Circus Month: Alice's Top 5 Circus Acts for Weddings

November 19, 2011


As we're celebrating all things circus at Sternberg Clarke This Month, it's only fair we discuss the use of circus acts at Weddings. The run up to your big day can often seem like a circus in itself but smart use of circus and cabaret style performers can be a great way to make your wedding celebrations stand out from the crowd. Having said that, circus acts need to be chosen carefully so as not to distract from the main attraction at a wedding; the couple - so when selecting any circus act for a wedding, we're always sure to keep things sleek, stylish and understated - you won't find any Elephants or Clowns here.

A circus theme can be artistic, colourful and really add a touch of something fun to your day, here are my top 5 (unusual) circus acts for weddings;

La Sirène au Diamand

La Sirene au Diamand is one of our most visually stunning acts and a composite of two exquisite skills; a graceful aerial hoop display culminating in a dramatic descent into a specially designed diamond-shaped pool where our aerial performer begins her spellbinding aquatic dance show.  It's glitzy and glamorous and it works perfectly if you have a particularly high ceiling at your wedding venue.

In the past few years, the trend of setting off paper lanterns has really taken hold at weddings - it seems not a week goes by without seeing a few dozen glossy pictures of couples watch a glowing orb drift into the sky. For a dazzling twist on the idea, The Heliosphere is a sure-fire way to announce your marriage in style. The Heliosphere is a completely unique spectacle, involving an acrobat spinning and spiralling gracefully on a harness, trapeze or cloud swing whilst suspended from a huge clear hot air balloon. It's well suited to daytime events, but the balloon’s internal colour-changing lightshow makes it a particularly magnificent sight at night.


A good contortionist creates a focal point for a drinks reception, and can be tailored to any event.  For a stunningly beautiful reception, I would recommend a contortionist in champagne colours on a white, beautifully lit plinth. Our contortionists can perform either as a attention grabbing stage show or as more of an 'ambient' act - which works especially well when paired with other acts like flame/glow jugglers, magicians or mime acts to create a bustling modern carnival atmosphere.

Ballet poles
Our Ballet poles show is a really stunning act that combines the elegance and passion of the Royal Ballet with the glitz and glamour of a burlesque strip show.   OK, so it’s not typically circus, but it IS fabulous. The show begins with a version of Swan Lake, which then flows into a Christina Aguilera number as our dancer flirts with the audience and starts to remove her Basque, gloves and tutu, all done in combination with high energy point work, lifts and turns.  This show can also be done using 2 dancers and was particularly popular with Black Swan themed events, as one dressed dancer can be dressed in in black performing the seductive burlesque routine and one performing classical ballet dressed innocently in white.

Yulia – Hula Hooper
Yulia is the stunning Bardot-esque Hula Hoop artist, contortionist and dancer.  Captivating, graceful, poised, she takes hooping to another level and has garnered rave reviews and broken countless hearts throughout the show’s sell-out seasons in London, Paris, New York, Edinburgh, Montreal and Australia. Yulia is the perfect artiste for private functions as her impossible beauty and talented make her a hit with every type of audience demographic.