Adèle Fame trained for twenty years to achieve excellence in acrobatic straps. A fulfilled artist’s life… obtained at the cost of a sacrificed childhood.
Adèle Fame, 26, twirls unprotected several meters above the Bouglione circus track, simply connected to two long fabric straps. “With the straps, there cannot be a net, because I have to be able to touch the ground; nor a rope, because it would hinder my movements”, explains the young woman quietly. His agility and flexibility are such that spectators completely forget the extreme muscular power that must be deployed to perform such a number.
“Initially, it was a male discipline, confides the artist. There are therefore very few women who practice at a high level. I was very inspired by the work of Natalia Egorova Bouglione who is one of the first to have practiced the acrobatic straps. So today, performing at the Bouglione circus is a great pleasure.” But before taking pleasure in it, Adèle, the fourth generation of a circus family, needed long years of frenzied training.
“My mother trained me in Russian and it was hell”
“My grandfather was a tamer, my father an acrobat then a technician, and my mother was a great Russian trapeze artist. At 4 years old, I was already on the track. At 6 years old, I had my own number. A legacy of passion that leaves little room for the rest. Adèle follows correspondence school, travels all over the world, all punctuated by relentless training. “My mother taught me everything. She trained me the Russian way and it was hell. No matter how cold or hot, you had to practice. My mother used to tell me that if I didn’t get involved , I would end up on the street as a homeless person or a prostitute. I recognize that it was extreme.”
Adèle confides with modesty on this youth not like the others. “My childhood was sacrificed. I didn’t play or befriend kids my age. I was considered by my mother as an adult. It is not insignificant. As a teenager, I went through a period of anxiety and depression that I managed to overcome just six years ago. If, one day, I have children, I will do otherwise. If they wish, I will teach them acrobatics, but while continuing school. I would like them to have a childhood bathed in love, games, words, complicity.”
“Without my years of hard work and sacrifice, I would not have reached this level”
Despite everything, the artist is aware that it was the price to pay to achieve excellence. “You should never regret. Without my years of hard work and sacrifice, I would not have reached this level. I have invented tricks, I have an international career that allows me to travel and perform in renowned circuses To perform at Bouglione, at the Cirque d’Hiver, was a dream. I pinched myself every morning when I left my caravan.”
Very present on Instagram (@adele.fame), Adèle, who speaks seven languages, shares her passion with many fans who congratulate and encourage her. “It gives me the strength to progress, it carries me a lot. I perform alone, I am completely independent. So my audience is everything to me. When I’m on the straps, I’m in total control. I I feel loved and protected. I feel in my place, fulfilled.”