CV
Video hosted on PerformerCV plays inside your profile. Agencies reviewing many applicants don't click away to YouTube — the video needs to be immediate and uninterrupted.
Training and School
In acrobatics, where you trained matters more than in many other performing disciplines. Agencies and production companies use training background as a proxy for technical standard — a performer from a recognized circus school starts with a different level of assumed competence than a self-taught artist with the same video.
List your main training institution, the years you attended, and the discipline focus. If you trained privately with a named coach who is known in the industry, include that too. Notable schools — École Nationale de Cirque (Montréal), National Circus School (various), Codarts (Rotterdam), Roue Libre (Paris), NICA (Australia) — carry immediate recognition with international agencies and casting directors.
If you are self-taught or trained outside formal institutions, let your video carry the weight. The training section should then focus on notable coaches, workshops with recognized artists, and competition results.
Physical Specs for Acrobatics
Physical stats matter more for acrobats than for almost any other performing discipline. This is not vanity — it is a practical casting requirement.
Height and weight — both required for partner acts
For Adagio, Hand to Hand, and Acrobalance: base performers need to list the weight they can safely support. Flyers list their own weight. Agencies cannot cast partner acts without this information.
Age
Relevant for physical roles. Include your birth year — not because of discrimination, but because productions planning multi-year contracts need to know the performer's trajectory.
Hair and eye colour
Production design teams cast for visual consistency in large shows. This information is used in ensemble casting decisions, not as a primary filter.
Nationalities and passports
For international touring and cruise contracts. Multiple passports increase booking chances — list all of them.
Cruise Ships and Large Productions
Cruise ships are one of the most consistent markets for acrobatic performers. Lines including AIDA, Royal Caribbean, MSC, and Costa specifically recruit acrobats and specialty acts for their onboard entertainment programmes — contracts typically run 4–7 months with full board and accommodation.
Required before boarding any cruise ship
- —STCW Basic Safety Training — mandatory for all crew including entertainment, no exceptions
- —ENG1 Seafarer's Medical Certificate — issued by an approved maritime medical examiner
- —Valid passport with at least 6 months beyond contract end date
- —Ability to pass a safety test in English — failing means not boarding
- —Criminal background check — required by most major lines before contract offer
AIDA Cruises specifically notes that acrobatic performers require “great strength and a high skill set” and that training must be at a state-certified or equivalent level. Basic ballet and contemporary dance training is listed as an additional requirement by some lines for acrobats who appear in mixed-discipline productions.
List your certifications with expiry dates. An application with expired STCW or no ENG1 is rejected before the video is watched — this is the most common reason qualified performers lose cruise bookings.
Tech Rider Basics
Many acrobatic acts require specific stage conditions. If yours does, include a brief technical note on your CV — not a full rider, but the key constraints a venue or production needs to know before booking you.
Floor surface
Tumbling requires a sprung or crash mat surface. Cyr Wheel requires a smooth, hard, level floor — no carpet, no raked stages.
Stage dimensions
Minimum stage width and depth for your act. Teeterboard acts require significant height clearance. Hand to Hand may need a counterweight.
Rigging
If any element of your act uses overhead rigging (straps, suspended props), state the hang point height and load capacity required.
Setup time
If your act requires setup (Cyr Wheel, Teeterboard, any prop), note the setup and strike time so venues can plan their running order.
A CV that answers technical questions before they are asked saves the booker a round of email — and that responsiveness signals professionalism.
Common Acrobat CV Mistakes
Writing 'acrobat' without naming any discipline
Replace with your specific disciplines: Hand Balancing, Contortion, Cyr Wheel, Adagio. If you do multiple, list them all.
A video that opens with a slow introduction or titles
Start with your strongest trick in the first five seconds. Agencies review large volumes of video — a slow open loses the viewer.
Partner act CV without individual member details
Each performer needs their own section: name, nationality, physical stats, certifications. A joint entry without separation delays every conversation.
No weight information for base performers in partner acts
For Adagio and Hand to Hand, the base must state the weight they support. Without this, agencies cannot confirm act safety — and won't book.
Missing or expired cruise certifications
STCW and ENG1 with current dates must be visible. Expired certifications are the single most common reason qualified acrobats miss cruise bookings.
A video filmed in a poorly lit rehearsal space
Use a stage or studio. The body line must be visible through the entire skill. A dark or cluttered background signals that the performer doesn't yet understand professional presentation.
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PerformerCV editorial team
Written from the booking desk of Prime Line Agency — reviewing performer applications for cruise lines, shows, and international agencies.