People

Yaron Lifschitz

Yaron Lifschitz is a graduate of the University of New South Wales, University of Queensland, and National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), where he was the youngest director ever accepted into its prestigious graduate director’s course. Since graduating, Yaron has directed over 60 productions including large-scale events, opera, theatre, physical theatre, and circus.

His work has been seen in more than 40 countries and across six continents by over 1.5 million people and has won numerous awards including six Helpmann awards and the Australia Council Theatre Award. His productions have been presented at major festivals and venues around the world including Brooklyn  Academy of Music, the Barbican, Les Nuits de Fourvière, Chamäleon and all the major Australian festivals. His film work was selected for the Berlin and Melbourne Film Festivals. He was founding Artistic Director of the Australian Museum’s Theatre Unit, Head Tutor in Directing at Australian Theatre for Young People and has been a regular guest tutor indirecting at NIDA.

He is currently Artistic Director and CEO of Circa, and was Creative Director of Festival 2018: the arts and cultural program of the 21st Commonwealth Games.

Fran Alvarez

After a restless adolescence looking for an activity to focus his abundant energy on, Fran was introduced to circus at the age of 16.  He went on to start his circus career at 18 at the preparatory school of Madrid, Carampa, and later at the Ecole Supérieure des Arts du Cirque de Bruxelles, specialising in hand to hand and group acrobatics.

With a focus on improving his core technique – and becoming a human trampoline – Fran continued his training in France and was involved in the creative development of several shows with high-level acrobatic collectives across Europe.

In his free time, Fran enjoys Olympic-style weightlifting and reading epic fantasy books.

Jon Bonaventura

Discovered on a friend’s trampoline in Melbourne, Jon caught his big break at the age of 12, working as a stunt double for Warner Brothers Where The Wild Things Are.

After over a decade in gymnastics, Jon went on to study at the National Institute of Circus Arts, specialising in rope. Jon graduated in 2014 and began touring independent projects around Australia before performing internationally with some of the country’s best circus companies – Circa, Casus and Circus Oz.

Jon can be found hiding in a cafe, hanging from his rope or standing on people all around the world.

Holly-Rose Boyer

Growing up in Albury, Holly-Rose was introduced to dance at the age of two and fell in love with all things performing after joining her local cheer and dance studio. In 2014, Holly-Rose auditioned for a place in the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, where she trained in handstands, hand to hand, aerial straps and tumbling under the mentorship of Loic Marques and Nick Hutchinson.

During her time at the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, Holly-Rose toured JUNK both in Australia and internationally. She also took part in Sydney Festival’s Nanjing Project, while travelling to Melbourne most weekends for additional dance training and performances. Graduating in 2021, Holly-Rose packed her life into two suitcases and moved to Brisbane to start the next chapter with Circa.

Outside of circus, Holly-Rose loves swimming at the beach and dogs, especially pugs.

Rhiannon Cave-Walker

Rhiannon began training with the Spaghetti Circus, Youth Circus Family in Mullumbimby from the age of 4. At 18, Rhiannon was accepted into DOCH, School of Dance and Circus in Stockholm Sweden. Here, Rhiannon specialised in hand balancing and hand to hand flying, focusing on a unique movement quality and research approach to my circus disciplines.

After 3 years of training Rhiannon graduated with a BA in Circus and was asked to join Australian company Gravity & Other Myths, with whom she developed and toured the show A Simple Space internationally for 2 years. During this time Rhiannon also co-created another small award-winning show Cadence which planted the seed to eventually co-create the successful circus company Arts House.

Rhiannon joined the Circa ensemble in March 2020.

Marty Evans

Marty Evans came to circus by a more roundabout route than most. After watching nothing but circus videos during his lunchbreaks at Australia’s only nuclear reactor, Marty left behind his published scientific career, embracing his physical sports background to pursue a career in circus.

His first taste of circus came at the University of Sydney in 2010 as he tried to entertain himself during free periods by learning to throw people into the air and trying to catch them again. Marty trained at the National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne. He is a fiercely determined and hardworking hand-to-hand base that enjoys exploring new challenges and techniques.

