“The quality of your products is outstanding!"

April Vollm is a Lead Instructor at Cirque du Soleil and one of our five Teufelberger Access Ambassadors. In her role, she combines the highest safety standards with hands-on experience from complex rope access and rescue projects around the world. In this interview, she talks about what quality means to her, why practical, real-world feedback is essential, and the role Teufelberger products play in her work.

What do you do for a living?
April Vollm: I work as a Lead Instructor with Cirque du Soleil, specializing in rescue, safety, and training. My background is in high-angle rescue. Today, my responsibilities also include respirator fit testing, first aid training, and operating training for aerial work platforms, forklifts, and rope access. In addition, I support Cirque du Soleil in the continuous development of processes and safety protocols.

What does it mean to you to be a Teufelberger Access Ambassador?
April Vollm: At first, I was only familiar with your Tree Care Ambassador Program. When I was asked if I would like to become an Access Ambassador, it quickly became clear to me how similar arboriculture and rope access are in their fundamental principles—even though we work in different environments. For me, the program is primarily about testing products in real-world conditions, giving honest feedback, and helping to drive innovation faster, safer, and more effectively based on real operations. I consider this concept extremely strong

Which Teufelberger products do you use most frequently?
April Vollm: Without a doubt: the ropes. At Cirque du Soleil, we work extensively with Teufelberger ropes across our theaters and shows worldwide. What stands out to me most is their handling and durability—and ever since visiting Veselí, Czech Republic, and seeing firsthand how these products are manufactured, I’ve been truly impressed by their quality.
At Cirque du Soleil, we primarily use your ropes for specialized rope access operations, including live lines, of course always in combination with traditional fall protection systems. I’m looking forward to using even more of your products in the future, but for me, the ropes clearly come first.

What challenges do you face in your day-to-day work – and how do our products support you?
April Vollm: The biggest challenges usually arise during special projects—such as our current work on setting up a show for the Blue Man Group. In these phases, we need to be flexible and ready to operate at all times, relying on equipment we can trust 100%. The consistent quality of Teufelberger ropes gives us exactly that confidence. In short: the quality of your products is exceptional.

How do you experience the collaboration with Teufelberger?
April Vollm: The program is still quite new and currently being built up. So far, I’ve been able to test two slings—and that process alone was already very exciting. Overall, it feels like we’re building something together from the ground up, with different people and products involved—and that’s exactly what I really appreciate.

Nadine Jakaubek