Aerial artists Mimi Ke and Elaine McCague, dancing on ropes high in the sky at Windy Goat Acres in Chelsea on May 31. PHOTO BY THE DAVIS DOUBLE ACT

CHELSEA — High above the heads of the viewers, they twirled and danced like gravity didn’t touch them. The Circus of Tensegrity, with Iowa City-based aerialist Mimi Ke, put on a wonderful acrobatic performance at Windy Goat Acres, in Chelsea, on May 31.

Mimi and fellow artist Elaine McCague, visiting from Ireland, ascended ropes that hung high in the clearing before swinging and waltzing in the sky and descending again in a helter-skelter fashion, displaying great skill and muscle. The two artists put together their routine in less than a week.

“The performance last Saturday was an informal work-in-progress showing, part of our research and development phase funded by an arts project grant from the Iowa Arts Council. It was a collaborative mix of emerging ideas and movement, shaped in just a week together,” Ke said. “Elaine arrived a week before the show, and we spent five days creating material together. One of those days, we also worked on building the site–installing rigging and shaping the space to hold the work.”

The taiko drumming of Tanis Sotelo, the co-founder of Soten Taiko from Des Moines, and Kate Gylten, a sound artist from Iowa City, accompanied the aerial dancing. The sound, as well as much as the nature and settings, influenced the performance.

“On the fourth day, Tanis and Kate joined us to bring in live sound. They hadn’t seen the work or met each other before, but I had worked with Tanis once a month leading up to the show – both remotely and in person — which helped us build a shared understanding of each other’s language. That made it possible to jump into collaboration quickly, on Friday. Because of my earlier sessions with Tanis, I had already developed some movement influenced by taiko and shime rhythms before arriving at the farm. The repetition and power of the drums really informed how I moved. Since the sound artist joined us later in the week we developed just a loose structure of movement sections,” Ke said. “Once the live music was introduced, it became a driving force. We let the sound influence the pace, intensity, and tone of the rope work. Elaine and I tend to work through improvisation. We start with prompts and then refine specific movement qualities from there. It’s a responsive way of working, and the live sound and open-air setting added to that dynamic.”

PHOTO BY THE DAVIS DOUBLE ACT

Mimi has had a passion for aerial arts for over a decade.

“I love the mix of sensation and focus it demands. You can’t really think about anything else — you have to be fully present, internally, externally physically, and emotionally,” she said.

As her devotion to the art is ever-growing, Mimi will continue to advance, expand, and develop her performances in different locals.

“Looking ahead, I hope this project can continue to evolve by adapting more deeply within the landscapes we work in. I’m interested in how movement, sound, and structure can respond to the specific site and what other places I can bring site based aerial work — whether other landscapes or even outdoor parking spaces and buildings,” she said. “Each environment offers new possibilities, and I want the work to stay flexible and site-aware as it grows. Phase 2, dependent on funding will iterate and continue in outdoor unconventional sites.”

Their next Iowa-based performance will be at the Annual Downtown Iowa City Block Party on June 28, 9:45-10 p.m. on Iowa Ave. Before that, Mimi and the Circus of Tensegrity will continue their research and development with a residency at Espacio Encenico Mermejita and perform their art in Mazunte, Mexico on June 21.

Mimi Ke and Elaine McCague both upside down twirling on their ropes. PHOTO BY THE DAVIS DOUBLE ACT

The sight of Mimi Ke and Elaine McCague dancing among the clouds above Windy Goat Acres was a marvel to witness. The Circus of Tensegrity will continue to astound and amaze with each performance.

Visiting artist Elaine McCague dancing on in the air. PHOTO BY THE DAVIS DOUBLE ACT