So You Want My Arts Job: Circus Acrobat
If you enjoy flying through the air and have a well-developed sense of trust, working in a circus company might be for you.
Billie Wilson-Coffey 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, Wilson-Coffey made her international debut at the 4th World Circus Festival in Moscow.
She joined Circa as a guest artist in 2011 for the world premiere of Nocturne in South Korea. While working as a guest artist for Circa, Wilson-Coffey continued her solo work performing in cabarets and festivals nationwide.
Becoming an ensemble member at Circa in 2013, Wilson-Coffey toured How Like an Angel before an eight-month residency at the ChamĂ„leon Theatre in Berlin performing Circaâs production of Beyond.
How would you describe what you do?
I am an ensemble member at Circa Contemporary Circus. Most often I work in a group of seven or eight acrobats, spending many hours of my day climbing on people or climbing two pieces of material, also known as aerial silks. While I enjoy the creation process of shows, it is performing on stage where I really feel elated.
How did you get started in your career & become an acrobat?
I first crossed paths with circus at age 11 when I joined Spaghetti Circus in Northern New South Wales, I had done some gymnastics before but once I found circus I never looked back. Circus opened my world to a community of talented and generous people which fed my desire to pursue it further by training at the National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne. I joined Circa full time in 2013 to perform at ChamÄleon Theater in Berlin for 9 months which  was truly an incredible experience. From there I was hooked to the touring lifestyle and went on to make many creations with Circa, performing on many different stages across the world.
What’s an average day or week like?
Our average week at the office is spent in the Circa studio in Brisbane. At the moment we are in the studio from 9-5, rehearsing, creating and improvising. Developing and refining how we train and grow as an ensemble in preparation for our next tour or performance. Personally, it has been a nice gear shift to be spending more time in Australia, touring more regionally and having a home base in Brisbane…
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