Breaking out of her ‘comfort zone': Local dancer performs with Le Grand Cirque (PHOTOS)

Since Morgana Phlaum was a kid, she had always wanted to run away and join a circus— now she is experiencing one first hand as a dancer with Le Grand Cirque.

“This is kind of like that,” she said of joining a circus. “But I didn’t have to run away from home to do it.”

Phlaum, a 22-year-old Destin resident, is a recent graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and has been performing with Le Grand Cirque since the show opened Memorial Day weekend.

The energetic Phlaum is trained in ballet and modern dance, and said she “has been dancing since she could walk.”

She thanks her parents for their love of the arts, and their support in life. Her mother Sherry Londe is a long-time performer and dancer, and her father Stephen is a cardiologist at Sacred Heart in Sandestin.

 “Performing in this show is different than anything I have ever done before,” she said. “I am able to explore more of the improved aspects of dance.”

The St. Louis native has performed in shows such as Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and the Nutcracker, in addition to performing under the tutelage of world-renowned choreographer Robert Battle.

Phlaum said getting ready to perform in a world-famous show like the Cirque was a little nerve racking at first, with rehearsals and practices taking place just a week before the show was set to open.

“It was a lot of rehearsal in a short amount of time, but it was fine. That is what we were there for,” she added.

If Phlaum thought the butterflies in her stomach were fluttering during practice, she said it was even worse on opening night.

She told The Log that everything was still so new up to that point, and that “the show just moved so quickly.”

“I was afraid of going blank,” she remembered. “I was really, really excited — I didn’t want to forget anything.”

Now that Phlaum has more than a dozen shows under her belt, she said she is much more confident in the show — and in her personal performances.

“I have learned how to better interact with the audience and break down the divide that is there,” she said. “It’s really interesting to get people’s reactions, and it has pushed me to explore new realms of performing.”

When asked what her favorite experience has been so far, Phlaum said without hesitation that it has been the interaction with the other performers.

She said that most of the other performers don’t speak English; so communicating with them has been both fun and challenging.

“I am hoping to use this experience as a stepping stone to bigger things,” she said. “It’s nice to get the experience in something out of my comfort zone.”

When her contract with Le Grand Cirque ends, which could be at the end of August, she plans to move to New York and pursue a career in modern dance. She then wants to go back to school for movement therapy.

“I would love to do music videos or performances like that,” she said. “I don’t want to give up what I am doing right now either — I just love it.”

Phlaum did say that if the opportunity to travel with Le Grand Cirque presented itself, she “would pack her bags right away.”

When asked what her thoughts would be when the show ended, Phlaum replied, “bittersweet.”

“I will definitely take a lot away from this and I hope that it helps me to grow as a person and as a performer,” she said. “Spirit Productions has other shows they perform, so I plan to keep auditioning with them and seeing where it takes me.”

While she does have future aspirations, she is content at the moment spending time with her family, dancing and going to the beach.

“What more can I ask for?” she said.