Fernanda Morales spends up to 12 hours daily in Cirque du Soleil’s new aquatic theatre

People reports that Fernanda Morales, a former land-based dancer, is now an aquatic troop performer in Cirque du Soleil’s LUDÕ at VidantaWorld in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, and routinely spends as much as 12 hours a day in the show’s built-in pools.

Morales told the outlet she shifted from dancing to yoga and then discovered free diving after knee surgery about 10 years ago, becoming a free diving instructor in Tulum. She auditioned for the Cirque show by submitting nine videos and was cast; training included learning to hold her breath for at least 45 seconds, scuba classes, and mastering buoyancy and the use of diving weights. In performance she dances and dives in one of eight aquariums, and rehearsals typically run in two- to three-hour increments — sometimes with breathing assistance when performers remain in the water.

She described practical challenges such as hair care, warming with strong ginger tea and a lengthy makeup routine, and said the creative team has welcomed performers’ input so they could help build the show. Cirque Du Soleil LUDÕ is now open at VidantaWorld, and Morales has said much of the show's inspiration comes from Mexico, which she finds meaningful to represent.

Key Topics

Culture, Fernanda Morales, Cirque Du Soleil, Ludõ, Vidantaworld, Nuevo Vallarta