Jaine Mieka spends a lot of time upside down. A senior circus performer at The Dust Palace in Auckland, the 27-year-old explains to Juliette Sivertsen how she stays on top of her wellbeing,
How acrobats and circus performers stay in peak condition
Anyone can practice circus, form will be different depending on your interests and abilities. All you technically need is a will to learn and access to the right resources.
I devote a lot of time to restorative practices like physiotherapy and trigger-point release and, as I've become older, I have become much better at prioritising warming up and cooling down. It means doing some goofy-looking exercises but it's worth the effort.
Acrobats have their routines before a show and we are all a bit different. I start with setting my props and then take my time to do makeup. To warm up, I do a bit of cardio and then some specific exercises to get the correct muscles firing and ready. In group shows we always come together to focus and set intentions before we go on stage. This part is really important and beautiful for me and I love leaning into the group dynamic and preparing to share with the audience.
I'm a vegetarian and I love lifting unloved veges from dumpsters. The performing arts industry as a whole is prone to size discrimination and body shaming, many of us are actively fighting this and I think in this context that it's important to prioritise a healthy mental relationship with food and steer clear of restrictive dieting.
Things that enhance my experience are being hydrated, well rested, in a good emotional space, with a good coffee and a high ceiling to hang from.