Our Cast

Desire Cardinali Chaves is a contortionist, hand balancer and aerialist from Portugal. She is the 7th generation of the Cardinali circus family of Portugal and the 5th generation from the Chaves family. She continues the family tradition all over the world and has performed in various shows such as Circo Victor Hugo Cardinali, Cirque Alexandre Bouglione, Cirque Alexis Gruss, Circus Carl bush, Gerry Cottles Circus, Cirque Arlette Gruss and many more.

Geoffrey Berhault is a second-generation circus performer with a background in dance, theater, and acrobatics. His specialty is the tightwire, where he combines dance, jumps, and flips on a 10mm cable. Originally from France, he studied at two circus schools in Paris and has performed globally, including on cruise ships in Asia, circus tours in France and Germany, and he even participated in a popular international talent competition show in its 13th season.

Angelo Chaves has performed as a clown with some of the world’s biggest circuses in France, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, and many other countries. He hails from a renowned circus family in Portugal and represents the fourth generation of his family to grace the big top.

Erica Cardinali Chaves, a seventh-generation performer from Portugal’s renowned Cardinali family and a fifth-generation member of the Chaves family, specializes in aerial silks, hula hoops, and roller skating. She made her debut in her family’s circus in Portugal and has since traveled the world, captivating audiences with her performances.

Disa grew up in a rural setting and spent much of her childhood climbing trees, jumping off swing sets, and pretending to be Peter Pan. Since then, her performances have taken her all over the world, from New York to London to Shanghai and back again, including several years in Montreal training with world-renown trapeze coach, Victor Fomine. Her favorite part of being in the air is sharing her joy and exhilaration with the audience.

José Armando Ponce Ramos is a fourth-generation performer from the Ponce family. He has been performing on the Wheel of Death since the age of nine and has appeared in some of Europe’s most prestigious shows, including Circus Krone (Germany, 2022) and Circus Knie (2024). José also holds a Guinness World Record for the most blindfolded turns on the Wheel of Death.

Duo Cirque is an aerialist duo featuring Kirsten Rowe (aerial straps, aerial pole) and Misael Vazquez (aerial straps). Kirsten and Misael’s collective love for performance and circus brought them together, and since then they have been performing internationally across North and Central America. Both recognized artists in their own disciplines, together they make a powerful team, using aerial dance to share their story of romance and connection.

Ess Hödlmoser is a Canadian aerial straps artist and contortionist. With high-flying performances that blend strength and balletic grace, Ess has wowed audiences worldwide, from the Moulin Rouge to Cirque du Soleil. Ess holds the rare distinction of having been selected twice for the prestigious Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, earning awards for a duo contortion act at the 40th edition and an aerial straps solo at the 44th. Outside the big top, you might find Ess on your TV screen as an actor and stunt performer on hit shows like The Boys, Station 11, Motherland: Fort Salem, and more.