CIRCA

Yaron Liftschitz, Artistic Director

Circa is at the forefront of the new wave of contemporary Australian circus, redefining the art form by showcasing how extreme physicality can forge powerful and emotive experiences. Circa is relentless in the way they push boundaries, blending movement, dance, theatre, and circus.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING...

Wolf

A gasp-inducing acrobatic thrill ride. Clad in designer Libby McDonnell’s form-hugging costumes and set to DJ Ori Lichtik’s relentless primal rhythms, the cast of ten extraordinary Circa artists grasp, tear, climb, leap, and balance with fierce abandon. For Director Yaron Lifschitz, the wolf is a symbol of our untameable selves: liberating, anarchic, and savage. In two contrasting acts, the wolves evolve from disruptive forces of chaos into a ferocious pack whose intense choreographies overflow with raw energy and astounding physicality. Wolf is circus with fangs. Join the pack.

(10 acrobats / 80 minutes with a 20 minute interval/5 minute pause)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING...

Duck Pond

Feathers will fly in Circa’s exuberant take on Swan Lake. The world’s most romantic ballet is re-imagined as a circus spectacular, full of Circa’s signature physicality and shot through with cheeky humor and a thoroughly contemporary energy. Be swept away by this tale of swans and hapless princes sparkling with quirky touches like the sequinned flipper-wearing duck army and a burlesque black swan. There are sumptuous aerials, jaw-dropping acrobatics, and, of course, feathers! Touching, funny and utterly entertaining, Duck Pond is a tale of identity and finding your true self.

(10 acrobats / 75 minutes)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING...

The Art of Fugue

Dive into an extraordinary multi-art form experience where the meticulous intellect of Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Art of Fugue meets the breath-taking physicality of contemporary acrobatics.

This work is a celebration of human potential, pushing the limits of both mind and body. The complex structure and intellectual depth of Bach’s The Art of Fugue is brought to life by pianist Vitaly Starikov (2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Silver Medalist), while Circa’s ensemble, led by Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz, responds with dynamic choreography that defies gravity and captivates the senses.

Be there and witness Bach’s musical genius combined with the daring artistry of acrobatics in a performance that embodies the ultimate in human endeavor as we explore the boundless possibilities of artistic creation. Experience the heights of musical and physical prowess.

(10 acrobats, 1 pianist  / 70 minutes)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING...

To See The Stars Again

Revoir les étoiles / To See the Stars Again is a major new creation from Circa that asks what it means to believe in hope without being naive about darkness. Staged on a field of hundreds of light bulbs-a landscape that becomes both constellation and terrain-twelve acrobats and four live musicians traverse an ascent from witnessing through transformation to transcendence. The title comes from the final line of Dante’s Inferno: after the darkest depths, the poet emerges to glimpse the stars once more. In fact, all three books of Dante’s Divine Comedy end with the word “stelle” (stars). It is one of literature’s great unifying gestures, and here it becomes the structural spine of the creation.This is circus that earns its optimism through real risk, real bodies, real virtuosity. The danger is authentic. The hope emerges from risk.

(12 acrobats, 4 musicians / 75 minutes)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING...

Beethoven 9

Fearless and ferocious, human drama is writ large in Beethoven 9-with emotionally-charged choreography intricately woven to reflect the powerful score. Extreme skill and dramatic acrobatics play out in this moving anthem for humanity, where the lines between movement, music, dance, and theatrics are blurred and boundaries are pushed.

(10 acrobats / 70 minutes)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING...

Dido & Aeneas

A passionate love story. A hero bound by fate. A lover left behind. Dido and Aeneas is a love story for the ages. Combining exhilarating acrobatics and extraordinary music, this production is an opera for today. Aeneas is a hero caught between his destiny and desire. Dido is the woman he must leave behind. For these star-crossed lovers, fate and romance are on a collision course. Purcell’s early opera gave the world one of the most poignant scores ever written, and laid the foundation for every opera that came after. Now, experience the power of Dido and Aeneas in a staging from Circa Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz, which sets “a new benchmark for opera production in Australia” (Limelight). Expect jaw-dropping physical feats from Circa’s talented ensemble alongside stunning voices. Libby McDonnell’s glamorous costumes are chic creations of luxe materials and strong silhouettes, and Lifschitz has created a stark, slick set.

(10 acrobats / 70 minutes)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING...

Orpheus and Eurydice

Heartbroken Orpheus has been granted the chance to bring his dead wife Eurydice back from the underworld with one condition; he must not look at her-even for a moment–on their long journey home. But how can he resist the temptation to look into the eyes of his true love? Set to some of the most stirring music ever written; this is opera like you’ve never seen before-mixing thrilling acrobatics, exquisite singing, and striking video design to take us to hell and back.

(8 acrobats / 80 minutes)