Cirque du Soleil brings the magic of Michael Jackson to Florida

When Fernando Miro turned 20, he took a leap of faith and left his native Puerto Rico to pursue a career in Las Vegas. Now 26-years-old, the out dancer is part of the largest Cirque Du Soleil traveling experience in the organization’s history. He’s on the Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour, which stops in Gainesville May 13 and 14 and the Tampa Bay Times Forum May 20 and 21.

Miro was hired by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas as part of the resident performance there. He says the Cirque du Soleil organization often hires from within its own ranks for new shows, which is how he came to become part of this tour.

“We’ve had some great and moving performances all over the world,” says Miro.“Michael Jackson’s music resonates with a wide variety of people in many different cultures. The one that really stands out to me was our performance in Dubai. You would think an Arab country would be very stilted in its response. But that wasn’t the case at all. I looked out at the crowd and everyone was tapping their feet and singing along. It was amazing.”

Created by Cirque du Soleil and directed by Jamie King, the Immortal Tour is a departure from the company’s previous touring shows. Featuring 49 international dancers, musicians, and acrobats, it is presented in a rock concert format that combines the excitement and innovation of Michael Jackson’s music and choreography with Cirque du Soleil’s unparalleled creativity.

Surprisingly, Miro is just one of a half-dozen or so LGBT troupe members, which has a cast of 120. But the handsome performer feels far from lonely.

“In fact, the whole troupe is kind of like an extended family,” says Miro, who started training in dance at the age of 16. “We love each other and take care of each other. It make the long times on the road a lot easier.”

Miro has had a partner for the past two years who is also an acrobat. He met him in Miami, but they live an ocean apart. Miro calls Las Vegas home while his partner resides in Europe. But Miro seems unfazed by the distance.

“We have a lot breaks and we find time we can be together,” he says. “We make it work.”

Whatever headlines Michael Jackson made in his life, one thing remains untainted—the music the pop legend created and his messages of love and peace.

“What we really focus on is Michael as a creative artist, not his personal life,” explains Miro. “When you are performing these numbers you can really feel the presence of love that was so much a part of his artist expression.”

Machine man: A Cirque performer interprets "Dancing Machine" for the audience during the Immortal Tour.
Machine man: A Cirque performer interprets “Dancing Machine” for the audience during the Immortal Tour.

Miro is on stage quite a bit in the production, but says he really relates to the message of “Man in the Mirror.” He also loves the moves in the “Dangerous” number.

“Michael Jackson was a real showman and we try and capture that as much as possible in the show too,” he says.

Miro is quite the showman too. He is trained in Hip Hop, Modern, Contemporary, Afro-Cuban, Folklore, Flamenco, General Ballroom, Mambo, Ballet, Jazz and Experimental Movement. He has toured with Taylor Swift on her “Speak Now” World Tour and appeared in her music videos for “Sparks Fly” and “Story of Us.”

He is also a featured aerialist for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and has performed live for Le Ombre Acrobatic Company and at corporate events for Cannon, Playstation, Cat Footwear, Skechers and Happy Socks. He has also posed for renowned photographer David LaChappelle. Other credits include an AT&T Wi-Fi Commercial, Juan Luis Guerra’s “Lola’s Mambo” music video, “Panic!” and At the Disco’s “Ready to Go” music video. Beyond dancing Milo is also trained in aerial, contortion, clowning and improvisational acting.

Of course at 26, Miro is at the peak of his career. But he is already planning ahead to the time when he won’t be able to do the kind of strenuous work his current career in dancing and aerobatics requires. He has set his sights on acting and hopes to one day be the lead character on his own television show. But that plan remains in the distant future for now. His focus is the Immortal Tour which is one of the most unique Cirque shows.

“What I would say to anyone planning to attend is that this is a high energy performance with a wide variety of musical numbers,” Miro says. “It has some amazing dancing and aerobatics and the special ambience that only a Cirque du Soleil show brings. It is pure entertainment from start to finish.”
This production, according to press materials, is aimed at lifelong fans of Michael Jackson as well as those experiencing the King of Pop’s creative genius for the first time.

Tickets are $50-$125 and are available through TicketMaster.com or through CirqueDuSoleil.com/MichaelJackson.

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