"I feel so lucky to be part of it."

He will be coming to Belfast next week as a dancer with Delirium, a
Cirque du Soleil production which aims to stretch the boundaries of
live performance.

What began life as a performing troupe in Canada almost three
decades ago has grown into one of the biggest, and most-recognised
entertainment bands on the planet.

Cirque du Soleil productions have become synonymous with highquality
entertainment and drawn a global audience to the thrills and spills of the circus.

Since its European premiere in last September, Delirium has performed
a sold-out run in 25 cities across 13 countries.

"This show is really advanced as far as visual effects go – it's a huge
multi-media event," Everth said.

"There are a lot of graphics and visuals that elevate all of the theatrics to modern times.

"The best way to describe it is futuristic – it has a great combination of artists and new technology."

Born in Nicaragua in 1977, Everth moved to the United States with his
family when he was young.

"I've been interested in dancing my whole life, but I was either involved in acting or gymnastics as a child.

"I wasn't able to start studying dance until I was in college, then I
started studying ballet, jazz dancing and lots of other types."

As well as training at renowned dancing schools, Everth has appeared in music videos with artists including Will Smith, Jessica Simpson and Gloria Estefan. But going on stage is a whole new experience.

"It's totally different, working with the pop and hip-hop artists was for music videos, this is the first tour that I've done," Everth said.

"But my love for the stage only seems to grow with time."

Of course, for a dancer like Everth, life is about much more than the 90
minutes he spends on stage each night.

A daily routine which includes working out, watching what he eats and practising the moves makes dancing more a lifestyle than a simple job for him.

"I can't say that I never eat a slice of pizza or have a fizzy drink, but I try really hard not to," he said.

"For the most part I eat healthily, I work out a lot and take dance
classes."

And the show itself requires a much bigger physical, and emotional,
investment than being able to move to the music.

"It's so much more – you're not only investing your physical attributes
but your emotional characteristics," Everth said.

"It's much more of a performance than just dancing."

While his chosen art-form may not be as high-profile as, say, acting or
singing – "and it's certainly not as well-paid," he joked – Everth said
dancing has its own rewards.

"So many people admire dancers - if you watch a show or a musical and
there are dancers involved there's so much more to engage the eye,"
he added.

And there is appreciation that dancers have to be gifted and dedicated to succeed – it's an artform where talent isn't enough.

He is part of a show which pushes performance to the limits, which
goes some way to explaining the "incredible" audience reaction.

"People have loved the show so much," Everth said.

"We were concerned about how the European audiences would react but
they love it."

And that nightly ovation is something he hasn't got used to.

"I've been doing this show for two and a half years and the joyous
response at the end still shocks me."

With this in mind, Everth believes that Belfast audiences are in for a
treat when Delirium comes to Northern Ireland.

"There is something for everyone – great music, wonderful actors,
acrobats, costumes, performances and the magic of Cirque du Soleil,"
Everth said.

"It's a feast for the eyes."

Cirque du Soleil Delirium is at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast, on
April 12 and 13. Tickets cost £49/£60 and are available from the box office on 9073 9074.