Living “Le Rêve”
Posted: November 14, 2014
Twice a day, five days a week, Grzegorz Ros puts on his makeup and costume, or lack thereof, and starts his warm-up routine. His adrenaline crescendos as he hears the 30-, 15-, and five-minute warnings to the top of the show.
Then, the stage manager announces, “This is your place call!”
Hanging from a metal twig 50 feet above stage, he and his colleagues are lowered to a million-gallon swimming pool. Breathing under water through air regulators, a giant metal tree emerges from the water, and the show begins.
“We jump out from under the water, right in front of the audience,” Ros, DPT, explains. “Then, we swim to the tree and perform an act of climbing, jumping, swinging, and hand balancing—and that’s just the first five minutes.”
In his 25-year career as an acrobat, Dr. Ros was a professional athlete in Poland before plunging into show business. Competing in gymnastic acrobatics, he was champion of Poland and a member of the Polish national team, even winning medals at the European and world championships.
“I have always been mesmerized by circus arts,” says Dr. Ros. “So as soon as I decided to finish my sports career, I joined a modern circus company in Poland.”
He worked in countries across Europe for two years before joining the cast of “Le Rêve,” a recurring show at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort. Translated as “the dream,” it was voted “Best Show in Las Vegas” four times in a row and competes with the likes of Cirque du Soleil shows.
“I have always been mesmerized by circus arts.”
– Dr. Ros
Performing 10 shows a week, nearly 500 per year, is a workout in itself. Still, to ensure he maintains his technical skills, strength, and balance, Dr. Ros follows a daily fitness routine of handstand pushups, pullups, and presses to handstand. His routine is further supplemented with heavy lifting at Philippi Sports Institute, a training facility for professional athletes run by former U.S. Strongman champion Mark Philippi.
“I put a lot of effort into injury prevention,” says Dr. Ros, who earned his doctor of physical therapy degree from ASHS in 2013. “Of course, there is a lot of risk involved in what I do.”
Knowing some injuries can’t be avoided, he ruptured his thumb extensor last January while trying to catch another performer. He had to sit out of the spotlight for two months, which is a difficult pill for any athlete to swallow.
“My know-how helped me make the right decision to have surgery,” he says. “Afterward, I was actually doing a lot of rehab on my own.”
His understanding of physical challenges also helps him offstage as a part-time physical therapist at Summerlin Hospital in Las Vegas. Assisting mostly in the intensive care unit, he helps patients recover from serious health conditions. From a glass of water to an extra wheelchair ride, his patients are grateful for the simplest things, reminding him to always appreciate all he has.
“It’s really hard for us to imagine how much joy walking a few steps can bring after spending a week or month in bed,” Dr. Ros says. “I’m glad I can share that joy with patients.”
Whether in the hospital or on the stage, Dr. Ros finds men and women of all ages and nationalities who teach and inspire him.
“You won’t survive here a month if you don’t enjoy what you do,” says Dr. Ros.
As the show goes on, he and his co-workers create a dazzling 75-minute spectacle that keeps audiences in awe and reverie. Dramatic music and lighting accentuates their breathtaking acrobatics, dancing, and high diving. They simply defy the rules of gravity. Even upside-down in a duet, Dr. Ros pushes his physical limits to the max and is really living “Le Rêve.”