Alex stumbled across the New Zealand fire and flow scene back in Dunedin 2 years ago. After meeting his first love, the dragon staff, he's been hooked on spinning ever since.

His favourite flow toys are double fire nunchaku and he has more recently got into acro yoga (with fire!). He is loving integrating this all to bring workshops and performance to Circulation this year.'

Calypso is originally from France They found a fire stave in 2017 in Thailand and later on, the flow arts.They have devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the artform ever since. It’s brought them onto a path and they would have never imagined. They have the intentions to carry the message that we are all sovereign beings capable of magnificent things. They express their soul’s essence through movement,and empowered presence. This is their healing path... igniting passionate and purposeful. Having learned from and taught alongside spinners across New Zealand and Australia. They are grateful for the opportunity to share what they have learned with you.

Catherine is a professional dancer and teacher based in Dunedin, New Zealand. Catherine grew up in the theatre performing with her mother (a professional singer). By the time she was sixteen, Catherine was running her own dance classes with a passion for dance teaching and choreography. Catherine studied contemporary dance at Unitec in Auckland but after serious injury herself she found a new approach to dance focused on well being and community in Dunedin. Two years later she came back into the dance scene performing in a West African Dance show about mothers with postnatal depression with her four month old daughter. Since then, Catherine has been performing and teaching for schools, universities and music festivals in a variety of styles, while working with many renowned local and international choreographers, artists, musicians and DJs to create unique performances and films. Catherine completed two years postgraduate study in Dance/Movement therapy and founded Dancers Anonymous to share her love for dance and well being.

Catherine began her journey in flow arts last year when she combined staff with dance and acrobatics. She has been enjoying exploring partner double staffs and poi choreography combining dance and flow arts.

Catherine is teaching West African Dance, Freestyle Dance Fundamentals and Poi Choreography workshops at Circulation.

There's many facets to our characters, one of mine is sharing the love through juggling. I am an enthusiast, keeping the scene going with some favorites including contact ball, juggling balls, clubs, hoop and unicycle. Some of which can be enjoyed together. It's fun!

Beginning the journey into the world of circus with poi performances and stilt walking for corporate clients, Dom has attended a number of circus festivals and conventions both nationally and internationally and along the way expanded his repertoire into juggling, fire eating and busking. Upon returning to NZ in 2014, Dom founded Ebb & Flow Entertainment with the aim of synergising kiwi circus talent with the events industry to allow performers the opportunity to show their skills to larger audiences. Delighted to return to the Circulation Festival where he will be teaching a beginner’s juggling passing workshop, an intermediate poi stalls workshop based around grid theory and an advanced poi juggling workshop centered on the 4-2-1 toss pattern and expansion into weave tosses.

In his fourth decade as a comedian, mime, actor, physical theatre performer and tutor, Fergus has played at almost every kind of event, in over a dozen countries since 1984. On stage in Moscow and London, in the streets of Europe and Australasia, as a mannequin in Madame Tussaud's... Fergus has performed for TV commercials, as gust juggler with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and even received standing ovations at nudist festivals.

After an 'unusual and challenging year', Fergus is really looking forward to returning to serenity and connection with the people and the trees, at Circulation 2020. In addition to hosting the Performer's Showcase, he's hosting three workshops. Playfulness and Presence will prepare performers for connection with their audience. Physical Theatre & Mime sessions are for anyone wanting to up skill their grip on imaginary objects, explore spontaneity, observe their own breath, balance and body tension and smooth out slow-motion play.

Kia ora whānau,

I'm Georgia Sunshine, I love a paddock party and dancing under the stars! Like a moth to a flame, I am mesmerised by fire dancing and I've been learning from the best here in Aotearoa over the past 2 years. My props of choice are dragon staff, palm torches, sword and fans. Next I want to learn how to spin puppy hammer! I am going to be hosting a palm torches workshop, a dragonstaff workshop and facilitating a sexy safe space discussion. Sex is awesome, it's important we communicate our needs, desires and boundaries and feel safe! Safety is sexy and so is respect! Chur :)

Hailing from Ōtautahi Christchurch, Grace Goldsmith is delighted to return to her third Circulation festival, this time performing and teaching two Russian fire fans workshops and a body mechanics in flow arts workshop for all abilities.

