The Dahlias: Aerial Contortionists
Asian American circus collective The Dahlias delivers elegant, innovative, and exquisitely designed circus performances that elevate events while redefining representation in the circus arts.
Quick Facts:
- Asian American–founded circus collective focused on representation and excellence
- Over 40 years of combined professional circus experience
- Expertise in aerial arts, choreography, costume design, and creative direction
- Known for elegant, innovative, and highly polished performances
Formats:
- Circus Performance Collective and Event Entertainment
Audiences:
- Corporate events, luxury brands, cultural festivals, nonprofits, and organizations seeking refined, inclusive, and visually stunning live entertainment.
Outcomes:
- Elevate events with cohesive, high-end circus artistry
- Create memorable moments through elegant design and movement
- Support inclusive representation through world-class performance
- Travels from: San Francisco, CA
Talent Services
Entertainment:
Signature Acts by The Dahlias
Co-founders Christine Lee and Nina Sawant have been performing together since 2017, bonding over their shared love of innovative apparatuses, beautiful costumes, and collaborative performance.
As a duo, they have become widely known for their imaginative butterfly aerial lyra duo, a dynamic act with transforming costumes.
Other acts include aerial globe, and aerial cube, as well as a long list of solo skills including aerial silks/tissu, trapeze, lyra, aerial moon, cyr wheel, contortion, hand balancing, dance, and acting.
Nina and Christine are core members of established Bay Area ensemble companies Sweet Can Productions and Vespertine Circus, and active members of their local San Francisco and Los Angeles circus communities.
Shows
The Dahlias present stage shows with acrobatics, live music, and dance.
Perfect for gala dinners, tradeshow’s, and private events, these awe inspiring shows make a grand impact on your event. Adaptable from 15-45 minutes in length with various act options.
Our stage shows can be customized to include aerial and ground acts, collaborate with live musicians, magicians, dancers and more. Choose from our existing works, or share your vision with us, and we will build a custom show for your event theme!
Aerial Bartenders
Aerial bartending is an interactive act that delights guests! Guests love sharing videos and stories of this unique experience—a great way to create a buzz at your next event!
Ambient entertainment
Ambient entertainment transforms a typical event venue into an unforgettable experience for your guests. As they walk through your event, network, and mingle, our ambient acts will bring a smile to their faces.
Talent Short Bio
The Dahlias is a West Coast-based circus collective founded by four accomplished Asian American circus artists who came together with a shared vision: to create beautiful, high-caliber performances while advancing positive representation in the circus arts. Formed by Angela Chu, Christine Lee, Nina Sawant, and Teri Wing, The Dahlias blends artistry, athleticism, and intentional design into a distinctive performance experience.
Drawing on more than 40 years of combined professional experience, the founders leveraged their expertise not only in circus performance, but also in choreography, costume design, creative direction, sales, and marketing. This multidisciplinary foundation allowed them to carve out a new niche in the event entertainment space, offering acts that are visually refined, emotionally resonant, and meticulously produced.
Demand for The Dahlias quickly grew, leading to an expanded roster of top-tier circus performers and creative collaborators across the West Coast. Today, The Dahlias is known for delivering cohesive, elegant circus acts that seamlessly integrate into corporate events, galas, festivals, and brand experiences. Their work celebrates individuality, collaboration, and the power of movement to create moments of wonder and connection.
Videos
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Fee Range Information
All talent fees exclude travel and accommodation where required.