Third-generation circus performer Silvia Silvia executes one of the most dangerous acts in Las Vegas: shooting an apple off her own head using a chain-reaction of eight crossbows. Her America's Got Talent appearance brought international attention, but it's her nightly performances at WOW The Vegas Spectacular that have made her a Vegas legend and inspiration to fans who return again and again.

Meet Silvia Silvia: The Crossbow Artist Who Makes Las Vegas Hold Its Breath

The theater goes dark. An impressive, platinum-blonde woman steps into the spotlight, flanked by an arsenal of crossbows. In a few moments, she will shoot an apple resting on her own head using a chain-reaction of eight crossbows. The audience at WOW The Vegas Spectacular leans forward. Some cover their eyes. Nobody breathes.

This is Silvia Silvia. She has been married to the same man for over 50 years and a 30-year career built on what she calls "the stress, the adrenaline, the push to keep going."

She also might be the most breathtaking act in Las Vegas.

From Colombian Circus Tents to the Vegas Strip

Silvia was born into a third-generation circus family in Colombia and raised in Spain. In her family's world, children don't take gap years to find themselves. They find their act.

"When you grow up in a family circus, everybody's trying to do the best act," she told Las Vegas Magazine. "I was one of the craziest ones. They tell me I never stopped."

She learned the flying trapeze. She walked the high wire. She hung by her teeth. But when she picked up a bow and arrow as a child for an "Indian production" in the family circus, something clicked. Her mother noticed immediately. "Wow, you have this talent," she said.

Thirty-five years later, that talent has taken Silvia from South American circus circuits to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and finally to Las Vegas, where she performs six nights a week at the Rio Hotel.

The Act That Stops Hearts

Silvia's crossbow routine runs about 12 minutes. In that time, she shoots through targets, slices a newspaper in half from across the stage, fires through balloons, and holds five crossbows together while hitting multiple targets simultaneously.

But the finale is what everyone remembers.

She places an apple on her own head. Eight crossbows are set up in a chain reaction. She fires the first, which triggers the second, which triggers the third, continuing until the final arrow pierces the apple. The entire sequence happens in less than a second.

"It's dangerous. Very dangerous," she admits. "When I put an apple up on my head before I go on stage, I pray to God. I say, 'God, I'm doing it to you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do this.'"

In another routine, her husband Victor holds a balloon in his mouth that balances a bottle of wine. She fires an arrow at the balloon. The bottle drops. Victor catches it.

Has anything ever gone wrong?

"Only one time," Silvia laughs. "I hit the pants on my husband between the legs. I had to do the sewing of the hole. I was very upset because we broke the pants."

America's Got Talent and the Offers That Followed

In 2015, Silvia appeared on Season 10 of America's Got Talent. Her son Paul Ponce, a juggler, had submitted her video. She didn't even know it was a competition.

All four judges voted yes. Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, Mel B, and Howie Mandel sent her to the Judge Cuts round, where she performed the apple-on-head routine that now closes her Vegas show.

The offers flooded in. Talent shows from multiple countries called, surprised to see a woman performing such a dangerous act. But Silvia had already committed to WOW The Vegas Spectacular.

"For me, for this time of my age, it's perfect," she says. "Las Vegas for us is the top. If you make it to Las Vegas, you already make it the best."

A Fifth-Generation Circus Family

Silvia met her husband Victor when she was 11 years old. His family ran a circus in Argentina. Her family's circus was in Colombia. They have been married for over 50 years.

Victor Ponce is also a featured performer in WOW, dazzling audiences with plate-spinning and juggling routines that showcase five generations of circus expertise. Their older son, Paul Ponce, is considered one of the best jugglers in the world. Their younger son, Daniel, is a rock musician in Spain.

"We are a very close family," Silvia says. "We understand each other very well."

Why Fans Return Again and Again

After every WOW performance, Silvia greets fans outside the theater. Many return multiple times just to see her.

"They come to see the show many times," she says. "They say, 'This is my fourth time coming to see you. You are my hero.' And I feel so nice."

Women write to her on Facebook asking how she stays in shape, how she looks so good, how she keeps going.

"I just eat well, do my workouts, and just have a nice life," she answers. "I don't smoke. I take good care of myself."

At an age when many performers have long since retired, Silvia Silvia continues to put arrows through targets, apples through the air, and audiences through an emotional wringer every night in Las Vegas.

See Silvia Silvia Live at WOW The Vegas Spectacular

WOW The Vegas Spectacular performs at the Rio Hotel & Casino, featuring Silvia Silvia's crossbow act alongside other elite performers, water effects, 3D holograms, and world-class acrobatics.

Winner of Las Vegas' Best Acrobatic Show gold medal in 2024 and 2025, WOW has performed over 3,000 shows for more than 2.5 million guests worldwide.

Show Information:

• Location: Rio Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
• Best For: Families, couples, groups seeking unforgettable entertainment
• Tickets: wow-vegas.com

‍