“It’s my life – not my work.” Olena says the words with passion as motorbike engine fumes and rehearsal noise fill the big top tent in Victoria Park.
Embarking on her first tour with the renowned Zippos Circus this week, the clown from Ukraine, better known by her stage name, La Loka, explains how herfirst taste of the spotlight came at the tender age of one and a half, when she joined her father on stage, sporting the same makeup and costume as him.
By the time she was nine, she was a professional circus performer in her own right.
La Loka learned everything about being a traditional clown from her father before attending clown school in Kyiv — a place she emotionally refers to as ‘my city’, as a sense of longing hangs in the air.
Her life has been the circus, with a Russian mother and Ukrainian father who were both performers, she attended 90 schools in her time in education while touring with her parents.
She said, “Every month, it was change, change, change, all the time, and it was hard. Sometimes, I cried and didn’t want to be in a circus anymore.”
(Image: Colin Mearns/Herald)
This fatigue led to a period of eight years where she left the circus, after her parents stopped performing, to open a dance school to pursue her passion for it.
However, the call of the circus proved too strong to resist, and she returned, leaving everything behind.
She embraces the circus life wholeheartedly now, saying: "It's mine, it's my life, it's what I love. And when I get on stage, I feel happiness all the time. More work, more happiness."
La Loka’s immersion in performance has desensitised her from the anxieties that come from public performing; she explained: “I don’t get nervous; it’s just another day of work, and I love it!”
Her father died last year in Germany, where her mother and one of her sisters have settled, only one member of her family, her other sister, has returned to Ukraine to be with her boyfriend ‘she went back for love’, La Loka says with a smile.
Read more:Zippo's Circus: Art and magic in the greatest show on earth
She adds that her sister hears gunfire and missiles at night, a sombre reminder of the ever-present turmoil due to the conflict in Ukraine.
The name La Loka, which translates to 'crazy woman' in Spanish, was a nickname given to her by Cuban performers in 2017 during her stint at another circus. She embraced the moniker, choosing to spell it with a 'K' to make it her own.
La Loka has evolved her clown persona, moving away from traditional full-face makeup and slapstick comedy and opting for a more minimalistic and sophisticated approach.
She believes that making people laugh while looking more 'serious' presents a greater challenge and allows for a more nuanced performance.
Speaking on her move away from traditional ‘slapstick’ clowning, La Loka said: “I don't like this [slapstick], I don't like it. Because I think it's old school, and now when somebody does it, I look like... [cringes] - It looks so cheap.
“I try to make my act smarter, more beautiful. To me, I am an actress, not just a clown. There is an art to what I do.”
La Loka’s transformation into what she describes as a more mature, sophisticated clown is part of her progression and the development of her skills, she is always learning and trying to push herself.
She is also maturing. La Loka travels with her two-year-old daughter Michelle and her husband Alex, a theatre performer.
Michelle has already taken to the stage with La Loka dressed in the same costume, continuing the family circus legacy.
(Image: Colin Mearns/Herald)
However, La Loka is adamant that Michelle will not be thrust onto the stage as she was unless she chooses to pursue the circus life, insisting that it will be her choice.
La Loka’s dedication to her craft is unwavering, showing that she has inherited her family's work ethic. La Loka performed her physically demanding act right up until a month before she gave birth to Michelle and was performing again only five months after.
Touring with Zippos Circus has been a dream of La Loka’s for years, she explained: “I first saw Zippos when working elsewhere, and I wrote to them for two years asking for them to take me on before they did.”
Zippos are proud to have La Loka as part of their roster of incredible circus talent: “Female circus clowns are hard to find. Good clowns are hard to find too – we had double luck in finding La Loka as she’s an exceptional female clown and a remarkable acrobat.”
(Image: Colin Mearns/Herald)
La Loka loves being in Scotland, too. She recalls an encounter the first day she got here when a stranger walked up to her and showed immense kindness. She explained that the people embracing the circus give it a homely feel and remind her of the warm welcomes her mother and father got during their time on the road.
La Loka's journey is a testament to her love for the circus life. Despite the challenges, she has found fulfilment under the big top, carrying on her family's legacy in her own unique way.
There is a pragmatic, determined steeliness at the core of the immaculately dressed, energetic clown; as soon as we say goodbye, she joins the rest of the ensemble for rehearsals, and the tent once more fills with noise, colour and laughter.
While touring life isn’t for everyone, La Loka has clearly found refuge and a family in the circus — when you live for the show, and the show is on the road, the road seems to be the only place that will ever feel like home.
Zippo's Circus is currently touring Scotland and based at Victoria Park, Glasgow, from June 13 to June 17, Battery Park in Greenock from June 19 to 24 with further dates all over Scotland throughout June, July and August. Click here for tickets and more info.
