Circus runaway set for success

Like most young and adventurous school girls, Charli Meath dabbled in several different sports before she found the one for her.

Having a crack at little athletics, soccer, volleyball, netball, gymnastics, archery and even karate, once Charli began training five nights a week for the circus, she knew she had discovered her passion.

Devoting the last four years of her life to the dedicated circus academy at CircArts in Breakwater, Charli’s goal of becoming a professional circus performer enters a new realm in January when she begins a three-year Bachelor of Circus Arts at the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) in Melbourne.

Balancing the pressures of VCE at Geelong’s Sacred Heart College with her intensive circus training in 2018 was challenging, but the 18-year-old managed to hone her skills on her chosen apparatus, the aerial hoop (also known as Lyra), a circular steel ring that dangles several metres above the ground.

In October 2018, Charli placed third in the Miss Lyra Australia National finals despite being the youngest contestant of the finalists.

Excited for the next chapter, Charli hopes that one day she will have the honour of performing for the likes of Cirque de Soleil.

Head coach and CircArts owner Rosa Pagani said she is thrilled to see Charli chasing her dream and encourages aspiring artists to join the initiative.

“I am so proud of our Charli… she has grown into an amazing young artist and we cannot wait to see where circus takes her,” she said.

“Every student’s journey is so unique, what starts as a new hobby or a fun form of fitness can become your career, and every student has the power and potential to make that happen.”

To book classes and see timetables, visit circarts.com.au.