A performer from Cirque du Soleil died in a weekend accident during a show at a Las Vegas casino , authorities said Sunday . The performer , 31-year-old Sarah Guillot-Guyard , was pronounced dead shortly before midnight Saturday , the Clark County , Nevada , medical examiner 's office told CNN . The cause of death had not been determined Sunday afternoon . The accident happened during the show 's finale , said Cirque Du Soleil spokeswoman Renee-Claude Menard . During the scene , performers are suspended up to 50 feet in the air on lines controlled by wireless remote controls , according to the troupe 's website . Guillot-Guyard `` was being hoisted up the side of the stage and then just plummeted down , '' witness Dan Mosqueda told the Las Vegas Sun newspaper . `` Initially , a lot of people in the audience thought it was part of the choreographed fight . But you could hear screaming , then groaning , and we could hear a female artist crying from the stage . '' Guillot-Guyard was born in Paris , specialized as an acrobat and aerialist and had performed for more than 20 years , according to a website for Cirquefit , which describes itself as a circus and fitness program for kids . She taught classes through that program . Parents of some of her students left messages on the group 's Facebook page remembering Guillot-Guyard . `` No words . My boys loved every moment in Miss Sarah 's class . Deepest sympathies to her loved ones , '' wrote one . `` We will miss her terribly ! She was an amazing teacher ! '' wrote another . Guillot-Guyard , nicknamed `` Sassoon , '' was part of the original cast of `` Ka , '' the long-running Cirque du Soleil show at the MGM Grand hotel and casino , Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté said in a statement issued Sunday . The show has been canceled indefinitely , and the company is `` working with the appropriate authorities and have offered our full cooperation , '' Laliberté said . Cirque du Soleil star battles shoulder injuries . `` 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 , `` he added . The title of the show comes from an ancient Egyptian belief in the `` ka , '' a spiritual copy of the body that 's with people in this life and the next , according to the company . Cirque du Soleil , which translates as `` Circus of the Sun '' from French , is headquartered in Montreal . It was founded in 1984 . How Cirque du Soleil scouts its performers .
A witness describes what happened during the accident . Sarah Guillot-Guyard died during a performance at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas . She was born in Paris and specialized as an acrobat and aerialist . Guillot-Guyard was part of the original cast of `` Ka ''