“Saying 'I'm sorry' is saying 'I love you' with a wounded heart in one hand and your smothered pride in the other.” — Quote by Richelle E. Goodrich.

Two circles on a stage: a lyra and a Cyr wheel—similar in form, sharing the same space, yet moving separately.

Unfolding across three distinct yet interconnected stories, Désolé explores how closeness can exist without connection—and how we can unknowingly create distance from those who care for us when we become consumed by obligation, obsession, or inner struggle.

Through aerial and acrobatic artistry, performers invite audiences to reflect on presence, absence, and the delicate work of staying together after the cracks have formed. They shine a spotlight on the word sorry—not as a resolution, but as recognition: of harm done without malice, of love that remained even in distance, and of the vulnerability required to reach back toward one another.

CONTENT WARNING: This show includes themes of depression, emotional isolation, abuse, domestic violence, and references to suicide that may be triggering for some audience members. These themes are explored through movement and metaphor rather than explicit depiction. If you have questions about content, please contact us before attending.

Tickets
PROGRAM
Venue

Show Dates:

  • Friday, February 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm

  • Saturday, February 14, 2026 @ 7:30pm

  • Sunday, February 15, 2026 @ 2:30pm

Meet the Cast

KELSEY AICHER

  • Kelsey began her aerial training on a whim in the summer of 2011 after moving to Portland, Oregon. She immediately fell in love, training silks, trapeze, and partner acrobatics diligently. Just over two years after her first class, Kelsey performed in her first professional show with Night Flight Aerial.

    She has been fortunate to have some of the best coaches, including Daniela Steiner, Rachel Walker, and Aimée Hancock for trapeze, Stefan Furst for partner acrobatics, and Nicolo Kehrwald and Brittany Walsh for handstands. She has had the pleasure of performing with companies such as Night Flight Aerial, Prismagic, Sir Cupcake’s Queer Circus, and Aerheart KC Circus Company. In 2015, Kelsey was a semi-finalist in the 5th Annual Denver Aerial & Acrobatics Arts Festival Competition Show and in 2016, she was awarded an artistic residency at The Steep and Thorny Way to Heaven in Portland.

    As a perfomer, her goal is to draw in the audience by creating a performance that feels relatable to every individual. The study of character through her screenwriting education and the heightened sensitivity through her clairvoyance apprenticeship guide Kelsey in her art and interactions. Every movement, every shape, every skill has intention.

    • Aerial Ladder

  • sorry (n.): an acknowledgment of impact with an offering to repair

MADELINE ELAINE

FARINAS DE LEON

  • Madeline began her aerial training in the Chicagoland area after seeing a lyra performer at the age of twelve. Her primary apparatuses are Roman rings and lyra. Despite that, she is a generalist at heart and has performed across many disciplines; such as trapeze, German wheel, perch pole, Spanish web, and more. She is deeply interested in Circus history and often sources inspiration for her acts from historical photographs and writing.

    • Roman Rings Soloist (opening act)

  • sorry (n.): the little ways we show, through action, that we have changed

CARINA GILLET

  • Carina Gillet is an international, multidisciplinary circus artist and coach. They specialize in partner acrobatics, mixed aerials, and interdisciplinary act creation. Having performed and coached professionally from the age of seventeen, their work continues to build more depth, intricacy, and range. They have had the pleasure of performing in the UAE, Canada, The U.S., and Mexico with circuses including Cirque Dream, Cirque Musica, Cirque Us, and of course, Circus Scorpius. This is their third production with Circus Scorpius, and they are both excited and challenged by the heavy reality of the topics explored in this production.

    Carina plays the character of Louis Dapper, who struggles with depression and suicidal tendencies - which end up causing rifts within their personal relationships, driving them deep into the isolation and hopelessness that eventually spirals out of control. Carina draws from personal experiences with loved ones going through similar hardships to convey the very real feeling of being drawn to a tragic fate that seems inescapable.

    • Partner Acrobatics

    • Aerial Frames

    • Straps

    • Lyra

  • sorry (n.): bringing to light the impact of the everyday interactions and experiences that form the quality of our relationships and lives

MALLORY GITTEMEIER

  • Mallory Gittemeier is a St. Louis native and has been a dancer/aerialist/choreographer in the Kansas City area since 2010. She received her BFA in Dance (emphasis in Ballet) and a BA in Mathematics from Webster University. Mallory started her professional career as a guest artist with MADCO and as a Bharata Natyam dancer with Dances of India. She has danced with VidaDance, City in Motion, Kansas City Contemporary Dance, Gurukul Indian Dance Company, and now Kansas City Dance Collective. As an aerialist, Mallory has previously performed with Circus Scorpius, Aerheart, Kansas City Aerial Arts, and Voler. Mallory is the Director of Finance for Kansas City Dance Collective and works full-time as a reporting analyst.

