Magic/Chandelier

Nina Sawant and Christine Lee have been performing together since 2017, bonding over their shared love of innovative apparatuses, beautiful costumes, and collaborative performance. Nina and Christine are 2 of the 4 original founders of Dahlias Entertainment, an Asian American-founded circus company based in SF and LA.

As a duo, they have become widely known for their imaginative butterfly aerial lyra duo, a dynamic act with transforming costumes. Other acts include aerial globe, aerial chandelier, aerial cube, and acrodance cube, and a long list of solo skills including most classic aerial apparatuses, dance, contortion, acting, cyr wheel, and hand balancing. Nina and Christine are core members of established Bay Area ensemble companies Sweet Can Productions and Vespertine Circus, and active members of their local circus community.

@christineleecirque

@_ninauiu_

@dahliasentertainment

Magic/Clown

With a mission to build meaningful connections through humor and empathy, Calvin Kai Ku uses his growing, versatile experience working as a professional magician and circus performer to build bridges with his audiences, to transform stressful environments, and to create safe & joyful spaces.

He has entertained audiences in all varieties of stages from the International WuQiao Circus Festival, to Theme Parks, to theaters in the San Francisco Bay Area. Calvin brings a charming comedic presence to each and every performance as he shares his love and passion for storytelling and live interactive entertainment. Companies he’s had the pleasure of working with include: Circus Bella, Zaccho Dance Theatre, Cedar Fair Entertainment, Hewlett Packard, Google, and Entire Productions. Today, you can also find him performing in Bay Area healthcare facilities as a Healthcare Clown with the Medical Clown Project.

@calvinkaiku

Clown/Unicycle

A crafty clown with the flair of an escape artist, Colin Creveling will carry you to the mercurial reaches of your imagination. Raised in the heart of the midwest, “Donkey” dreamed of a life on-stage . After studying at the Chicago College of Performing Arts & acquiring a BFA in Acting, he pursued a career in the circus. Traveling the world and eventually finding a home in Oakland. He now runs a small theatre called Haus of Wire. He’s Delighted to be working with the Dahlias and so many talented colleagues on this project .

@donkyprince

Handbalancing/Lyra

Dwoira Galilea is a circus performer specializing in aerial arts and contortion. She was a rhythmic gymnast from age 9-13, and began circus training at age 11. She has been performing professionally for 15 years and is known for her glamorous style and ability to captivate an audience. She has toured across the globe performing with traditional and contemporary circus and cruise ships from Canada to Japan, Australia and Europe. While not on tour she performs locally at dinner cabarets, corporate events, galas, nightclubs and special events.

@dwoiragalilea

Pole/Silks

Sam Malloy is a contemporary circus artist driven by their passion to create work that embodies the power and beauty of genuine expression. They specialize in Aerial Fabric and Aerial, Dance, and Chinese Pole. Originally from East Bay, CA, they spent three years studying at the New England Center for Circus Arts ProTrack Program in Brattleboro, Vermont, and graduated in May of 2022. Since returning to the San Francisco Bay area, they have focused on creating work as a means of representation, inspiration, and change.

@sam.circus

Pole/Strongman

Toni Cannon (he/him) is consistently working on finding new ways to express himself through acrobatics. He finds the challenge thrilling, and very relatable to life’s challenges. Toni started his circus career later in life; however, that didn’t stop him from diving deep into his new-found love and passion. He has been lucky enough to train under some great coaches like Master Lu Yi and Dominik Wyss learning disciplines like Chinese pole, acrobatics, and hand-to-hand. He has also been a part of some groundbreaking companies and productions like Topsy Turvy queer circus, Circus Bella, This is Acrosanct, When the rainbow is Enuf, and his one-man show ReFlection.

@acrocannon

Straps

Elise Southwick is an award winning circus artist specializing in Aerial Silks, Strap Loops, and Handbalancing. Her performances include the Broadway Play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” AIDA Cruise Lines, The Santa Fe Opera and The Ringling Museum. She received her training at The New England Center for Circus Arts in the Professional Track Program (class of 2015).

@@elise.southwick