SZLAVKOVSZKI ZSOLT aerial straps
Multiple national team athlete, former student of the Imre Baross Academy of Artistic Training, aerial gymnast, handstand specialist and sports coach. Since the age of 16 he has been actively performing in TV shows, concerts and shows in Hungary and abroad.
Soon you will take the stage at the Budapest Circus in the show “Stars- Like Pins on the Sky”. What kind of production can the audience see from you?
I’ll be performing a gymnastics number at the Budapest Grand Circus from 7 August, where I was last seen at the 2nd Air Gymnastics Festival Gala. In 2016, I performed in “Matyi the Goose” and in 2020, I will be appearing at the 13th Budapest International Circus Festival, the only stone circus in Central Europe. I started doing sports acrobatics at the age of 7. I was a hyperactive child, my mother took me to my first training session in Gödöllő. I am the only one in my family who chose this career.
You are an aerial gymnast and handstand specialist. Why did the latter become important to you?
Belting and handstand are not specifically related, but by developing muscle strength, movement culture and coordination, these different disciplines interact in a beneficial way, helping to create higher quality movement patterns. I also incorporated a trick in handstand into my gymnastics routine. Circus life is a heightened, adrenaline-fuelled, higher level of existence that can make you completely addicted. I get excited every time before I step on the stage! Fortunately, my palms don’t sweat, but I always get a minor stomach cramp. It soon goes away as soon as I step out onto the stage. Although I’m on my own, it’s a real team effort. I studied gymnastics with Tünde Vincze, who saw the talent in me at a very young age. I would add that she probably also sensed in me the diligence, determination and perseverance that are essential for the sport. To this day, I can turn to Tündé with confidence and trust. The support of my family and the help of my beloved is also important.
How much time do you spend preparing every day?
I try to train 4-5 times a week. This is greatly influenced by the number of performances. If I only have one performance a day, I will most likely fit in a training session. If there are two, then there is no practice that day. And on days when I’m not performing, I try to get in more hours of practice, as well as supplement my professional practice with weight training and cardio.
You have also been seen in theatre performances, television shows, foreign and Hungarian shows and variety shows. Meanwhile, you also work as a trainer. How do these things fit into your life?
Learning is a hobby for me. I don’t exclude the possibility of working in a helping profession in the future, but until then I have many dreams that I would like to realise on the stage!