    • Sling/Hammock

    • Contemporary Dance

    • Dance Trapeze

  • sorry (n.): when you don’t, or try not to, repeat the offense

MELISSA HOEFER

  • Melissa began her aerial career in 2014 in Columbia, Missouri. With a background in gymnastics, cheer, and choreography, Melissa fell in love with the artform immediately. She started performing within the year and obtained her personal training certification in order to teach aerial silks and aerial conditioning shortly after. Since then, she has performed with 4 different companies over the past 10 years and has met countless wonderful people and inspiring artists and friends along the way.

    After the pandemic and taking a small aerial training break, Kelsey invited Melissa to join the Circus Scorpius professional company when it formed in early 2022, to which both are forever grateful. She cannot thank her fellow performers enough for making every rehearsal, training, meeting and class an absolute blast and for being so kind, motivational and inspiring when she is extra hard on herself. It is very rare to find something you love so much with people you love and who love you.

    Melissa has performed on aerial silks, sling, lyra, rope, spiral, Spanish web, contortion straps, harness, frames, cube and dance as well as coaching aerial silks, act development, and conditioning.

    • Sling/Hammock

    • Modern Dance

    • Aerial Harness

    • Silks

  • sorry (n.): forgetting about your ego and owning up to what is right

  • Wyatt is a strongman performer and dancer.  Wyatt is also an active Strongman competitor who has qualified for US Strongman Nationals in 2022, 2024, and 2025. Wyatt has always been captivated by virtuosic strength within the performing arts which inevitably led him from dance to focusing on Strongman as a performing discipline.  Before training and performing as a Strongman Wyatt trained in ballet, becoming proficient in a variety of technical methodologies. Wyatt also has an extensive education and proficiency in modern and contemporary, received training in Flamenco, tap, jazz, hip hop, and Bharatanatyam dance. Wyatt is also a martial artist who has trained in a variety of styles including Muay Thai, Goju-Ryu Karate, Krav Maga, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  Wyatt also holds a BA in Dance from the University of Kansas. His most notable roles include Cholesterol Spike in Circus Scorpius’s production of Umbrella Enchanted, the Conquistador in the University Dance Company’s production of José Limón’s La Malinche (featuring choreographer Sarah Stackhouse), as a corps dancer in a collaborative dance project between 940 Dance Company and choreographer Joan Stone, and as a corps dancer in Tree of Life, a large-scale multimedia composition mixing theatre, dance, video, spoken word, a wind ensemble, and composed by the Turtle Island Quartet.  Wyatt is also a choreographer and teacher with Great Plains Circus Center, supporting the student circus company.

    • Circus Strongman

    • Flamenco Fusion Dance

    • Physical Theater

  • sorry (n.): repair made visible in action, rooted in integrity and empathy

  • Kate began her movement journey in dance at the age of three and discovered circus arts at seven, first exploring silks and contortion. At age nine, she began to deepen her contortion practice and committed to serious circus training; her passion for the art has continued to grow ever since. She has trained across a wide range of disciplines including silks, sling, acro, contortion, trapeze, juggling, dance, wall dancing, handstands, and other mixed aerial apparatuses. Her work reflects both technical dedication and a genuine love for the creativity and challenge of circus arts. 

    • Physical Theater

    • Aerial Cube

    • Acrobatics

  • sorry (n.): you feel bad about what you did

MADI NISPEL

  • Madi Nispel is an author, performer, fitness instructor and aerial coach in the Kansas City area. She first began performing at the age of four where she found her love of dance as well as many other athletic activities. She continued her passion for performance art throughout her childhood by singing, dancing and acting in school productions and through local dance studios.

    Upon graduating highschool Madi found a new love for group fitness at the University of Missouri while she received her BA in International Studies and BS in Business Administration as well as her AFAA Group Fitness Certification. Her love for movement continued to flourish and shortly after graduation she left the corporate world to pursue fitness instruction full time and continues to teach with a NASM Personal Training Certificate, 500 HR Yoga Teacher Training Certification, 50 HR Child Yoga Certification and many other trainings in cardio kickboxing, dance and cycling.

    In 2020, Madi found aerial arts and began taking classes and found a new fondness for many of the apparatuses including lyra, trapeze, silks and sling. Madi joined Circus Scorpius's student training company in 2022 and shortly after found juggling. Juggling quickly became Madi's favorite thing and from there she had the opportunity to juggle in several of Circus Scorpius student shows, Enchant Christmas and various local gigs and was then invited to join the Circus Scorpius Junior Company in 2024.

    Madi currently teaches at Great Plains Circus Center and Dance Fit flow where she values creating spaces of exploration, creativity and empowerment for all individuals. She loves storytelling in all forms whether that be in her published novels or through movement art. Outside of the circus, Madi enjoys reading, video games and travel.

