For Jill Peterson Crook, her dream job is up in the air.

Hermiston native Crook – her parents are Tom and Jackie Peterson – is an aerialist for Zumanity, a Cirque de Soleil production in Las Vegas. For someone who has been dancing since she was a child, the job is a perfect combination of dance and gymnastics.

“It’s a great place,” Crook said from her Las Vegas home. “It combines all the elements. I enjoy the challenge of being really physical.”

Crook portrays Blue Blade in the show, which is billed as “the sensual side of Cirque de Soleil.” She said she works out a couple of hours a day to keep herself in top condition.

“You are holding your own body weight,” Crook said. “It’s so athletic, so you have to be in amazing shape.”

Crook graduated from Hermiston High School in 1992. She played sports and received a basketball scholarship to Lane Community College in Eugene. She didn’t believe she could make a living dancing, but while she was at Lane, she heard about auditions for the Blazer Dancers in Portland. She auditioned and earned a spot on the Trail Blazers dance team. Crook met other women who made a living dancing and decided to strike out on her own. She headed to Los Angeles and started getting dancing gigs.

About 10 years ago, Crook headed to Las Vegas, where she danced in different shows. While in Vegas, she met and married Jaymi Crook, a hairdresser who does Barry Manilow’s hair when he is in Vegas. Crook learned to do aerial work four or five years ago, working with a gymnastics instructor who once worked for Cirque de Soleil. Crook said he knew the rigging involved, making her audition easier. In April, she started with Cirque de Soleil. She said coming to work for Cirque is a dream come true.

“I thought, ‘Oh, man, that’s so cool, I want to do that’,” Crook recalled. “It’s a great show and a great job.”

She works 10 shows a week, doing two shows a night. The show is about an hour and a half long and is exhausting, but she loves it.

“It makes for a long night,” Crook said. “I feel so lucky.”

Crook said dancing for a living is hard work, but something attainable. She encourages people to take classes, go to workshops and surround themselves with dancers.

“Try to improve themselves with flexible dancing styles,” she advised. “It’s about keeping with it and getting the most out of it you can.”