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Great risks: After Cirque du Soleil death, local entertainer talks industry dangers

As a performer, Lianna Ashton said the death of Yann Arnaud hits close to home. He fell during a Cirque du Soleil show in Tampa.

TAMPA, Fla. -- When Lianna Ashton saw video of aerialist Yann Arnaud falling to his death in the middle of a performance Saturday night in Tampa, the memories and stories of similar experiences came to her mind.

As a performer, it hits close to home.

"I grew up in the circus and I couldn’t imagine seeing one of my family members fall," Ashton said.

Ashton is the 8th generation of a family of entertainers. Starting out in a Risley act, where you juggle people with your feet, she’s been performing since the age of 2, traveling across the country with her family.

They’ve made many appearances on national TV including, on Jay Leno and David Letterman.

She and her brother even performed in front of Michael Jackson.

“After the show when we were talking with Michael Jackson, he said, 'Can you repeat those moves for me? I’d like to see that again,' and I got to do my running man back in the day,” she said.

While there are many perks that come with being a performer, Ashton says the thrill comes with high risks.

“I think the circus attracts so many people throughout generations because they come to see us take those risks without the nets. We all have those risks but we love what we do,” she said.

Ashton says you train with mats and nets until you’re comfortable but when its show time, all that goes away. Knowing the risks and of several people who’ve died, Ashton says nothing will keep her from performing.

“It makes you think about it, but it’s not going make me stop me from doing what I do. It’s all I’ve known and I love it,” she said.

Watching Arnaud’s performance Ashton says the entire entertainment community mourns his death. Arnaud leaves behind a wife and two daughters.

“My heart goes out to his family. It’s a heartbreaking thing to see.”

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help Arnud’s family pay for funeral expenses.

The Medical Examiner's Official left the following statement:

The autopsy was completed today and our investigators are still compiling information related to the death. I plan to release the cause and manner of death around noon tomorrow, once finalized.

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