Marty joined the Circa Ensemble full time in 2015, and has been involved in the creation of numerous Circa productions including When One Door Closes and Humans.

Nancy Gutierrez

Nancy Luna, an artist born in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico, began her training in circus at 15 years of age through aerial techniques. Her development and learning were shaped thanks to her previous acrobatics training at Fly Academy Gymnastics. At the age of 16 years, she began her professional career, joining the main cast of the Mexican production company Circo Dragón as an artist, With Circo Dragón, Nancy participated in many national and international festivals, while also continuing her training in circus, specialising in hand to hand and aerial hoop. Nancy participated as a guest artist in the gala presentations of three consecutive editions of the Periplo International Circus Festival, and won the third place as an aerialist (aerial hoop) in the National Circus Competition of Ficho International Festival of Circus and Show of Mexico in 2015

In 2016, she started training at Ecole de Cirque de Québec. Today, Nancy dedicates her training and work to creating highly sensitive numbers that have the ability to connect with her audience, create a variation of emotions in her and at the same time possess a high level of exploration and technique. Recently, Nancy has performed in the Montreal Completement Cirque Festival in 2019, Midnight Circus in 2019, and Cirque Du Soleil’s Nysa in 2020.

Chelsea Hall

Chelsea comes from a background in Gymnastics, Platform diving and competitive rock climbing. Eventually this led her to Warehouse Circus, which is where she found her love for all things circus and performing.

As a child she had a keen curiosity for nature and physics, always planning on being a scientist however, once finding circus that dream soon shifted. She completed the Bachelor of Circus Arts at NICA in 2022 specialising in dance trapeze, hula hoops and group acrobatics. She still brings her love of the natural and scientific world with her through her performance and love of exploration. Chelsea also enjoys making her own earrings in her spare time.

Ally Humphris

Circa Cairns Ensemble Member

Ally is a proud Wakka Wakka woman with a strong commitment and connection to her Aboriginal culture. Ally has studied dance and fitness with professional experience as a circus performer. Ally joined the BlakFlip program at Circus Oz in 2013, which led her to be in the 2014 production of Corked Up. In 2017, as part of BlakFlip, she had the honour of being in the cast of Chasing Smoke, which continued with Casus.

Ally showcases her skills through power tumbling, acrobatics and movement and continues to perform with Circa Cairns. Skills – Tumbling, acrobatics and movement.

Sam Letch

Instead of paying attention at school, Sam Letch focused all of his energy on throwing himself around in the cold and rainy north west of England, where he grew up.

At the ripe old age of 15, Sam decided that doing back tucks off sand dunes wasn’t enough. The answer to his problem: Parkour. He trained for 3 years until his acrobatics took him to the National Centre for Circus Arts (London) where he picked up such skills as teeterboard, hand to hand, banquine, floor and group acrobatics. After graduating Sam’s first job performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival lead him on to work with such companies as Cirque Eloize.

Sam’s primary love is performing, shortly after that is his moustache, followed by singing musicals at the top of his lungs for anyone who will listen.

Gerramy Marsden

Gerramy started his circus training at the age of 14, with Flipside Youth Circus, based out of  Brisbane. After graduating high school- Gerramy was accepted into the National Institute of Circus Arts, where he further advanced his repertoire, specialising in acrobatic basing and rolla bolla.

Since joining the ensemble, Gerramy’s passion and drive to creating group acrobatic tricks has thrived.

Gerramy has been performing with Circa since 2013 and has contributed to the creation and performances of a multitude of Circa shows.

His proudest achievement within the company was premiering and performing Circa’s very first solo based 4 high in a home town season.

Hamish McCourty

Hamish McCourty is an acrobat and musician. He began his circus journey at Cirkidz in Adelaide when he was eight years old and after graduating from the performance program he’s been creating his own work touring nationally and internationally.

Hamish is currently working on fusing together his passion for music and circus on stage. His main specialties are tumbling and basing pair and group acrobatics and he prides himself on making people laugh and being a loon onstage. Hamish is a keen performer and multi-talented acrobat with his sights set on leaving his mark in the world of circus.

Daniel O’Brien

Daniel has been physically active throughout his whole life, primarily focusing on his gymnastics training in his hometown of Maryborough and a few small gyms along the Queensland coastline.

