Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elle Eclectica. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Elle Eclectica, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

For the past 8 years, my day job has been “writer.” I like to joke that I’m a writer by day, circus artist by night. But it’s no surprise I became a writer. I was telling stories, even just in crude sketches, since I could hold a pen (or rather, a crayon). I always had that creative spark, that urge to make something. But while other kids were swinging on the monkey bars or kicking around a ball, I was anything but athletic. I drew a lot, so much that the other kids asked me to do their class drawings for them. My parents observed that I had strong legs and a high pain tolerance. But while I could outrun the other kids and very nearly won the 100-meter dash on Field Day, I was never much for team sports. In fact, I was always picked last, which was silly as I could always make it to home base before anyone could catch the baseball.
My folks tried to get me into ballet and gymnastics, but I quickly discovered the shame of inflexibility. And because I started ballet a few years later than most, I was in a class with a bunch of little girls, towering over them like a flamingo among pigeons, and just as awkwardly.
I suppressed my urge to dance and move because I figured I was just the bookish type. Society didn’t exactly encourage me otherwise. After all, you’re either athletic or a nerd, right?
Today, of course, I know you can be both, and I proudly am! But looking back, I wish I’d stuck with that early dance and acrobatic training. Apparently my ballet teacher praised me to my parents, but not to my face. I imagine I would have felt more motivated if I’d known I actually had potential!
Throughout my childhood, I stuck to choir as a creative outlet. I could barely get over my stage fright enough to audition for anything more, and whenever I did, I bombed. At home, I belted out “Tomorrow” with enough spunk to rival Shirley Temple. But I ended up being Orphan #8 in the local production of “Annie.”
By high school, I’d convinced myself, with the help of my favorites-playing drama teacher, that I was only meant for backstage and the sidelines. This “teacher” was the arbiter of my fate: I’d been judged and declared too introverted and uncoordinated to take the spotlight. I was a rhythmless wallflower who could only “Sing Out, Louise” if I was surrounded by others.
And so for most of my teens and twenties, I firmly believed that I was a “tech person.” I could sing karaoke and maybe at an open mic night, but I didn’t bother to continue any sort of performing arts education.
But then, I had to step in as an emergency understudy for a community theatre production. Suddenly, I was playing a lead role — and finding that I could actually bring a character to life. Meanwhile, I was dabbling in spoken word, modern dance, and a bit of burlesque. I began to see myself as more than a brain behind-the-scenes: I was a body, moving and telling stories. I had a new sense of power, something that had evaded me since my musical theatre debut.
When I finally took an aerial dance class, I was instantly hooked. This was a new space, one where you didn’t have to be ultra-thin or conventionally pretty to get noticed. Those strong legs and high pain tolerance finally became useful. And as I freed myself from the constraints of gravity, I also released my long-held belief that I belonged backstage.
Today, I’ve performed dozens of aerial, acrobatic, burlesque, and contemporary routines. I even danced ballet en pointe, defying convention. I haven’t experienced stage fright in a long time.
All that said, I do wish I’d started sooner, if only to have more years enjoying the freedom and catharsis of dance and acrobatics. I’d probably have made more progress in escaping my inflexibility curse. And there is the fact that I’m approaching 40, and I lost those prime athletic years.
But most of all, I wouldn’t have had years of self-doubt, years in which I denied myself the joy of movement. I’m still a nervous wreck when auditioning. Perhaps I would be more confident by now.
Those dance and drama teachers had a big role in their students’ lives. Whether by overtly telling kids to give up their acting dreams or simply staying quiet when they had praise to share, they influenced how we pursued our creative interests. That’s partly why I’m now pursuing a role as a body-positive personal trainer and circus arts educator. I know how important it is to affirm students’ potential and encourage them to embrace their passions.
