CIRCO FEST: ARTISTIC INSPIRATION IN PUERTO RICO

5/23/2025 | Heidi Kirchofer

Category: circus, thrive movement studio, performance, lifestyle, movement, health, fitness, wellness

In March, Joel, myself and our boys traveled to Puerto Rico to celebrate my birthday and attend Circo Fest. I didn't have a clear idea of what to expect, but as circus enthusiasts, we decided to just go and check it out. It turns out that Circo Fest is a four-day festival in Old San Juan and includes 2 days of workshops and 2 days of incredible performances. Their performance roster included 30 artists from around the globe and about a hundred National Puerto Rican circus artists. Throughout the week, you could find five performances happening in different plazas around the city at any given moment, creating a rich and diverse celebration of circus arts.

It was at Circo Fest that I may have seen my absolute favorite circus act ever; clown duo from Italy. Both performers were small in stature; she performed acro bike and unicycle and he did Chinese pole. I love that this duo mixed-up gender stereotypes - she was a lady base, upending the audience’s expectations and engaging them with her feats of strength. Their act was full of storytelling; they baked bread during the show, tossing flour and dough, seamlessly interweaving a flawless and beautiful acrobatic bike act. It was just lovely and made me think of folks back home who would have loved it. I encourage you to check them out here: Italian Duo. 

When I think about act creation and what it is that the audience ends up loving-it's not robotic and perfect acts, but sharing something of beauty or interest or perhaps shaking up the norm. Watching and experiencing live circus and art helps to enrich one’s creative vision and mindset. It's so interesting to ponder what it is that we, as an audience, end up loving in a performance and why. These are the questions on the forefront of my mind as we prep our students to share their acts with the Thrive community this June.

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