University of Tennessee Athletics
BONNER TRANSFERS DIVING SKILLS INTO CAREER WITH CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
May 01, 2003 | Women's Swimming & Diving
May 1, 2003
LAS VEGAS, Nev.
Tracy Bonner, a former NCAA champion diver while at the University of Tennessee, has earned a spot to perform with the prestigious Cirque du Soleil. Bonner joined Cirque's "O" show in Las Vegas during March, and has since performed with the act's Russian Swing and Aerial Hoops segments.
"I'm extremely proud of Tracy," UT Diving Coach Dave Parrington said. "This has been a dream of hers for many years. She started watching shows while still a junior diver, and after the 2000 Olympic Trials, she began training specifically for Cirque du Soleil. She has been working very hard for this and I'm proud of her efforts."
Bonner seems to be a perfect fit for "O," as the entire show is performed in, on and above a 1.5 million gallon pool of water. The Russian Swing act, particularly, is suited to Bonner's skills, as the stunt features performers diving from the large swing into the water. The swing moves from its initial point of ground level to its highest point of 32 feet, which creates a momentary weightlessness before rapidly accelerating down to the water.
"O" currently features an international cast of 81 members, and has been viewed by more than 2 million spectators since its inception. The show has twice been honored by the Las Vegas Review-Journal as its Production Show of the Year. "O" is performed twice nightly from Friday through Tuesday at the Bellagio Hotel.
While at Tennessee, Bonner captured the first national title by a Lady Vol diver, claiming victory on the 1995 NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas. During her UT career, the Houston native garnered a total of 10 All-America citations and captured two SEC titles. She still owns the Tennessee school record in both the 1m and 3m championship-format diving events.
In addition to her collegiate success, Bonner had a strong career on the national and international levels. She teamed up with fellow Lady Vol alumna Kathy Pesek to capture a total of five national titles in 3m springboard synchronized diving. Their most recent win came at the 1999 U.S. Summer National Diving Championships in Houston, which earned the pair a trip to the World Diving Cup in Wellington, New Zealand where they placed fifth.
