Circus on the trail of a drop of water - the Company EllementArts

"Dancing Water Drops" - a circus show about the cycle of nature (c) Nicolas Vincent

I see life as the journey of a drop of water. It begins, perhaps with the melting of a glacier, where it has it was immobile for a long time. The drop of water always finds its way, even when rocks seem to block the way. Often these changes of direction create beautiful shapes ... We can see that the river itself is art - Let us be art ourselves ..."

These are lines from the text "The Journey of a Water Drop," which Swiss circus artist Anja Harbegger spontaneously wrote six years ago while sitting by an idyllic river in Bern. At the time, she had no idea that it would one day lead to a show or even a company. But sometimes an idea, an inspiration, takes unexpected paths when it meets an opportunity.

In the summer 2019, Anja had the opportunity to perform a show in a hall in Ittingen, Switzerland. Without having any finished show in er repertoire, she remembered the moment by the river – and the idea for the circus show "Dancing Water Drops" was born. That was about a month before the performance date. She needed collaborators – and quickly. This is where her friend Ingrid Adler came into play. The Austrian theater director has always had a penchant for movement – ​​her hobby first led her to martial arts and later to stunts, so the circus wasn't far off the mark. From the very first idea, Anja knew she wanted support on dramaturgy. "Circus shows often lack a common thread," she explains. "I had an idea, but I wanted to make sure it made sense from the outside. Which roles are there? How do they relate to each other? And so on."

The two already got along well. Ingrid had previously taken acrobatics training from Anja, and Anja had taken karate training from Ingrid. They planned the shoe together for three weeks, followed by a week of final rehearsals with the cast, which initially included Anja, another circus artist, and a dancer. ESAC graduate Elise Martin contributed her versatile skills in vertical rope, handstands, dance, and partner acrobatics, while Mara Kaderli comes from ballet. The result of their joint creation was a 45-minute piece, which Anja still called a "work in progress" – because it was meant to be continued.

Salome Aebersold was already involved behind the scenes at the beginning. The graduate of the École de Cirque de Lausanne later joined the cast. She performs on the trapeze in solo and duo – together with Anja as the duo Ocean Sisters. Zoë Wiedmer, who Mara Kaderli already knew from her participation in international dance competitions, later joined the team as a second dancer.

Anja Harbegger combines harp playing and aerial acrobatics in her act "Lunarpa" (c) Nicolas Vincent

Even in this initial phase, the special significance of music became apparent. Anja, a passionate musician herself, composed for the harp and for Mara Kaderli, who played the flute. She integrated a unique solo act in which she combined aerial acrobatics on the straps with playing the harp – in the air. The act would also become her final project at the National Circus School of Montreal, which she graduated from by 2022.

After returning from Montreal, the next step of the show followed. "When I returned home in the summer of 2022, I was invited by a circus in La Chaux-de-Fonds and asked if I had a company and a project for a co-production," Anja recalls. "I immediately thought of the beginning we already had." The other members of the team were equally enthusiastic about the idea. So Anja promptly founded a company – EllementArts. The second, further developed version of "Dancing Water Drops" was created in a week of residency and another week of rehearsals. Anja had previously composed all the music. During the two weeks, the entire team worked primarily on the group scenes. A choreographer joined the team for the dance scenes, as dance plays a key role in the show with two dancers in the cast.

The premiere took place on May 25, 2023, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, followed by performances. The piece was performed at other venues that same year. To allow for more flexibility in the choice of locations, they developed an outdoor version. In Denmark, the piece was even performed in a site-specific format, incorporating a tree branch as a suspension point for the aerial acrobatics. Although the reference to nature fits well with the content of the piece, Anja prefers the theater stage, where the "magic of light" can be explored more.

Impressions from the outdoor version of the show.

For Anja, the content of "Dancing Water Drops" has multiple levels, which explains the piece's positive response from diverse audiences. The first level is the story, analogous to nature - the water cycle. A melting glacier becomes a mountain stream, which then forms a river, which then flows into the sea, where the water evaporates. At the same time, it describes the cycle of life. Melting is like birth, followed by childhood, adolescence, and evaporation is like death.

Climate change also played an important role in the creation, reflecting the emotions the topic evokes in the young artists. It's about the beauty of nature and the value of water as a resource, contrasting with pollution and destruction and their consequences for humanity. For example, a large plastic sheet, swirling artfully in interplay with the aerial acrobatics, is ostensibly beautiful, but at the same time meant to represent the pollution of the oceans.

The game with the plastic film embodies beauty and destruction at the same time.(c)Nicolas Vincent

"Dancing Water Drops" transports the audience to a magical water world and simultaneously draws attention to important issues of our time in a highly poetic and touching way. Thus, the show opens up space for diverse interpretations and discussions. The last performance, as part of the Nuit du Cirque at Circus Salto in Hanover, Germany, in 2024, was followed by an hour-long audience discussion – proving the audience's response to the creation.

What's striking about "Dancing Water Drops" is its all-female cast. This was a conscious decision, as director Ingrid Adler explains: "The connection between femininity and water forms a beautiful symbiosis, also from an art historical perspective. There are many myths in which water is attributed a feminine quality."

Like the water, the show is in a constant state of flux. The version performed in Hanover last year already contained new aspects compared to the premiere version. "We focused a lot on feminine energy and nature," explains Anja. One of her motivations is to provide a platform and safe space for female performers and to demonstrate female power. However, the further development of the piece is not only driven by the team itself, but also by the audience. At each venue, a feedback book is available at the exit for the audience to write down their impressions and suggestions. Each performance is followed by a team debriefing to capture and incorporate the feedback. It's a refreshingly audience-centered approach in a world of contemporary circus in the German-speaking sphere that all too often revolves primarily around itself.

Trailer of the show "Dancing Water Drops"

It will be interesting to see where the flow will take the "Dancing Water Drops." The next stop will be Berlin's Pfefferberg Theater – for the Nuit du Cirque on November 14 and 15.