Cirque du Soleil performer falls from 'Wheel of Death' during Zarkana show in Las Vegas

A CIRQUE du Soleil performer remains in hospital after a fall during a show at the Aria resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

The performance company issued a statement saying the male artist was appearing in the "Wheel of Death" act during the 7pm Friday performance of Zarkana when he slipped and fell off the wheel.

The act features two people who perform high-risk feats atop and inside a pair of spinning wheels rotating high above the stage, including rope skipping and jumps.

The company says the show was halted and the performer was taken to University Medical Centre, where he was in stable condition and expected to be discharged in the next few days.

A fallen performer is tended to on stage during a Cirque du Soleil performance at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Friday night

The wheel of death challenges even the bravest of acrobats who must navigate the apparatus' twists and tus

The company says it has a policy of not releasing performer's names.

The accident occurred four months after a Cirque du Soleil acrobat died in a fall during a performance of the show Ka at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

On Tuesday, safety officials announced plans to cite Cirque du Soleil and the MGM after investigators concluded 31-year-old Sarah Guillot-Guyard fell 29m to the floor below on June 29 when a wire rope she was suspended from was severed due to her rapid ascent.

Guillot-Guyard was the first Cirque du Soleil performer to die in an onstage accident in the company's 29-year history.