Aisling Ni Cheallaigh explains why she turned down Cirque du Soleil for circus work in Ireland

Listen to this week’s Girls With Goals featuring aerialist Aisling Ni Cheallaigh here!  

 When you think of the circus in Ireland, what do you think of?

A big top tent? The smell of candyfloss in the air? Signs all over your town to say the circus has landed?

Well, you’re not incorrect but, it’s not just limited to what you think either.

In fact, there are plenty of different types of circus work and in Ireland, the industry is on the cusp of something really exciting explains aerialist, Aisling Ni Cheallaigh.

Aisling is a trained Irish aerialist who is currently touring with her successful show, How to Square a Circle.

The show which sold out at Dublin Fringe Festival recently picked up the London Launchpad Award and is now currently on tour. The show tells the tale of friendship, ego, love, and the joys of a cup of tea.

Unlike your big top show, this performance takes place in theatres and features two of Ireland’s leading circus performers and rather than a selection of acts, this show brings you on a journey through movement and intricate work for 55 minutes.

Aisling and Ronan in action

Taking up circus performance at the age of 23, Aisling never intended to pursue this line of work as a full-time job but she feel in love with the skill and watching it develop in Ireland and so, when she was approached by one of the world’s leading circus performers, Cirque du Soleil to join their show, she kindly turned it down.

“I started getting offers from them [Cirque du Soleil] but, it was when Ronan and I started to develop How to Square a Circle and I didn’t want to leave. I also feel like the circus industry in Ireland is just starting to blossom completely.”

Continuing, Aisling explained that although she conquered her biggest goal of getting accepted for the Cirque team, being on the team was less attractive to her.

“Although working for Cirque was a dream of mine, when I learned more about it I don’t think it’d ever feed me as much as this work does – creating my own show and speaking my own truth.”

“With shows like Cirque, you’re just slotted into a position and you’re doing that solo for two years so, it’s just the same thing every day.”

You can check out Aisling on Instagram here as well as all her tour dates for her show – How to Square a Circle.

You can watch the whole interview with Aisling on this week’s Girls With Goals below.