Bespoke Aerial Dance Shows
Katie has an eye for style, character and entertaiment.
Bespoke acts and choreographed shows are available for live events, product launches, festivals, galas, site specific projects and film.
From a solo act to a full circus show, Katie delivers projects on budget, on time and on brief.
Please see below a selection of past projects, and get in touch with your initial ideas for a personalised proposal.
Immersive Circus
Commissioned by Les Enfants Terribles theatre company to showcase the capabilities of the new Canon camera, 2018.
Katie choreographed a doubles rope piece to convey a relationship between two characters in the immersive story, whilst ensuring the routine allowed for a series of still moments for static shots of clean lines, followed by fast movement with a webspin finale.
Circus and Science
"Congrats and thank you for putting on a great show last night. A big success and much appreciated by all."
- Mark Henderson, Wellcome Trust.
"I think it achieved its purpose of introducing London society to Wellcome in a very good way. Lots of attention to detail on the various acts making science accessible as well as getting the tone just right."
- Claire Matterson, Director of Strategy, Wellcome Trust.
"Thank you for creating such a beautiful thing (...) You are amazing."
- Sarah Punshon, Curator.
Metta Theatre commissioned Katie and Leyla (Starfiz) to choreograph an aerial piece on hoop within a double helix light sculpture, to illustrate how scientists discovered that genes can be switched on and off, by studying the development of identical twins. The piece, Switch, was performed as guests to the celebratory event entered passed a windowed gallery, in which we performed to programmed lights and a soundscape.
The piece began as a mirrored doubles hoop choreography, emulating the identical DNA of indentical twins. A soundscape combining music and voiceovers of scientists told how the environment experienced by identical twins can switch on and off genes, leading to individual people rather than clones. As this narrative developed we moved to synchronised silks, but moving through shapes and movements which can be interpreted differently, showing how the same genes can respond differently to outside stimuli.
Shopping Centre Aerial Shows
The first aerial show in The Bentall Centre, Kingston, was created by Katie's circus company, Circus Suburbia.
Summer Sky Ribbons
Commissioned by The Bentall Centre, 2013
Three acrobats on silks rigged to three different levels to create an illusion of extended height.
An aerialist and three dancers emulate synchronised swimming shapes and choreography.
Three acrobats on silks rigged to three different levels to create an illusion of extended height.
Brief A spectacular show, performed four times a day, to celebrate the summer, the architecture of the centre and the end of the International Youth Arts Festival in Kingston.
Choreography Creative Youth paired Katie with Edd Mitton of EdDance, and together they created a synchronised swimming inspired choreography with three aerialists on Bentalls blue and green silks, on three different levels in the shopping centre, and three dancers around the aerial performer on the basement floor.
Rigging By rigging silks on different levels, Katie created a sense of extreme height whilst filling the large space. Shoppers looking down on the basement level saw a choreography emulating the patterns of synchronised swimmers. Aerial hoops were rigged at the top of the silks to give the piece more structure and variety in choreography.
Taken from the rigger's perspective at The Bentall Centre
Atrium
Commissioned by The Bentall Centre, 2014
Starfiz Spinning Silks on the first floor.
Starfiz Spinning Silks on the first floor.
Queens
Summer Breeze
The Bentall Centre asked Circus Suburbia back to create a new show for IYAF 2014. The shopping centre's marketing was "Summer Reign", so Katie created two shows, each performed twice a day.
Queens The first was a striking three girl synchronised silks act on red silks, with red queen costumes by Bee Smith. Paying homage to the Kingston borough's royal history, silk loops were used as thrones at the opening of the piece, with regal and statuesque poses. The act continued in a regal style, manipulating the silks to create swirls, spins and stretches of fabric. Regal imagery, elegant flexibility and grand drops gave the shoppers a stylised and spectacular show inspired by Disney queens.
Summer Breeze The second show was a summery, breezy, light-hearted silks show in blue. The Starfiz Spinning Silks were rigged on the first floor of the shopping centre, high above most of the shoppers and in a circular balcony to stage the circular motion of the silks act. Two solo silks performers created spins, breezes and turns with silks on the ground and basement floors.
Group Aerial Shows
Choreographer - Performer
Katie choreographs beautiful and slick group aerial acts for large scale events
World Skills Opening Ceremony
London O2 Arena, 2011
AIRCRAFT CIRCUS commissioned Katie to create a five girl silks act for the opening ceremony of WorldSkills in London 2011, to be peformed at the London O2 Arena, with thousands of youth dancers and choirs. Working closely with Natasha Khamjani, Katie created a synchronised silks act, performed once all aerialists had been lifted onto aerial hoops. The act was smooth and clean, with tight music cues to ensure a strong image with photo opportunities throughout the act.
Olympic Rings Aerial Show
Plymouth University, 2008
SWAMP CIRCUS commissioned Katie to create an act inspired by the five rings of the Olympic Games, to be performed at a pre-Olympics event with Sebastian Coe in Plymouth.
The three performers in the top rings wore harnesses for safety and performed a synchronised aerial hoop dance with the two performers on the lower of the five rings. The two lower performers then slid down to silks to perform a spectacular display of strength, grace and athleticism, celebrating the qualities associated with the Olympic Games.
Katie was the professional circus artist in the piece, and the other four performers were students at Circo Kernow, where Katie taught them aerial skills. The choreography was therefore iconic and statuesque, with clean transitions and well rehearsed to the music to ensure a spectacle which looked professional and gave the students important experience in the world of circus performance.
Site Specific Circus Shows
Director - Producer
Katie directs exciting and visually imaginative full length circus shows, with experience directing youth performers.
Projections created the location and atmosphere for the story.
The show started in the bar area of the Rose Theatre, with the audience led into the main auditorium when the story led to the Underworld.
Projections created the location and atmosphere for the story.
Persephone
Rose Theatre Kingston, 2013
The Greek myth told through circus, live music and projection, at the International Youth Arts Festival 2013.
Katie directed Circus Suburbia's Youth Circus in a site-specific show which used the bar area of the theatre to introduce the characters to the audience. Persephone and her mother performed static trapeze by the stairs in the theatre, as a chorus of flower girls represented nature with a dance on the stairs. The audience experienced ballet dance on tables, performers standing on shoulders, walking through the audience, and an acrobatic walkway.
As the narrative entered the realm of Hades and the Underworld, the performers led the audience in to the main auditorium where a soundscape of dripping water, eerie rhythms, chanting, beautiful projections of underground roots and disjointed, angular aerial choreography created a cold, almost frightening ambience.
The story of Persephone and Hades was told through juggling, acrobatics, dance, aerial dance and live music.
Katie collaborated with Mary Bourne for the chanting and singing, Leyla Rees for dance choreography, John Hardwick for animated projections and Hybrid Arts for live music.
Katie used the gaps, windows and any space possible to frame circus performances.
Katie used the gaps, windows and any space possible to frame circus performances.
Redefining Space
Riverside Kingston, 2012
Circus Suburbia was commissioned by Creative Youth to create a site specific circus show in an industrial loading area space, with a view to testing the area for future live performances. The piece was to be performed during the International Youth Arts Festival, so Katie directed Circus Sububia's Youth Circus in a celebratory and uplifting, energetic show using the stairs, windows, different levels of the car park and passageways available.
Contact 07984017223 katiehardwick@hotmail.com