Raphael Cruz
Raphael Cruz | |
|---|---|
 Raphael Cruz | |
| Born | September 5, 1986 Vallejo, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 26, 2018 (aged 31) Paris, France |
| Occupations | Acrobat, clown, actor |
| Known for | Iris |
Raphael Cruz (September 5, 1986 – January 26, 2018) was an American acrobat, clown and actor, a Bay Area native and international contemporary circus star, one of three brothers who performed together.[1]
After training in San Francisco's Pickle Family Circus and then Montreal's National Circus School, Cruz had many brilliant performances with Montreal's The 7 Fingers and Cirque du Soleil, and the Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Company.[2] In 2011, Cruz played the lead role of Buster, a Buster Keaton inspired character, in the cinema themed Cirque du Soleil production Iris.[3][4][5] Cruz was part of the choreography team for the opening ceremonies for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.[6]
Raphael died unexpectedly at 31 years old on January 26, 2018, in Paris from undiagnosed heart ailment causing heart and lung failure.[1]
The Raphael Cruz Scholarship Fund was created in 2024 by Club Fugazi, a performing arts theatre in San Francisco to provide Bay Area youth with opportunities to be inspired by Raphael's example and follow in his footsteps.[6]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Weiss, Hedy (January 29, 2018). "Acrobat-actor Raphael Cruz, recently at Lookingglass, dies in Paris". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
- ↑ Siag, Jean (2018-02-02). "Mort de Raphael Cruz: la communauté cirque en deuil". La Presse (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- ↑ Chan, Bryan (September 14, 2011). "Cirque du Soleil performers before and after photos". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Lewis, Raha (June 16, 2011). "First Look: Costumes for Cirque du Soleil's 'Iris' are part of the spectacle". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Hodgins, Paul (September 26, 2011). "Cirque's 'Iris' is a feast for the senses". Orange County Register.
- 1 2 "January 2 Vallejo/Vacaville Arts and Entertainment Source: The Raphael Cruz Fund honors Vallejo Native". Times Herald Online. 2024-12-31. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
External links
[edit]- Raphael Cruz at IMDb