She has been dabbling in the art of fire spinning for a decade with a kickstart in her passion for fans & poi flow/tech in the last 3 years. Her style is forged from an ocean of inspiration from the international flow arts community, as well as her dance background of classical ballet & exotic style pole dance.

With her fans workshops she aims to inspire fan spinners beginner & experienced alike to incorporate more fluid body movement in with captivating tech.

With her body mechanics in flow arts workshop, she will draw upon her years of dance training and prop spinning to guide participants through a series of flow arts inspired exercises. The aim with this one is to stretch and warm up the body in preparation for spinning your chosen prop, as well as to train your body and brain to achieve the best possible alignment and posture whilst moving through different planes, timing and direction combinations.

She is incredibly stoked to step into the role of teacher and performer this year and can’t wait to learn, teach, play and dance with you all.

Hamish has been flowing around the New Zealand fire scene for 5 years now an in that time has built up a deep passion for dragon staff, contact staff and honestly anything on fire. He will be both performing and teaching workshops at Circulation. He loves teaching people his skills and is looking forward to seeing everyone at his dragon staff workshop.

Hannah is originally from the USA, and fell in love with the hula hoop in 2009. She soon discovered the joy of performing and has shared her hoopdance at bars and clubs, conferences for neurodiversity, circus charities for children in Costa Rica, and on the street for anyone who passes by. The joy she inspires in others is what keeps her sharing her art.

Hooping is her main love but has recently fallen in love with fans. She is a yoga teacher and a massage therapist, and is interested in the flow arts as a way to explore the connection of mind, body, and breath. At Circulation she will be sharing workshops on on-body hooping, shoulder and elbow hoop duck-outs, and explorations in flow, movement, and breath.

Fire fan duo Katie Radley and Thé Foster both discovered their obsession for fans around the establishment of the Wānaka Fire and Flow Tribe in 2019. They are both dedicated to growing the local flow arts community as a supportive atmosphere for learning, expression and connecting with each other.

Katie’s style is full of smooth flowy movement, while Thé is a weaving and isolating goddess. Together they perform, teach and love making shapes and mesmerising sequences with hopes to co-create a group fiery fan spectacle at Circulation.

First seeing fire spinning back in 2014, Liam dove into flow arts focusing on Poi and Dragon staff. Since then he has built excitement and tools to grow himself and help grow the NZ flow community further into its already incredible existence

Teaching and performing (both in a band, as a DJ, and a flow artist) across NZ for the last 3 to 6 years has given him opportunities and space to bring something unique to every table

Matthias is a professional circus performer from New Zealand. With over 15 years experience in the industry, he has spent the last 6 traveling and performing in Big Tops, Theatres, Festivals and on the Streets all around Europe. Now he is finally back in New Zealand and excited to be able to show and share his skills at home. This Circulation he will give a variety of workshops including intermediate/advanced rola-bola, intermediate club passing and beginner juggling as well as showcasing his world class rola-bola act in the performer showcase.

Meg, also known as Megasol, has been dabbling with all the props for over five years! Traveling in from the great Outotahi//Christchurch to share all things rope dart with the Lovely participants of Circulation! Even if you can't make her workshop, be sure to find her around the venue for all your ropedart queries. Happy to supply spontaneous workshops! Welcome to the dart side. ^.^

Mikky was first mesmerised by hoop and the flow arts at Kiwiburn 2018 and was inspired by the talent and dedication of flow artists in the community. She fell in love with hooping and sharing her passion through movement and play, and although she is still relatively fresh on her flow arts journey, Mikky often says she is better at teaching others to hoop than she is at hooping herself. She takes great care and joy in breaking down movement and tricks to their simplest form and facilitating growth in beginners to find their own style of flow. She has taught hoop workshops frequently at Wellington Fire and Flow club, and at several festivals throughout New Zealand.

I have been doing aerial acrobatics since I was young but had never had structured training until I did a full time aerial course in Gold Coast, Australia for two years. The course was meant to be a gap year between uni degrees but I fell even more in love with the art form and seeing how far I could push my body and what I could achieve. I decided to try and make it my career instead of a hobby and since then I have performed and coached in Australia and New Zealand. I will be teaching beginner and intermediate aerial hoop workshops at Circulation.

