Donate now at Fractured Atlas! Donate now at Fractured Atlas!
top of page

The Circus of Tensegrity     

A Circus Attuned to Landscape:

 

Where Movement and Connection Shape Space, Evolving with

the Land.

saturday, may 31st 400 - 600_edited.jpg
poster for may 31_edited.jpg

For reward-free contributions to The Circus of Tensegrity, you can donate directly HERE.

 

Your donation is immensely appreciated. This performance is the product of over a decade of training, research and support from friends like you. Your support goes towards everything from paying artists to documenting the project and ensuring it's future.

The Circus of Tensegrity

is a sponsored project of

Fractured Atlas, a non-profit

501(c)3 arts service organization.​​

 

Fractured Atlas will receive grants for the purposes of The Circus of Tensegrity, provide oversight to ensure that grant funds are used in accordance with grant agreements, and provide reports as required by the grantor. Contributions for the purposes of The Circus of Tensegrity must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.


 

We extend our sincere appreciation to the following individuals and organizations for their patronage:

​​

Andrea Parks, Toula Yoga

Ashlynd Jones, National Dance Academy

Jessica Kettler, Windy Goat Acres
Cara Viner, Hothouse Yoga
Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce

Lora Daily

Casey Reyner

Mike Kelly

Angie Chaplin

Kellie Conner

Sue Protheroe

Darcy LeFevre

Misha Matchette

Kristin Lee 

Scott Monroe
Susan Radke

Scott Cochran

Loreen Curley

IMG_1418.HEIC
Screen Shot 2025-04-07 at 3.20.32 PM.png
f9c33749-92b3-4583-b3bc-1a80647ea48d.jpg
NDA_LOGO_NoCities_edited.jpg
Hothouse-Yoga_Logo_2018_full color.jpg
tensegrity_image_hanger_edited_edited.jp

Overview

Mimi Ke, alongside collaborating artists, will spend a week in residency at Windy Goat Acres in Chelsea, Iowa. This residency will support artistic research and development while fostering community engagement through a free public masterclass and performance of The Circus of Tensegrity, a site-responsive aerial show accompanied by live music.

 

The project seeks to cultivate public interest in new forms of live performance, helping to elevate and enrich Iowa’s arts and culture.

 

Event Details

  • Date: Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 4:00 pm

  • Location: Windy Goat Acres, Chelsea, Iowa

  • Rain date TBD

  • Program:

    • Work-in-Progress Show

    • Artists Q&A 30 minutes

    • Public Workshop 30 minutes

      •  The artists will guide participants through movement prompts with guided imagery, as part of their creative process-- designed to spark creativity and deepen connection with their body, senses, and surroundings.

Project Inspiration

The Circus of Tensegrity is inspired by the architectural term tensegrity, an elision of ‘tension + integrity’ and the internal sensation of tension and compression: 

 

islands of compression floating in a balanced sea of tension.

The show’s theme is driven by the concept of tensegrity—structures held together by a balance of tension and compression. Aerialists move through a suspended network of ropes, where each shift in weight impacts the entire system. As they climb, knot, and unravel, the show looks at how pressure shapes us—and how we depend on each other within shared systems. The ropes act as both constraint and support, reflecting the delicate balance that holds us together.

Pushing the boundaries of circus performance, the project moves beyond the proscenium and tent, evolving dynamically with its landscape.  Artists will utilize multi-ropes, corde lisse, counterweight rigging, and installation to create an immersive, tapestry-like performance set to a live soundscape while audiences traverse the landscape.

​By designing an experience conceived to the landscape, the show encourages audiences to engage with their surroundings in new and meaningful ways, forging deeper connections between body, space, and community.

CURRECT COLLABORATORS:

Tanis Sotelo 

Kate Gylten
Elaine Mc Cague / Loosysmokes
Jessica Kettler & Windy Goat Acres

 

Support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

  • Vimeo
  • Instagram Social Icon
  • Facebook - Grey Circle
  • Grey YouTube Icon

Mimi Ke, Aerialist | Offering aerial silks classes, workshops and circus entertainment based out of Iowa City, Iowa.

Mailing List.

Join my newsletter and be the first to know about upcoming events and class announcements. Find performance news, aerial tips-ish, project updates and musings on creativity, life & all things connected delivered directly to your email.


You can unsubscribe at anytime.


bottom of page