Born in 1999 to creative parents, Zaelea grew up taking naps backstage, always surrounded by music, theatre and dance. She was introduced to circus at the age of six when she started taking classes at Zirkus Zarakali in Frankfurt, Germany. Here she explored circus specialties practising stilt and globe walking, unicycle, slack rope, handstands and group acrobatics.
Under the big top filled with starts, she found her love for static trapeze. As a teenager she took up additional training at Varieté Voila, focusing on dance, double and trio trapeze.
In 2020 Zaelea moved to Torino, Italy to start full time professional training at Scuola Circo FLIC, where she specialised in static trapeze. To continue her education she relocated to Melbourne, Australia in 2021 to take on a BA degree specialising in static trapeze, tight wire and group acrobatic pole.
In her work, she likes to combine striking visuals with unusual movement to create acts that leave a lasting impression. Zaelea strives to explore the limits of circus and draws inspiration from other art forms such as dance, visual art and music. Her favourite thing about circus is being able to play at the intersection of art and athleticism, always exploring the limits of movement and viewing the world through an eye of curiosity.
When not in the training space or on stage she can be found riding her yellow bike as fast as she can, singing in a choir, or in front of her sewing machine creating her newest costume.
