Behind the Scenes: Roller Skating Duo in Absinthe

'I have a bit of a circus background. I didn't live in a caravan or anything, but I do have a bit of the heritage,' says Valentina Bor, one half of the roller skating duo in Absinthe

IG: @mattandvaliskateduo AND @absinthe_vegas

As Las Vegas residents we accept the title of “Mini Las Vegas Ambassadors.” It comes right along with our drivers license. We are constantly asked the same questions from out of towners. 

What casino should I stay at? 

What is the best place to eat? 

What show do I need to see? 

The answers to the first two questions vary on many factors. The third does not because 99.9 percent of the time the answer to the show that must be seen is Absinthe. 

What is Absinthe?

The show is everything anyone would expect from Vegas. For heaven’s sake, it’s housed under a circus tent outside Caesars on the Strip. Where else but Vegas is a sentence such as that true?

It’s raunchy, it’s risque and ridiculously boisterous. Officially, it is described as a “fantastical blend of carnival and spectacle.” OK, that’s fair. But to do it justice, you should know (in case you are among the 0.000001 percent who have not seen it) wild and outlandish acts perform on a circular stage slightly bigger than most parking spaces.

There are contortionists who take to the air wearing little more than pocket sized kleenex. 

There are fellas half naked performing in bathtubs who are so fine you wanna cry. 

And there is even a pair of roller skating rockers who deliver more “gasps” than most horror movies do. 

Photo Credit: Erik Kabik

Roller Skating Lovers

It’s this pair, real life couple Matt Edmonds and Valentina Bor, that were wicked awesome enough to chat with Off the Strip (OTS) and take us behind the scenes of the show, their day to day routine and their generational history with Las Vegas. 

“So I have a bit of a circus background,” says Valentina, as casually as if she were ordering her morning coffee. “I would say I grew up quite normally in England.  I didn’t live in a caravan or anything, but I do have a bit of the heritage,” Valentina says with 100 percent nonchalance.

It was Valentina’s father who produced  a host of different shows and was the ringleader when it came to the pairing of Valentina and Matt.  Upon his suggestion the two of them started a roller skating act. An admitted far cry from their traditional dance training background. 

Photo Credit: Erik Kabik

“Well, it was, it was tough at the beginning. It was obviously very different from what we were usually doing for work. It is much different mindset,” says Matt 

Different indeed, it took the couple eight solid months to get their act together. Eight months of work that started out an hour or two at a time and eventually leading up to countless hours from sun up to sun down, all spent on roller skates.  

That was some five or six years ago now. During that time, they caught the attention of Spiegelworld, the people behind Vegas shows Opium, Atomic Saloon and Absinthe. 

Aside from Covid, they’ve performed constantly. Even more-so, in that time they have avoided major injury. “So touch wood right now, I have had no, (pauses) we’ve had no broken bones,” Matt says with pride. “It’s more like scrapes and bruises. I have never let her go. Never ever ever ever.” 

An Almost Vegas Wedding

Also in that time, they fell in love, got engaged and almost tied the knot. Almost because a global pandemic not only put a stop to their live performances, but it also halted their wedding .

“The other funny thing was, when we got engaged, we were going to be that couple that got married within 3 months. We were like, ‘let’s not be that couple that is engaged for years and don’t get married.’ And now look at us, we are two years in and still not married.” says Matt through laughter. 

While a European wedding is still an option, the couple admits that Vegas would be fine, too. They do have loads of friends here, and both admit to loving the ‘Vegas’ part of Vegas. 

“We just go up [n our] convertible and we are really enjoying having the roof off of it,” Valentina starts the sentence and Matt, without missing a beat, picks up the thought,” yeah, and we love driving down the Strip all the way. That is definitely one thing we like.”

Showbiz Runs in the Family

For Valentina and her family, Vegas holds a lot of history. She can recall coming to Las Vegas a few times as a young kid and remembers marveling at the lights. 

In fact, Valentina’s father, Steve Bor, had his own stint here in Las Vegas in the 70s. “He performed here at The Flamingo,” says Valentina. “He was a juggler. The show was Razzledazzle. He was over the moon!” 

Fast forward to today and Valentina spends most of her time with Matt. The two of them love checking out new restaurants (both refer to themselves as foodies)  and are always rolling from one new coffee place to another, never forgetting that roller skating brought them to a circus tent in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Matt being a foodie

“No way, if I told my 21 year old self that I would be roller skating in Las Vegas would he believe me. It’s just crazy,” says Matt. 

Only in Vegas kids, only in Vegas.

SHOW INFORMATION

WHAT: Absinthe 

WHERE: Caesars Palace (Under the Circus Tent), 3570 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas

WHEN: Monday -Thursday and Sun: 8:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.

   Friday & Saturday: 7:00 p.m.,  9:00 p.m, 11:00 p.m.

TICKETS & INFORMATION: Spiegelworld.com


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