After attending National Institute of Circus Arts for three years, where he specialised in hand-balancing and aerial straps, Daniel joined Circa as an ensemble member in 2014. Having fostered an immense passion for circus, he has since performed in many iconic Circa works including What Will Have Been, Closer and Humans.

He spends his spare time feeding his unhealthy addiction to video games or reading whatever he can get his hands on.

Kathryn O’Keeffe

Kathryn trained in Canberra originally as a gymnast and dancer before going to the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in 2003 to study dance. She then worked as an independent artist performing as well as creating works that mixed dance, physical theatre and circus for theatre, festivals and events.

From 2008 onwards, Kathryn was a performer with Strange Fruit where she toured nationally and internationally for festivals and events in shows such as Swoon!, The Spheres and The Field. In 2010, Kathryn was part of the seven-month aerial resident company that performed Airbourne – directed by Doug Tremlett and choreographed by Sue Broadway at the World Expo in Shanghai, China.

Kathryn first worked with Circa in 2011 where she performed in the world premiere of Nocturne in South Korea. She has been a full-time ensemble member with Circa since 2012 where she has performed in shows including ‘S’, How Like an Angel, CIRCA, Wunderkammer and Beyond.

Paul O’Keeffe

Paul, aka ‘the human whippet, dexterous daredevil, neat freak and mister fixit,’ had his first professional gig in 1996 playing one of the lead roles in Company Skylark’s Wake Baby. Since then, he has toured the world from outback Australia to 42nd Street/Broadway, New York performing in circus, dance, puppetry, musical and physical theatre.

Off stage, Paul co-founded circus company Kronik, co-set up a professional circus training studio in Melbourne, co-managed Warehouse Circus, ran independent circus troupes, and co-coordinated and implemented a number of circus workshops including one for 10,000 scouts over a 10-day period. Paul has performed with companies including Circus Oz, Circus Monoxide, Kronik, Cantina by Strut & Fret Production House, The Australian Choreographic Centre, Jigsaw Theatre Company, Out Of the Blue Studios, Malcom C Cooke & Associates and Legs On The Wall.

Paul used to believe in his own immortality, now he just believes he’s a nut. He joined Circa as a full-time ensemble member in 2013.

Jillibalu Riley

Circa Cairns Ensemble Member

Jillibalu Riley spent his childhood between Cairns and Kuranda doing flips with his cousins and nephews and busking with local boys, performing Djabugay dances for the tourists (spoiling themselves afterwards with sweets and hot chips). He has been performing professionally since 2010, graduated from the National Institute of Circus Arts in 2015 and toured with Djuki Mala before joining Circus Oz in 2019. Late 2022 Jillibalu joined Circa Cairns to develop his circus career further.

Kimberley Rossi

Kimberley grew up in Queensland, and as a Brisbane local it didn’t take long before she stumbled upon Circa.

Beginning her circus training at age 13, in just 3 short years she was given the opportunity to be the first member of Fast Track, a program designed for young and aspiring performers within Circa. With the support of her family, Kimberley decided to leave school and pursue a career in the circus industry. Shortly after she found herself on a plane flying out to perform her first show, ‘Nocturne’ in Seoul, South Korea.

Over the years Kimberley has been a part of over 30 productions, visited some of the worlds most beautiful locations and logged over 4000 hours in her favourite video game.

Crystal Stacey

Circa Cairns Ensemble Member

Crystal Stacey, Homegrown in Northwest Kimberley, at the age of 10 fell in love with the local Sandfly Circus. Officially a circus runaway at age 16, she moved across the country to Study at the Flying Fruit Fly Circus school for three years. After joining two insect-themed circuses, Crystal spread her wings and toured with the production of ‘Hot Brown Honey’. Most known for her specialises of Hula hoop and Aerial slings Crystal has performed Australia-wide and abroad in the UK, Canada, USA, Scandinavia, and Asia. Crystal is driven to share stories, collaborate and connect with people through circus. Expanding the home she found under the big top.