    • Juggling

    • Aerial Harness

  • sorry (n.): apologizing, taking accountability, and having a clear action plan as to what to do differently next time, and then doing it

  • Eliana is a dynamic circus performer who wows audiences with her Cyr wheel, partner acrobatics, and tumbling skills. Eliana loves sharing circus through both performing and teaching. She finds it particularly satisfying to take audiences on emotional, often joyous, journeys.

    After graduating from Smith College and working as a government relations professional in Washington, DC for five years, Eliana jetted off to Portland, Oregon in 2021 to pursue circus full-time. She co-founded and continues to produce and perform with her ensemble contemporary circus company, Constructive Interference. Eliana also performs with Arc Benders Circus Opera bringing warmth and humor to their productions of Mozart's Magic Flute.

    When not training, performing, or coaching, Eliana can often be found on the search for a new cafe or trail to explore or cajoling those around her to join in partner acrobatics shenanigans.

    • Partner Acrobatics

    • Aerial Frames

    • Cyr Wheel

  • sorry (n.): having awareness of having caused hurt or harm, acknowledging it to the person who you've hurt, and working to avoid causing that harm in the future

SONJA SCHULZ

KATHERINE VILAIN

WYATT MERIWETHER

KATE MOORE

ELIANA PERLMUTTER

  • Sonja Schulz is a professional dancer and aerialist in the Kansas City area. Originally from Elk Grove Village, IL, Sonja grew up with extensive training in gymnastics, dance, and acting through studios, intensives, and her high school's fine arts programs. She went on to study at the University of Iowa from 2015 to 2019 where she earned her BFA in Dance, BA in Economics, and 200-Hr Yoga Teaching Certification. Her aerial training began in 2015 as well while training and taking classes at Aerial Dance Chicago. Performing, teaching, and training in dance and aerial have become significant parts of Sonja's life and identity and she is so grateful to continue in these fields.

    After moving to Kansas City in 2019, Sonja began teaching at local studios and performing with KC Contemporary Dance, Quixotic, Westport Center for the Arts, and other artists in the area including Suzanne Ryan Strati and Katarina Fitzpatrick. Sonja currently performs with KC Dance Collective and Circus Scorpius. So far, Sonja has additionally obtained her Barre Certification through American Barre Technique, NASM Personal Training Certification, and Aerial Physique Teaching Certification. Sonja has continued to work with people of all ages in dance, yoga, aerial, and fitness.

    Sonja joined the training company of Circus Scorpius in June of 2022 and transitioned into the professional company in October 2022. She is extremely grateful to be part of this company and to be surrounded by so many amazing fellow aerialists. Alongside her training at Aerial Dance Chicago and attending the 2022 Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance Festival, Sonja has trained in static and duo trapeze with Kelsey Aicher, silks and sling with Samantha Jo Davis, flexibility, straps, and lyra with Elena Sherman, and with several other circus artists in the United States. While at ADF, Sonja had the privilege of training in dance trapeze with Megan Cattau, lyra with Gena Marie, silks with Shannon McKenna, and handstands with Cosmo Dudley. In August 2022, Sonja also had the opportunity to attend and train in wall dancing/vertical dance at the BANDALOOP Int./Adv. Summer Intensive. She has been fortunate enough to bring this back to Kansas City with the help of Kelsey Aicher and Elena Sherman creating a wall dancing space at Skyloft Center for Movement.

    Sonja really values creating and being part of performances that tell a story or touch on emotional or meaningful topics. She loves exploring movement and different aerial apparatuses and continuing to learn and train. Outside of her dancing and aerial life, she also enjoys running, traveling, and being with her family and friends.

    • Sling/Hammock

    • Contemporary Dance

    • Dance Trapeze

  • sorry (n.): feeling regret, or something is not quite right, and sincerely saying sorry to a person and showing it by changing my own actions

  • Kate began her aerial training in San Francisco in 2003, focusing on static trapeze for a year under first Lorelei Ashe and then Elena Panova. After a 9-year hiatus following a move to Kansas City, she resumed training and took private lessons on static trapeze, corde lisse, and lyra until Fall of 2018, when she began to train at Kansas City Aerial Arts as a student, joining the Training Company in August 2019. In Spring 2021, she joined Circus Scorpius’s student company Circ.S where she has added handstanding, juggling, and straps to her training repertoire. Kate has performed stage shows and gigs—private and public—on rope, static trapeze, dance trapeze, duo trapeze, and duo lyra, with a few dance and acro bits thrown in. Her fondest aerial show experiences so far have been playing Patrick Mahomes (as “the Nutcracker”) in KCAA/VidaDance’s productions of Cracked! and playing the immature RuPunzel in Circus Scorpius’s The Glass Combat Boot.

    • Physical Theater

    • Aerial Cube

  • sorry (n.): feeling the pain we have caused another and wanting to do better