A Cirque du Soleil performer has died after falling about 15 metres from the show's stage during a performance of Ka in Las Vegas.
Sarah Guyard-Guillot, from Paris, was taken from MGM Grand in an ambulance and pronounced dead at the University Medical Center at 11.43pm local time.
Witnesses told the Las Vegas Sun the accident occurred near the end of the production at the MGM Grand.
Visitor Dan Mosqueda of Colorado Springs, said the 31-year-old acrobatic performer was being hoisted up the side of the stage when she appeared to slip from her safety wire and plummeted to an open pit below the stage.
"Initially, a lot of people in the audience thought it was part of the [show]," he told the Sun. "But you could hear screaming, then groaning, and we could hear a female artist crying from the stage."
The show continued for a moment, then stopped. Minutes after the accident, a recorded announcement informed audience members that refunds or vouchers to future shows would be offered, and the crowd was dismissed.
Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte issued a statement on Sunday praising Guyard-Guillot, a mother of two children. She had been with the original cast of Ka since 2006, and had been an acrobatic performer for more than 20 years.
"I am heartbroken. I wish to extend my sincerest sympathies to the family. We are all completely devastated," Laliberte said. "We are reminded with great humility and respect how extraordinary our artists are each and every night. Our focus now is to support each other as a family."
Guyard-Guillot's death is the first fatal accident during a live performance in the show's 30 year history.
Jason Nious, a fellow performer who was almost paralysed working on the same show in 2009, wrote of his grief in a lengthy post on Facebook.
"Sasoun [her stage name], your life was an inspiration. You came, you showed, you proved and you passed it down to the next generation," Nious wrote.
"You have united a community of individuals who have had very divided thoughts about the company which feeds us. Your life was not in vain. On the contrary, your life brings perspective and meaning to a mass of artists, technicians, managers, coaches, CEOs, owners, and audiences during these turbulent times. Thank you for shining your light so brightly while you were here in our presence."
Nious wrote that he had spent the day crying and thinking about what Guyard-Guillot's last thoughts would have been.
Guyard-Guillot also taught children circus performance through CirqueFit in Las Vegas and parents took to Facebook to praise her kindness and patience.
"Sarah was a wonderful teacher and a great mom to her beautiful children. We celebrate your life and you will be greatly missed ... fly Sarah!," Julie Garrick wrote.
Another parent of a student of Guyard-Guillot, Dee Trevino, posted: "Such an amazing, talented women doing what she loved and teaching her passion to other. I was so blessed to have known her and she was such an amazing teacher for my daughter at Cirquefit!"
Cirque du Soleil officials were working with authorities investigating the accident and had offered their full co-operation, Laliberte said. Performances of Ka have been cancelled until further notice.
The MGM Grand said in a statement: "Our company is deeply saddened by the loss of one of the talented Ka artists Saturday night. The thoughts and prayers of our employees are with the performer's family, the cast of Ka, and the entire Cirque family during this difficult time."
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