SPC student to sing in Cirque du Soleil touring show

LEVELLAND – Allora Leonard did not think her passion for music would lead to her singing with one of the world’s largest performance groups. Now, this South Plains College student is on track to perform in one of Cirque du Soleil’s upcoming shows.

Leonard, a second-year commercial music major from Hondo, will travel to Montréal, Québec in mid-April for a month of practice with other performers participating in one of Cirque du Soleil’s touring shows. She also will rehearse with the performers in May until the show’s premiere.

Phil Smith, director of percussion in the SPC Commercial Music Department, told Leonard about the opportunity last semester and encouraged her to apply.

“Everything happened extremely fast,” she said regarding the phone call she received last semester after applying for the role. “They wanted me to fly out immediately to audition for them in person.”

Last December, Cirque du Soleil offered Leonard a singing role in the show.

“Being able to see some places that I’ve never seen before and getting to travel are a few things I’m excited about,” she said.

Leonard, who has released songs of her own and is a singer in SPC’s Thursday Nite Live band, said she will experience a full-circle moment performing with Cirque du Soleil. The group will perform at a theater where she saw a lot of performances as a child and fell in love with music and big productions.

“This is the first time I will be a part of a big theatrical production,” she said.

Getting the chance to work with talented performers from around the world and getting some time to work on her music while on the road are exciting opportunities, Leonard said.

“I just enjoy making music in any form or fashion,” she said. “I grew up loving country music, but here at SPC, I’ve done jazz, Western swing and Thursday Nite Live, which encompasses almost everything.”

Leonard, who started SPC in January 2023 after taking a semester off to pursue music, will graduate in May. After graduating from SPC and performing in the Cirque du Soleil show, she wants to continue working on her music and tour someday.

“It’s cool how much I’ve grown more of an appreciation for different genres of music that maybe I haven’t been exposed to before attending SPC,” she said. “That’s something I loved about coming to the college, which has helped me grow as a musician.”