I recently became part of Circus in a Flash after 2 years of full time study at Te Auahas’ circus and dance performance degree in Wellington, New Zealand. Studying circus for two years has been such a huge learning experience for me. Under the tutorship of circus gurus like Deborah Pope and Rosalie Ducharme (cirque du soleil) I have discovered my potential and performing ability along with realising how much I can achieve with commitment and perseverance. I am a visual artist and finding new ways to express this through performance has opened a new world to me.
My days are filled with training, training, training! But also with really fun jobs that most people would not consider work at all! From kids parties dressed as a fairy or a superhero making balloon animals or hula hooping, to performing a choreographed trapeze act in front of thousands of people for a circus show or corporate event. This is my dream job but it is hard work! There is a lot of admin, that is my least enjoyable part. Trying to make a living out of performing you really have to be in it for the long game. And the long game is truly looooong! My training is the most time consuming part of my commitment to living this dream. I train for around 4 hours 6 days a week. That’s almost a full time job in itself! Progress is slow too, a perfect example of this is training handstands. I train handstands three times a week and it has taken almost two years to be able to hold a freestanding handstand for ten seconds! It really doesn’t sound like much, and I have learnt to celebrate the smallest of successes to stay sane.
But, this is my dream and celebrate it I do! I love seeing the enjoyment and moments of ‘dreams come true’ in the faces of the people whose days I have made special. I love the challenge of training. I love the community spirit I am lucky enough to be a part of, and I love that I am able to do this for a living!
Julia Bromley is available for hire as a Circus In A Flash ‘Superhero’ and for Have-a-go Circus Parties in Wellington, and is available for events where she stiltwalks and specialises in ariel performance and. Contact us now to book!
