Science- David Bartlett, 10, performs in
Cirque du Soleil 's "LOVE" - Three days each week, he performs back-to-back shows at The Mirage in Las Vegas.
David Bartlett is just like any other kid in his fifth-grade charter-school class in Las Vegas. He likes playing with his friends and creating things from cardboard. But three days a week, Bartlett gets picked up after school and driven to The Mirage on the Vegas Strip, where he plays one of the kids of Liverpool in Cirque du Soleil's "LOVE," a show about the Beatles.
"I really like how I get to present in front of a live audience," David told Insider.
Following in the family tradition
Given David's family history, it's no surprise that he's at home on the stage. His mother and father, Anna Zlatkova and Terry Bartlett, are both experienced performers with Cirque du Soleil. David loves to break dance, so Anna thought he might be good for the Beatles show. But when she mentioned an audition, "I had no idea what she even meant," David said.
His parents knew that performing in a Vegas show would be a huge learning experience, regardless of whether David decides to make a career out of performing.
"I wanted him to get inspired, and I knew he would be," Anna said. There are about 70 other performers in the show, including seven other boys who play the kids of Liverpool. That means David gets to experience the camaraderie of group performance and the thrill of being before an audience, his dad said.
Seeing David on stage left Terry "glowing with pride," he said. But for Anna, the most emotional moment was watching her son return to the stage after the COVID-19 pandemic put the show on hold for months.
A typical boy and family
David is in school five days a week, just like most kids his age. And Anna and Terry spend their afternoon hours shuffling kids to various activities. In addition to David, they shuttle their daughter, Bianca, who does rhythmic gymnastics, and their 5-year-old son, Jacob, who is still deciding what his activity of choice might be.
"It's a lot of driving around," Anna said.
On days without a show, David might have rehearsal, make-up reviews, and costume adjustments. About three nights a week, David performs, usually in back-to-back shows that can stretch into the night. Over the course of a year, David has more than 200 performances, with only one month off during the show's scheduled break.
Luckily, the producers and staff are used to working with kids. There are eight boys to fill just four roles, making sure none of the kids works too hard, Anna said.
Fun, with a time limit
The role David plays is limited. No matter how long "LOVE" runs for, he'll eventually outgrow it. Anna worries about that time when he's not able to perform in Cirque du Soleil anymore.
"That's not an easy transition," she said.
Luckily, David has kept in touch with other boys who have held the role before him. And he focuses on other hobbies — like break dancing — so that he has creative outlets outside of the show.
For now, though, he enjoys each time he steps on stage. After so many performances, his nerves are gone, he said.
"My first show I was crying. I didn't want to do anything," David said. "Now I go out there, I do a dance or choreography set, and I wasn't even thinking when I was doing it. My body just knows what to do."