The strength and agility of a pair of 13-year-old students from Langley’s circus school will be on display in the Land Down Under this weekend.
From The Circus Lab, Caitlin McKenzie and Gabrielle Payn are currently in Australia, getting set to present their trapeze and hand-balancing acts at the 2016 Australian Circus Festival.
They have both been training upwards of 20 hours per week at The Circus Lab and are incredibly excited for their hard work to be showcased abroad, noted Svetlana Delous, The Circus Lab’s co-owner, aerial Hoop and trapeze instructor, and intensive program coach.
Caitlin may already be known to some as one of the finalists of Langley Has Talent 2015.
Both Caitlin and Gabrielle have been representing the young generation of circus artists in B.C. and Canada this past year, demonstrating their talents on Global BC Television or for the Francophone television show Galala.
The international festival is being held in Sydney this Friday to Sunday (April 16 to 18) and will gather many talented performers from around the world.
Caitlin and Gabrielle will be competing in the pre-professional category, among other students who are aiming towards a career in the circus arts.
This will be their third international competition after attending the West Coast Aerial Arts Festival for the past two years in California.
The Circus Lab, was founded three years ago with hopes to inspire a young generation of West Coast circus artists.
“We could not be more proud to see these passionate youths take on the world,” Delous said. “Coincidentally, with World Circus Day coming up on the 16th of April this year, who could think of a better place to be than at a circus festival?”
For more on the Australian Circus Festival, visit the event’s website at www.australiancircusfestival.org.