Elizabeth Young is a circus performer with a Bachelor of Circus Arts, awarded by Melbourne's National Institute of Circus Arts. She has experience in performing in many different contexts and styles.

Elizabeth's main specialty is hand balancing (handstands), and she also performs clowning, tightwire, acrobatics, partner acrobatics, group acrobatics, static trapeze and corde lisse (rope).

Elizabeth has performed at many different venues and for very diverse audiences. Her handstand routines have included the events: Commonwealth Games International Media Reception, FINA Swimming World Championships Media Reception, Make Poverty History concert, National Institute of Circus Arts Showcase, NICA 20s05, NICA Inferno,'Travelling Threads' Costume Parade, Festival Theatre Circus Birthday Party, InkPot Arts Musical Circus Extravaganza, Willunga Almond Blossom Masked Ball, Quan Yin Celebrations, Blessing Ceremony for SievX poles, VISY Christmas Party and the "Ghetto of the Rich" Party. Her roving clown/handstand character events have included: Wandiligong Nut Festival, Opening of Picasso Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, Swinburne University Open Day, Magill Primary ComeOut Festival, NICA pre-Quidam Party, VIVA Festival, Beyond Blue Charity Night, Penola Street Party, Willunga Almond Blossom Festival, Adelaide Show Parade and an Interfaith Australia Day Picnic. Her adagio (partner/group acrobatics) events have included: Mount Gambier Mayoral Gala Performance, Monash University Open Day, Canteen Charity Ball, Tsunami Relief Ball, Glenelg Christmas Pageant, Adelaide University Open Day and Adelaide Veterans' Gymnastic Competition. Other performances include aerial ballet at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, trapeze at the Mount Gambier Mayoral Gala Performance and tightwire in the NICA shows, 20s05 and Inferno.

Elizabeth is available on request to perform for functions, festivals and events. Please see the Performance options page for options, requirements and payment. For images and footage of her previous work, please see the Photo gallery and Video gallery pages. For details to get in contact with her, please see Contact information and for other useful and interesting webpages, please see the Links page.

Other Biographical Information

Hailing from Kalangadoo, South Australia, Elizabeth was always thrilled by travelling circuses and, inspired, would devise shows with a friend for their farming families. She learned gymnastics from the age of five and developed a love of being upside down. She also performed singing and travelled around Australia with the local choir, enjoying nothing better than the character songs, where she could dress up and show off dance and acrobatic skills. Elizabeth finished school with high marks and an aspiration to be a nun! However, her desire never to grow up (and her red-haired pigtails) led her in a very different direction for a few years.

Elizabeth joined the Adelaide Universities Gymnastic and Acrobatic Club, where she learnt her first circus skills. She auditioned for the National Institute of Circus Arts, and surprised herself by accepting! At NICA, she studied such things as Circus History, Anatomy, Aerials, Business Studies, Tumbling, Dance, Clowning and Singing for three years and loved every minute of it. She has also taught circus classes in her home area of South Australia, at NICA and the Second National Indigenous Circus Skills Share in Alice Springs. At present, she is taking workshops at the Willunga Circus School.

With an ardent passion for cultivating mind as well as body, Elizabeth has continued her cultural pursuits, founding an international day of peace and harmony in 2003, a multi-faith organisation in 2005 and represented Australia at the World Conference of Religions for Peace World Assembly in 2006. She is currently studying a degree in Theology.