Zachery Stephens

Zachery began his circus career following in the footsteps of his siblings and aspires to one day perform alongside them. With a background in competitive gymnastics and Olympic weightlifting, Zachery is no stranger to lifting weight above himself and has a terrible habit of asking anyone regardless of size to stand on him.

Undertaking his circus studies at the National Institute of Circus Arts, he has trained for 4 years as a handbalancer and hand to hand base. However, his true love and the place where Zachery thrives most is in an ensemble, where he can explore group acrobatics in collaboration with creative movement. Zachery’s ambition as an artist is to become as versatile as possible, to never become comfortable and most importantly, to show the world why circus is the most powerful and beautiful expression of what it means to be human.

Lachlan Sukroo

In an effort to curb some of Lachlan’s seemingly boundless energy, his mother enrolled him in Canberra’s Warehouse Circus at the age of 8. After graduating from Warehouse’s Emerging Artist Program, Lachlan cofounded an independent circus troupe named Poncho Circus. Lachlan performed with Poncho for a year before deciding that a career in circus was definitely more appealing than sitting behind a desk.

He attended the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) studying Chinese pole, teeterboard and group acrobatics. After graduating, he performed with Circus Oz for two years performing internationally and around Australia before joining the Circa Ensemble in January 2019.

Luke Thomas

As a child, Luke Thomas was always driven to pursue an acrobatic career, constantly found swinging upside down on the hills hoist in his backyard. At age 11, he joined Circus 35° South, and trained aerials, tumbling and manipulation for seven years before studying at the National Institute of Circus Arts, graduating in 2017.

During his study, Luke specialised in tissue, foot juggling and group acrobatics. Luke co-created and performed Out of This World Children’s Show, with seasons at Woodford Folk Festival and Melbourne Fringe Festival. Luke also performed in One Fell Swoop’s By a Thread at Mullumbimby Circus Festival, Perth Fringe Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Circa Festival at Auch, France.

Luke joined the Circa Ensemble in 2018, performing in the world premiere of Circa’s Peepshow.

Violetta Van-Geyzel

Vi is a playful, adventure loving circus artist drawn to quirky, inquisitive work. Vi grew up in Queensland, Australia competing in Artist Gymnastics and as her love for competing faded she moved to Melbourne to pursue performing arts. She graduated NICA in 2020 having specialised in partner acrobatics and aerial rope.

Billie Wilson-Coffey

Billie discovered Spaghetti Circus at the age of 11 before moving to Melbourne to study at the National Institute of Circus Arts in 2007. In her graduating year, Billie made her international debut at the 4th World Circus Festival in Moscow. Billie’s first creation with Circa was in 2011 for the world premiere of Nocturne in South Korea. She joined Circa as a full time ensemble member for Beyond in 2013.

Over the past 10 years Billie has been involved in a vast range of creations and performances with Circa, some highlights including How Like An Angel, Circa’s Peepshow residency at the Chamäleon theatre, Opus and Orpheus and Eurydice.

Georgia Webb

Born and raised in outback Western Australia, Georgia was a competitive gymnast and dancer for 13 years. This background gave her the discipline and work ethic which now informs her circus practice.

After both parents insisted that their only child join the military, Georgia decided to forgo those plans to follow her own dream of running away with the circus. Graduating from the National Institute of Circus Arts in 2019, Georgia joined Circa as a full-time ensemble member in January 2020.

In her spare time Georgia enjoys motorbike riding, surfing and free diving. She also hopes to travel the world skydiving someday.

Christina Zauner

Christina grew up on the country side in Austria. She started dancing when she was four years old, and participated at her first competition at the age of six. Christina graduated with a Bachelor in Classical and Contemporary Dance at MUK Vienna. During her education she started to train aerials and vertical dance.

After graduating, she worked at the Vienna State Opera as an Aerial Double, followed by a role in the musical Cats in Switzerland.  Christina worked with the Irish Company Fidget Feet and as a performer and Choreographer at Krystallpalast Varieté Leipzig.

Christina found her way into the circus world as a self-taught Aerialist, specialized in Straps.  At the age of 24, she started to enjoy to climb on people or have them climb on her.  A very determined person, Christina loves to challenge herself and explore what her body is capable of.  She also plays accordion and loves to design and sew costumes.