So, I try not to play “what if” too much, because while I may have missed out on opportunities in my youth, those experiences led me to where I am today.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I began training aerial dance and acrobatics in 2015, and as I started performing and teaching, I began to notice some concerns and issues that were specific to athletic-artistry. For example, there was a rift between aspiring professionals and hobbyists, as well as between those who wanted an alternative fitness regimen and those who considered this a form of dance. Add in the sexual aspects of pole dance, and many students faced a lot of challenges. They wondered if they were strong or bendy enough, or they had no concept of the risks involved. Safety is critical in aerial arts, and I started to realize how much we’d swept it under the rug in other sports and performing arts. How many of us have said “no pain, no gain” or spent long hours rehearsing with minimal water or food? I even had an instructor who tried to limit the number of times we stepped away to get water, as though denying our thirst was a sign of strength.
After I got injured, I became even more cognizant of how our bodies work. And I remembered all the harmful warmups my dance teachers had made us do. All the essentialist arguments: either you “got it” or you don’t.
I started researching kinesiology and analyzing acrobatic movement. By the time I started teaching, I was able to intuitively sense my students’ muscle engagement and give them specific pointers. Seeing the “a-ha” on their faces has never failed to warm my heart.
Today, I take a highly inclusive, body-positive approach to acrobatic and dance training. I know firsthand that you don’t need to be super-strong, super-thin, or super-bendy to enjoy this form of athletic-artistry. More importantly, I’m here to help people unlearn toxic ideas, such as “pain means progress” or “thirst is weakness.” I also support their creative journeys: how they can find their unique voice and movement style rather than playing by someone else’s rules. I’m eager to get my personal-trainer certification and continue empowering people to move the way they want — and need.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In July 2021, I’d just come back to regular aerial training after an extended absence due to moving cities and of course, the pandemic. It had been a rough summer: I’d been working long hours on my computer, and we’d recently moved to a new house. Our moving crew no-showed, and so my husband and I spent two days lugging heavy furniture. I first realized something was wrong when my hands began turning numb and my forearms would throb for no reason. Then one night while training lyra, I was doing a pull-up as normal, and I felt a painful POP and disgusting squelching sensation behind my left elbow. My left arm instantly lost strength. It was like a wet noodle, and any pressure sent waves of nausea down my body. I left the studio in tears, went home and iced my elbow.
After a few days, I still couldn’t use my arm. My doctor told me I’d torn my distal triceps tendon — a rare injury in which the connective tissue ruptures. I wouldn’t be able to lift or press anything with that arm for at least 3 months, if not longer. The cause was likely a perfect storm of repetitive stress and minor injuries from constantly lifting during the move.
I was devastated. I’d finally gotten back to aerials, and now this was happening?! I attended several physical therapy sessions that were completely exhausting and expensive. At the time, I felt like I would fall behind in the re-emerging performing arts scene. And with a prognosis of “it may heal in 6 months,” I started to wonder if I’d missed my shot.
I couldn’t bear the thought of a life without circus arts, so I worked hard in PT when I could afford it, and to rehabilitate my arm on my own the rest of the time. I eventually returned to aerial training, working at a snail’s pace.
During that time, I became hyper-aware of what my arm muscles were doing. This helped me learn when I wasn’t engaging properly. As a result, my technique drastically improved — and I realized how much the world of athletic-artistry needed trainers who understand anatomy and kinesiology. The injury was a blessing in disguise, and I’m now a better aerialist than ever before.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I hear it all the time: “Oh, I can’t do XYZ, I’m not creative.” Well, while I’m a professional creative, that doesn’t change the fact that EVERYONE is creative. I firmly believe that creativity is inherent to the human spirit. Once you realize that, you discover this whole world of creative expression to explore. Another version of this is, “Wow, you’re so talented.” I appreciate the compliment, but I really want to emphasize that “talent” is not innate. It’s the result of MANY hours of practice, study, and yes, failure. Believe me, I was told I was untalented for years. The difference was that I didn’t log the hours. So if you’re holding yourself back from some sort of creative expression because you believe you’re untalented, reconceptualize it. You don’t lack talent: you just haven’t found your confident stride in something you love doing!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://elle-eclectica.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elle.eclectica/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elle.eclectica
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elle.eclectica

Image Credits
Michael George Mindy Miller