String Circus was founded in 2012 by company director, Kelsey Gunn. Her professional career as an international circus performer and musician began in Minnesota. Violin lessons began at age five and led to playing with numerous bands, orchestras and ensembles in varying genres of music. Kelsey began training at Circus Juventas in 1995 which led to work with Xelias Aerial Arts. She landed in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2003 where she worked in many community projects and started Itty Bitty Circus, an early years circus program, at Belfast Community Circus School. Having honed performance crafts in far flung points globally at Theatres, Festivals, and corporate events, Kelsey has a plethora of circus skills and walkabout characters in tow, from confounding clowning, concepts to cute contortionisms, musical mayhem and daring gravity defiance.

 

She has performed internationally with The Barren Carrousel Aerial Circus Troupe, Cahoots NI, Kabosh, Pigeon and Plums, Premiere Circus, and Theatre de La Jeune Lune.

 

With a strenuous training and performance schedule, Kelsey’s introduction to Pilates began with rehabilitation to her own wear and tear injuries. Pilates heightened her body awareness and created more balance for her health and well being overall. After completing her STOTT PILATES® Full Certification in 2013 at the Sweatshop Fitness in St. Paul, Minnesota, she continued teaching clients private lessons and small group classes until she took time away from work to begin raising her family. 

 

Currently, String Circus is welcoming clients to the new Balsam Lake Studio.

While continuing to have time with her family, Kelsey continues to perform with The Gunn Slingers, a Scottish Ceilidh Band and The Ian Hilmer Group.