Claire Million - Acrobat, Circus Troupe Owner, Model
Q: So why circus?
A: I’ve always been drawn to the importance of community. Historically, you see people dreaming of “running away to the circus.” Even today, many who are attracted to circus haven’t come from the best homes, but they find belonging there. Circus creates a kind of family — people live together, cook for each other, do each other’s laundry. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come home to find a friend has popped by just to move my washing into the dryer. It’s a very community-based job.
Q: Did you run away to the circus yourself?
A: Not exactly — but I definitely relate to that background. I think my maternal instincts came out by creating a home-like space for others.
Q: Performing is one thing, but where did the idea of starting your own troupe come from?
A: As much as I love performing, I get such a thrill from producing. I love a good admin day — scheduling, planning, efficiency. I once read that American circuses actually taught the army how to be efficient, and I can believe it! Managing warm-up times, make-up, transitions — it’s all structure. People joke that politics is “a circus,” but circus is actually much better organised.
Q: And your troupe — is it a queer space?
A: It’s definitely a queer space, but not intentionally. I think a lot of people in circus are queer because many didn’t feel they fit in at home, so they find belonging here. My troupe wasn’t created with that in mind, but it’s almost entirely queer.
Q: How do your parents feel about your career?
A: They’re very supportive, but they’ll never fully understand it. They’re proud, but circus is such a different world from theirs.
Q: Any regrets along the way?
A: I studied at NICA — the National Institute of Circus Arts — from the age of 17. It was a tough time, especially with COVID interrupting, and in the end I didn’t graduate. Sometimes I wish I’d left earlier. There was a very rigid idea there of what an acrobat “should” look like or be, and it took me a long time to unlearn that. In the real world, success isn’t about a perfect resume — it’s about the people you know, the community you’re part of.
Q: Do you see yourself more as a businessperson now?
A: Definitely. I even call myself a businessman. Producing excites me just as much as performing did. I love the dreaming, the planning, the organising. My peers could do it too, but they don’t get the same thrill out of it. After 10 years of performing, I’m ready to lean more into producing.
Q: And you’ve done modelling and acting as well?
A: Modelling was always coincidental — I still think of myself as “an acrobat who sometimes models.” Acting has always been around: some TV, a bit of theatre, eight months in The Piper Musical, and most recently Melbourne Comedy Festival. Circus itself always involves acting too.
Q: You also perform at festivals. Do you enjoy them?
A: I love them. We usually tour two shows: Carnival of Characters (our big adult cabaret) and A Paper Trail (our kids’ show). Festivals are magical because all my friends from around the world are suddenly in the same place at the same time. Adelaide Fringe, for example, feels like a big sleepover where you bring joy to a city together. It’s community again — that same thread that drew me to circus in the first place.