Circus Dreams School of Aerial and Acrobatic Arts launches in Stokey

A new circus school is bringing aerial and acrobatic arts to the heart of Stoke Newington.

Launched by local couple Heidi Hickling-Moore and Edward Connors, Circus Dreams offers classes to everyone, from young babies and children to teenagers, professional dancers and adults.

The classes take place on Sundays at Stoke Newington School, where Heidi and Edward first met.

Heidi, who has a degree in Circus Arts from the National Centre for Circus Arts, first dreamt of becoming a circus aerialist at the age of five, when her parents took her to see the Mongolian State Circus. A taster session at the Barbican that year sealed her fate and, after three years on a waiting list, she finally joined a regular class and then won a scholarship at Hoxton Circus Space.

Specialising in rope-climbing, Heidi enjoys a successful career, travelling the world as an aerialist in festivals, shows and corporate events.

She said: “In Circus Dreams our goal is to make circus, in particular trapeze, acrobatics and aerial skills accessible to everyone – from babies, to children, teenagers, professional dancers and adults.

“Waiting lists for other local circus classes are huge and involve travel – we’re bringing circus school to the heart of Stoke Newington – it’s a brilliant workout and a lot of fun. The classes are incredibly stimulating – even for very small children and it’s great for them to learn to balance and to be confident high up. Our adult students also love learning something new and enjoy the results of the gym without even realising how many muscles they are using."

She added: “The teachers we employ are professional performers and we teach people the skills they need to perform and learn tricks safely.”

Heidi and Edward, who have a one-year-old daughter, met aged 11 at Stoke Newington School and have been dating since they were 13.

She added: “It’s really interesting to be back. It has changed a lot since we left – the facilities and gymnasium are fantastic. We did a performance in assembly recently and some of the students are already signing up for our classes.”

The classes take place on Sundays – and there are various age categories, including a family session, Kids (age 5-11), teens (age 11-18) and adults (age 16+). Circus Dreams also offers performances at large events such as weddings and parties. They hope to launch classes in Haggerston soon too.

To find out more visit: www.circus-dreams.com and click here to view the Circus Dreams video.