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Live Like An Acrobat Podcast Ep. 30: The “Ladybug” from OVO Michelle Matlock

Shenea Stiletto,
Michelle Matlock in ladybug costume spreads her arms wide and smiles at the camera against a white background

Celebrating women making history in circus, host Shenea Stiletto interviews the “Ladybug “ clown character from Cirque Du Soleil’s touring show OVO Michelle Matlock about how she made history by being the first African American woman to create a main character in a Cirque production. Michelle toured with OVO for close to ten years and is the founder of CircusUp Productions a live entertainment and performing arts education company. She also has over twenty five years of experience in the entertainment industry, and won critical acclaim for her one woman show The Mammy Project.

Shenea Stiletto
Acrobat, Podcaster, Circus Artist, Handstand Instructor -United States
Shenea Stiletto (Shenea Booth) is a two-time World Champion Gold Medalist in Acrobatic gymnastics, a USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame Member, and World Acrobatic Society Inductee. Her career includes a decade of collaborations with Cirque Du Soleil including the coveted hand balancing role as "The Promise" in Varekai, becoming the first-ever African American female soloist to play a lead character in a Cirque Du Soleil production.
Shenea was also a finalist on America’s Got Talent and has continued to be a featured artist with prominent circus entertainment companies worldwide.

Editor's Note: At StageLync, an international platform for the performing arts, we celebrate the diversity of our writers' backgrounds. We recognize and support their choice to use either American or British English in their articles, respecting their individual preferences and origins. This policy allows us to embrace a wide range of linguistic expressions, enriching our content and reflecting the global nature of our community.

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Shenea Stiletto

Shenea Stiletto (Shenea Booth) is a two-time World Champion Gold Medalist in Acrobatic gymnastics, a USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame Member, and World Acrobatic Society Inductee. Her career includes a decade of collaborations with Cirque Du Soleil including the coveted hand balancing role as "The Promise" in Varekai, becoming the first-ever African American female soloist to play a lead character in a Cirque Du Soleil production. Shenea was also a finalist on America’s Got Talent and has continued to be a featured artist with prominent circus entertainment companies worldwide.