OUR PANELIST

Charlie Burrows

Acrobatic Casting Advisor –  Resident Shows 

Cirque du Soleil    

Before becoming an acrobatic casting advisor and talent scout for some of the world’s most well-known productions by Cirque du Soleil®, Charlie Burrows made a name for himself as a world-class power tumbler for more than a decade. Burrows has competed in more than 20 World Cup and World Championship events and was crowned European Team Champion in 2006 and World Championship Finalist in 2007 in trampoline and tumbling. After finishing his business management degree and competitive career in 2011, Burrows joined Cirque du Soleil as a special events performer before joining La Nouba, a resident show at Walt Disney World Resort, where he performed in the Powertrack and Trampoline act, one of the award winning acts of Cirque du Soleil. Today, Charlie is based in Las Vegas where he is the Acrobatic Casting Advisor for Resident Shows by Cirque du Soleil.  

A former gymnast and professional circus performer, Stacy worked in marketing and communications before leaving it all behind to perform and teach circus around the world on stage, at festivals and on screen.

Stacy is co-founder of Creative Athletic Performance, a consulting service specializing in casting, coaching and creation. She also teaches career development and act development to the next generation of circus artists training at San Diego Circus Center.

Until 2020, Stacy was the Director of Casting at Cirque du Soleil, leading a team of international talent scouts and advisors. Stacy's journey at Cirque du Soleil began in 2007 when she joined the Casting department as a Talent Scout, recruiting athletes and circus artists for the company’s shows worldwide. In 2011 she became Acrobatic Coach on Amaluna, touring North America.  

Stacy holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts from Ryerson University and a Leadership diploma from Concordia University. She is a certified yoga teacher, nutrition coach, NASM performance enhancement specialist and CrossFit level 1 and CrossFit Kids trainer.  

“I believe in safe, open learning environments, and cultivating a sense of agency in students, athletes and artists. Excellence in human performance begins with being an excellent human.”

Alan Ascencio was born in Mexico City, where he developed a love for diverse movement arts. Throughout his childhood and early adulthood, Alan was trained in gymnastics, capoeira, dance, and partner acrobatics. Alan holds a degree in telecommunications engineering and practiced as an engineer in the corporate world while simultaneously producing shows and performing on stage recreationally. Alan decided to follow his passions and dreams, left engineering, and never looked back. In 2013 Alan founded EMCirque.

EMCirque is a premiere entertainment provider in the USA and is dedicated to casting world-class acts and artists for diverse shows and special events. The production company has been featured in events such as the Billboard Music Awards, the Academy Awards, America’s Got Talent, commercial music videos, and large-scale corporate events. 

Alan proudly collaborated with Cirque du Soleil’s One Night One Drop as a circus artist and Cirque du Monde social circus program as a coach between 2013 and 2018. His performance credits also include America's Got Talent, the Billboard Music Awards, the Academy Awards, and more. As a producer, he strives to continue developing EMCirque into one of the leading production companies for circus arts and live entertainment where artists feel safe, appreciated, and valued. He is committed to constant growth in all aspects of his life and using that growth to help the community and arts industry.