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:
- Highlights:
- 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.
Read Full Bio
After working alongside one another for years, four Asian American circus artists—Angela Chu, Christine Lee, Nina Sawant, and Teri Wing—came together to form The Dahlias. With their innovative, elegant, and exquisitely costumed circus acts, they set out to create positive representation for Asian Americans in the circus arts.
They leveraged their combined 40 years of experience with their broad collective skills in design, choreography, sales, and marketing to create a new niche within event performance.
Demand quickly grew for The Dahlias unique brand, and they have since expanded to include a roster of top circus performers and creative collaborators spanning the entire West Coast.
Meet the Founders
Angela Chu
Performing since 2010
Angela is drawn to the circus arts because, “When I’m training or performing, I have to focus on only what I am doing and any other weight of the world is temporarily gone. Circus makes time stop and only the music, movement, and magic of the moment continue to spin.”
Christine Lee
Performing since 2007
For Christine, circus means, “community, creativity and freedom. Having worked in a corporate job, running away to join the circus has been fulfilling in every way—work never feels like work and I’m constantly inspired and excited about the next project and the next day.”
Nina Sawant
Performing since 2006
Nina loves circus because it “embraces and celebrates our differences. The more you learn to make the most of your quirks, the more interesting you are as a circus performer.”
Teri Wing
Performing since 2007
To Teri, “The Dahlias is a journey of self discovery, which has taught her that miracles can happen.”
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