Photo by Mike Conti
Ariel Schmidtke is an interdisciplinary physical performer and multimedia artist. With roots in the Pacific Northwest and influences ranging from Southern Gothic to French Nouveau Cirque, Ariel has traveled extensively to enrich her approach to circus dramaturgy. Inspired at a young age by gymnastics she began training as an aerialist with the Dream Science Circus at the age of eighteen. She is drawn to the nonverbal expressiveness of gestures and to diversify her performance skills she has spent the past ten years studying dance, theater, puppetry, and contemporary circus.
Currently, Ariel works on writing full-length circus theater shows, a unique form of physical theater that is especially intimate and participatory. She works in universal areas of the human condition— uncertainty, vulnerability, self-doubt, triumph, persistence, love, and loss. In her performances, Ariel seeks moments of emotional recognition that are relevant across all identities and cultural associations.
Currently, Ariel works on writing full-length circus theater shows, a unique form of physical theater that is especially intimate and participatory. She works in universal areas of the human condition— uncertainty, vulnerability, self-doubt, triumph, persistence, love, and loss. In her performances, Ariel seeks moments of emotional recognition that are relevant across all identities and cultural associations.
| Curriculum Vitae |