Willem McGowan

I am a professional circus artist from Chicago, IL, USA. I grew up training with various youth circuses, including CircEsteem in Chicago, and Circus Smirkus in Vermont. After high school I attended l'École de Cirque de Québec, graduating in 2017 with a speciality in diabolo.

Since graduation, I have had the privilege to perform in many different venues, including traditional circus, contemporary circus, cruise ships, variety shows, festivals, burlesque and more. Through these experiences, I have grown into an artist who can adapt their act to fit any venue. Currently, I have two versions of my diabolo act. One is a high-energy multi diabolo piece, with a focus on musicality and impressive tricks. The other is a comedy act, funny, sexy, and maybe a little vulgar, originally created for late night shows. 

As a second discipline, I have a duo whip cracking act with my partner, straps artist Lindsay Culbert-Olds. I have also created duo club juggling acts for several productions, an act that I created with juggler Mario Muntwyler was featured in the 2019 edition of the circus festival Young Stage in Basel, Switzerland. 

I am always happy to be considered for any potential performing opportunities, wether they are with big companies, small local projects, or anything in between.

Thanks for visiting my profile!