Meet Cirque du Biere Sling Extraordinaire, Laura
If you’ve been to a Cirque du Biere show, you've seen our resident sling queen, Laura Myers, drop it like it's hot on the aerial sling. Let's learn more about this incredible Charlotte aerialist!
Background
How long have you been practicing aerial?
11 years (including some extended breaks - COVID lockdown, etc.)
How did you get into aerial?
I found a Groupon for an aerial class, and I thought that could be a fun thing to try — over a decade later, aerial has changed my entire life! You never know how you’re going to find your passion.
What aerial apparatuses do you enjoy training or performing on?
Mostly sling! But I have also trained and/or performed on silks, lyra, straps, flying trapeze, static/dance trapeze, loops, rope, pole, and specialty apparatuses (helix, spiral, etc.)
What is your favorite aerial apparatus?
Sling!!! I love that the sling is always supporting you — it feels like a partnership, like the sling and I are contributing equal effort to create something beautiful. I love wrap theory on sling and how there are so many magic tricks! Sling can be low & slow or it can be very intense and challenging — I feel like there’s something for everyone in a sling.
Cirque du Biere
Why did you decide to join Cirque du Biere?
I absolutely love everything about CDB! I love bringing aerial out of the studio and into places where more people can experience it. It’s awesome to drive business to local spots and raise money for local nonprofits! CDB has opened up my experience in improvising and I’ve grown so much as a performer as part of this troupe.
What’s your favorite thing about performing with Cirque du Biere?
That’s so hard — there are so many things! I think it’s a tie between the energy of the crowds and the creativity of my fellow troupe members. I LOVE seeing how people experience our shows and the energy they bring to our performances! And it’s always so much fun to see what my fellow CBD members plan for each of the different themes. We all keep getting more creative with our costuming and storytelling — the bar keeps getting higher and higher!
What’s your favorite Cirque du Biere performance (to date)?
It’s got to be Ms. Pac-Man! (Geeks & Gaymers, first act, performed to “Pink Pony Club”). That costume was a wild unhinged seed of an idea and I truly cannot believe I could actually make it happen. I made the Ms. Pac-Man head entirely from scratch and learned SO much about performing in “specialty” costuming — the choreography revolved entirely around what I was able to do with the head on. It was just so much fun from start to finish!
Do you have any funny or interesting behind-the-scenes stories from Cirque du Biere rehearsals or performances?
Oh man, I just love our backstage area for every show, especially during intermission. It’s just a sweaty adrenaline-filled tornado of makeup, hairspray, and an enormous amount of costume pieces. We never know what’s going to be requested for the 2nd half so we all bring a variety of costumes to be prepared!
But in particular, I still laugh about that time I forgot part of my 1st half costume at home so I had a replacement DoorDashed to the brewery from Spirit Halloween 😅 The show must go on!!!
How does being part of Cirque du Biere differ from other circus experiences you've had?
I think CDB helps bring aerial into the mainstream in a special way, especially in our shows (as opposed to our ambient “we fly while you hang out” appearances, which I also love doing.) There aren’t very many other opportunities in CLT to go to places where you may already hang out and experience a whole show with the kind of theming and audience participation (song requests) that CBD does. The theming also drives me to expand my performing repertoire — I never thought I would perform to an emo song (and absolutely love it, haha!) CBD has ruined my Spotify algorithm and I’m totally fine with it. 😅
What do you hope audiences take away from your performances with Cirque du Biere?
That circus is accessible! The world of circus is SO much more than just big shows like Cirque du Soleil — it’s happening right here in Charlotte all the time! Circus also does not have to be serious and stoic: our CBD acts have been joyful, funny, sexy, silly, and downright weird. And that circus is accessible to DO! You don’t have to be a full-time “professional” circus artist to try aerial. Most of our CBD troupe members have “regular” day jobs and pursue aerial as a passion!
Anything else you'd like us to add?
I just can’t say enough about how much I love my fellow troupe members. This group is SO supportive, SO collaborative, SO creative, and just so loving. We’re all constantly sharing costumes, doing each others’ hair and makeup, hyping each other up, and delighting in what we’re able to pull off. Everyone is always so eager to jump in and help if plans go sideways for whatever reason. It’s just a really special group of humans and it’s one of the great joys of my aerial career to be part of it. 🥹
What an absolute joy it is to have Laura in our troupe!
Please give her a follow on Instagram at @ellkaym 🫶