M I M I K E A E R I A L
The Circus of Tensegrity
A Circus Attuned to Landscape:
Where Movement and Connection Shape Space, Evolving with
the Land.
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
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
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Date: Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 4:00 pm
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Location: Windy Goat Acres, Chelsea, Iowa
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Rain date TBD
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Program:
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Work-in-Progress Show
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Artists Q&A 30 minutes
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Public Workshop 30 minutes
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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.
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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.