Rumah is an Australian performer. A graduate of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus school, she has taught and performed all around Australia, before heading to New Zealand where she has toured with Circus Aotearoa, The Going Bananas Show, and Cirque Lemuria. She will be teaching aerial silks workshops for all levels from beginners to advanced.

A traveler at heart, I was born in Israel, lived in Europe, Australia, China, and now based in New Zealand. Movement practices for me are a source of joy, empowerment, and connection to self. I’ve tried a variety of practices since early childhood, and in the last 15 years my main focus has been on taiji; I have been salsa dancing for 10 years and more recently found myself returning to fire spinning and performance after a long break.

Dragon staff is my first go to prop of choice, but I also love exploring other props and acro-fire. My workshops are inclusive, interactive and a fun journey of exploration! Excited to be part of Circulation this year and share my knowledge with others, I will be teaching dragon staff, as well as taiji & meditation workshops.

Stephen Benge aka Sideshow Steve is a Wellington based object and fire manipulator with a love of weird tech rabbit holes. After discovering the fire arts in early 03 they have spent the last 17 years exploring different props and concepts. This year they are running workshops on one of their favorite rabbit holes "The Fishtail" covering the basic fishtail and exploring the concepts of stalls, off wrist fishtails and fishtail patterns. Come get fishy.

And as for a performance bio Stephen Benge has over the last nearly two decade built up a rather intimate relationship with fire. They love the reactions that people have to the weird the confusing and the silly. Expect a range of weird silly and confusing contact staff, poi and fire eating.

Steve Wilbury is a manipulation super nerd and has been a professional circus entertainer for over 17 years. He worked with MCP in the early 2000s to develop produce 2 staff manipulation DVDs. Growing tired of sticks Steve started to explore acrylic balls and supported Drew with the development of the Multiball Contact Juggling book. In 2015 Steve started to work as a magician and won the "best manipulation" award at the 2017 NZ Magic Convention. He is currently researching methods of combining traditional billiard ball manipulation magic with contact juggling, and his knuckles are killing him. Steve has performed at every kind of event, from the classiest of corporate galas to the smallest village fete Steve's infectious energy and enthusiasm have enthralled countless spectators. The only thing Steve loves more than performing is teaching; and he is looking forward to sharing the mistakes he's made on his road, so you don't have too on yours.

My name is Tangihaere Rangimarie Gardiner. I love plants, knitting, fire dancing (beginner sword master ;P) and Te Ao Maori. I've been trying to find common ground between Purakau, Plants and People. I try to incorporate Purakau and the Creation story of Ranginui and Papatuanuku into explaining the importance of protecting cultural knowledge and understanding your role in the well being of others. Everything is connected and all our stories contribute to the bigger picture. My workshop will be an interactive story time where I'll be telling the creation story followed by a wananga on cultural well being and cultural appreciation. Join me in exploring Te Ao Maori and asking some uncomfortable questions We are here to learn, we are here to grow

Based in Otepoti Dunedin, a true Southern Bell, Tessa Motion (AKA Belle De Jour, AKA Tess Hazelhurst) has taught and performed all over Aotearoa since 2014. Over the years, she has showcased many different stage personas and skills; classic and contemporary dance, burlesque, singing, poetry, comedy, and aerials, to name a few.

Tess has trained in silks, trapeze, and pole, but aerial hoop / Lyra has her heart. When teaching aerials she focuses on safe and happy bodies, inclusion, and allowing anyone to give this beautiful art form a go. She also joins us to teach burlesque, encouraging the inner sex deity of each dancer to come forward; and contemporary dance, opening up space where attendees can feel connected to movement and expression.

Looking forward to jumping on the stage again to perform for the wonderful circulation family, Tess can’t wait for this sparkly reunion.

Nikita has had the pleasure of sharing her passion for acro around various festivals and communities of New Zealand for over a year now. She loves to inspire others to mix up circus, acro, and expression. She’s stoked to bring acrobatics & fire spinning together with the “Fire Acro Creatures” (Nikita, Alex, & Gaia). This year at circulation, they will take the stage to perform some daring tricks by taking fire spinning to new heights!