An interview with Tanja and Frida



Tanja and Frida, two talented and creative circus artists from Germany, have over the past decade left an indelible stamp on the circus world. Known for their unique style and music, the pair have three totally different and original circus acts; ‘Neptuna’ on doubles trapeze, ‘Metamorphosis’ on aerial silks, and their ‘Danse Voltige’.

After years travelling the world with their acts, the pair have settled in Berlin to devote more of their time to the ‘Tanja and Frida’ company founded in 2006, and to furthering the creative ambitions of young circus artists.

The Circus Guide asked them a few questions about how they got started…

Circus Guide. How did you become circus artists?

My father was a circus photographer. He always took me to the circus and since very early I felt the fascination of the travelling people, the atmosphere, sound, smells, lightening… We also watched many times Charlie Chaplin movies which influenced me, too.

At the beginning of the 1990´s there was the young variety scene coming up, very vivid in Berlin, and we joined many great “off” spectacles. They were innovative, fresh, wild, and inspiring. Out of this anarchic scene the German variety scene developed.

I signed up to circus school, never believing that it would be possible for me to realise being an artist. Finally Tanja and I met and we found our way, anyway.

Circus Guide. What kind of training did you have before you moved into the area of circus art?

I was into dancing, Tanja did gymnastics and played volleyball.

Circus Guide. Have your families always been supportive of your decision to be artists?

Yes, they always supported us.

Circus Guide. How and when did you two meet?

We met at the circus school in West Berlin and started immediately to work together. That was around 1988.

Circus Guide. Have you had any dance training?

Yes, we did train modern, contemporary, tap dancing and classic. Now we do a lot of contact impro and mix it with acrobatics.

Circus Guide. Did you choreograph your acts yourselves? If not, who did?

We choreographed our acts on our own. In our time in chalons we had a choreographer who worked with us on acting, action/reaction training and taught us the danse voltige. His name is Olivier Farge, from Montpellier (thanks for that!)



Circus Guide. The music for your acts is highly original and unique. How did you find the composer? Can you give me his or her telephone number? (Joke!) How did you work with the composer to come up with the finished act?

We met in a project at the ‘Kindercircus’ in Berlin where he did the composition and sound technique. When we created our first piece, the trapeze act ‘Neptuna’, we gave them (Soundservice, Sören Krahl and Dirk Schröder) the job to create an original sound with an underwater theme. We worked very closely, developing the choreography step by step and made a video of each sequence. This we took to the studio, selected the sounds recorded our voices and went back to the gym with a new piece of music. And so on. In the end we married and made babies. Since then we are producing acts for different artists. It is still an inspiring cooperation. (www.komplex17.de, Berlin, if you ever need a delicate composition)

Circus Guide. Which act came first?

First we made the trapeze act ‘Neptuna’, then the double tissue act ‘Metamorphosis’ in1993 for a show in the ‘Chameleon’ in Berlin (which was vite-fait, it took them one night in the studio to create the frame), after we made the danse voltige act in 1994 and later on solo trapeze, solo rope and solo tissue.

Circus Guide. Did it take long after the completion of your first act to find a job?

No, there was always work without delay.

Circus Guide. Where did you find the inspiration for your acts?

We love fairy tales. Also nature, motion, feelings, the time between things, conflicts are inexhaustible sources of ideas. The show that I liked most was the French “Cirque O” which we saw 1990 in Hamburg. Since then nothing has really filled me with enthusiasm except single acts.

Circus Guide. What's the most interesting contract you've ever done? Most exciting location?

I forgot.

Circus Guide. Are you married or in a relationship? If so, how do you manage your relationships with all the traveling you do? Do you find it stressful being separated from your partner?

We both have families (I am married since 13 years) and kids (only girls, each has two). In the first years we took the kids with us (but had only little sleep) and so we had our home with us. Later on we made almost only galas in order to not be away for too long. It was a quite good solution. We didn’t want to take the girls out of their social context all the time.

I think this artist’s drama of home and being around is a permanent stress for every relationship. I always needed to be grounded and wanted to go out to conquer the world at the same time- It’s very difficult. It is a conflict for which everyone has to seek his or her individual solution.

Circus Guide. Where are you guys off to next?

We go to Brussels next week, after to Bombay, then Prague and some jobs in Germany. Only galas. We would like to be asked for a “project of the heart” as we call it, but it didn´t come up yet.



Circus Guide. What do you want to do with your lives once your career on the stage is over?

I only perform the danse voltige act now, I stopped doing the aerial acrobatics, so I can answer this question right away. Tanja is still around performing our acts with the girls of our company which we founded in 2006. It is inspiring to work with other circus artists; each has her own character and way to move. So we let us be influenced by them and develop new acts. We also founded a Network for artists called Neptuna Netzwerk and I am always busy with making it grow. I work with different artists on their numbers and help them with their identity research and choreography. It is also a booking agency. I learn a lot all the time and want to learn more in management and dramaturgies. I can use all that I have learned in my time on stage. Tanja wants to work some more years and then join me in the Network and she wants to work with children.

Circus Guide. What important advice would you give to young circus artists who are just starting out?

Try to find your own way, be original, don’t copy, dare, open up. Make professional advertisement material. Network with others. Don’t work with assholes. Respect.