In this series called “Meet a Circus Grad” we give a voice to recently graduated or graduating circus artists, to learn about their experience at circus school, and to get a clearer picture of how circus schools around the world operate and prepare their students for the circus workforce. 

In this second edition, we spoke with Mizuki Shinagawa, an international student who tells us her story about recently graduating from Ecole Nationale de Cirque. Tissue is a popular aerial apparatus, but Shinagawa has added new dimension to the art form by  developing a unique style that not only impresses the audience with her physical strength and capability, but also shines a light on her understanding of music, rhythm, shapes and how a body can present emotion. Her powerful movement on the tissue blends dance and drama, creating an emotional arc to the performance and is unlike much of what we have seen thus far in expression on this apparatus. In this article, we will attempt to grasp what conditions create a unique and dynamic performer like Shinagawa. Mizuki Shinagawa Home...