Fundraiser Aerial Silks Workshop for The Circus of Tensegrity

Come experience the release and magic of aerial silks in this 90-minute workshop led by Mimi Ke. Mimi has over 11 years of experience teaching aerial and and 15 years of teaching yoga. She enjoys teaching aerial classes that are challenging yet inclusive to all students, using a mix of movement vocabulary to connect with movers of all backgrounds and abilities. We’ll begin by easing into a full-body warm-up, explore the apparatus in hammock form, and move into silk fundamentals—layered with guided imagery and prompts to inspire your creative and movement practices.

No experience necessary. All bodies welcome.

Donation-based — your support directly helps pay artists and brings live, outdoor performance to Iowa. All proceeds go toward The Circus of Tensegrity, an aerial dance performance with live taiko rhythyms and vocal accompaniment. Community support allows us to thrive as an ensemble and continue to inspire audiences while keeping our tickets free.

Limited to 12 participants.

Workshop hosted at National Dance Academy in Coralville.
See FAQ for suggested donations and other questions.

For more show info and donation links

About Mimi:

With a passion for thoughtful & dynamic movement, Mimi approaches her art with presence and curiosity, crafting uniquely sensorial experiences for her audience. As both a performer and a movement facilitator, she is dedicated to fostering spaces of care and exploration through the intersection of aerial technique, improvisation, and yoga. Her work extends beyond performance into teaching and guiding others in movement-based practices, cultivating a deeper connection between body, space, and artistic expression.

Her aerial career spans over a decade, with work showcased on traditional stages, international festivals, site-specific performances and dance made for screen. Mimi was awarded the 2024 Iowa Arts Project Grant for Individual Artists from the Iowa Arts Council, which will support development for The Circus of Tensegrity, an immersive site-based circus show with rope, to be presented internationally this summer in Mazunte, Mexico. In 2023, Mimi was a recipient of the Creative Catalyst Artists Grant award from the Iowa Arts Council which she used to create a performance for the Iowa Arts Festival with choreography inspired by taijiquan --a Chinese martial art and a practice of Daoism, and calligraphy brushstrokes.

Most recently, she performed in Butoh choreographer Tadashi Endo’s Ohaka in Mexico and taught and presented, Tangle a duo rope show at the Uillin Dance Festival in Ireland. Passionate about improvisation, Mimi thrives on the interplay between aerial dance’s fluidity and the theatrical spectacle of circus arts. She currently teaches classes and private lessons at National Dance Academy in Coralville, Iowa where she has been teaching aerial silks for over 11 years.

About The Circus of Tensegrity:

Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 4:00 pm

Windy Goat Acres, Chelsea, Iowa

Free admission, donations in the "hat" welcome!

On May 31st, a 15 acre farm becomes the stage for an aerial performance unlike anything Iowa has seen. The Circus of Tensegrity, a site-responsive circus performance directed and produced by Iowa City-based aerialist Mimi Ke, will premiere on Saturday, May 31 at 4:00 PM at Windy Goat Acres in Chelsea, Iowa.

This immersive outdoor performance blends aerial dance, live Japanese drumming, and an immersive soundscape inspired by wind, breath and trees, layering vocals with the visceral pulse of shime-daiko drums. Set in direct relationship with the natural landscape, The Circus of Tensegrity is created on-site and features a striking rope installation with visiting artist, Elaine Mc Cague. Audiences are invited to bring blankets or lawn chairs and experience contemporary circus in the verdant valley of Iowa’s “Bohemian Alps.” Guests are invited to enjoy the serene farm setting, with baby goats, llamas and a garden bar, in a relaxed and open-air environment.

• Work-in-Progress Show begins at 4:00
• Artists Q&A- 30 minute discussion
• Public Masterclass- 30 minute workshop open to all

Supported by:

The project was awarded an Iowa Arts Project grant in 2024. Support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

Thank you to Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, Hothouse Yoga, Toula Yoga and Jessica Kettler, Windy Goat Acres for your generous financial support in sponsoring The Circus of Tensegrity.

This project would not exist without the support of National Dance Academy and Windy Goat Acres. Thank you to Ashlynd Jones for your generous in-kind donation in support of the The Circus of Tensegrity and Windy Goat Acres for hosting our residency and culminating event on May 31st.

Sponsorships by:

Also check out other Arts events in Coralville, Nonprofit events in Coralville, Workshops in Coralville.