Ask any kid (or kid at heart) and they'll tell you Alyssa Venning is living the dream.
A professional hula hooper, acrobat, and creative director at Flipside Circus, Alyssa gets to unleash her imagination on Flipside's crew of talented young performers, weaving whimsical stories and pushing the limits of what we think is physically possible.
In her latest production, 'Stories From The Sky', the tale is told through aerial acrobatics, wheel gymnastics, juggling and a whole host of dazzling physical feats.
Alyssa VenningDid 'Stories From The Sky' grow entirely from your own brain or was it a collaboration with the performers?
'Stories From The Sky' was a collaboration between the performers, other directors and myself. It is a very exciting way to work – to combine everyone’s ideas. It also gives the performers a sense of ownership over the work.
What's the most exciting part of creating a circus performance? The sparks of a new idea, pushing boundaries in rehearsals, opening night, closing night, audience reaction...?
It’s all exciting, but for me the most thrilling part of creating a show is the process. Testing ideas, creating new acts, finding music. I love the energy buzzing around just before the show starts, and the excitement of when the show ends.
You've done a lot of social circus, working with disadvantaged kids and children in remote communities. Can you tell us about their reactions and your favourite memory so far from working with them?
The community reaction to circus is always a positive one. It is an artform that pushes safe boundaries, creates friendships, trust, self-esteem, confidence and encourages people to work together. One of my favourite memories would have to be working with a group of kids in Blackall, Queensland, where I taught skills and created a gorgeous show that was performed under a big gumtree behind the Arts Hall while the sun was setting. These kids had never done any circus before, but they picked up the skills so fast.
Where do you see social circus going? What are your plans for the future?Social circus is becoming more recognised and is being used as a tool for engagement in lots of communities. My plans are to continue to have a role in social circus, particularly in Western Queensland.
With all the aerial acrobatics you've done you must be pretty sweet with heights, but do you have any other phobias?
I have a phobia of mannequins. Hate the things.
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What's the best thing about being a circus performer?
The best thing about being a circus performer is sharing your art and skill with others. There are years of training that go into being able to perform your skills, so it’s really special to be able to show these off.
Are there any new circus skills you're dying to learn? Or maybe even something outside of performance?
I would love to learn trick riding (on horses).
Alyssa VenningIf you could be immortal for a day, what daring feats would you have a go at?
I’d have a go at being the cannon girl – being shot out of a cannon and across an arena!
Much of your life is spent entertaining audiences or teaching others to entertain – what do you turn to when you want to relax and be entertained?
I love to watch shows and to spend hours on Spotify finding new music.
You've been quoted as saying: “I love transient and temporal art that can alter time, space and reality.” If you were given the power to literally alter time, space and reality, what would you do?
I would play with our idea of what is real and what is not. I’m interested in the memory and what different people’s perceptions of remembered time is. So I guess I’d time travel and explore history and the future.
'Stories From The Sky' plays the Judith Wright Centre, 14-18 April.
