OUR STORY
FOUNDER OF ORIGINAL GRAVITYWORKS
NISHA FERGUSON
& GRAVITYWORKS
Founded by Nisha Ferguson, GravityWorks began as a circus troupe in Canada and evolved in central Mexico in San Miguel de Allende, where her love of circus arts inspired friends to train, perform, and grow into a collective of dedicated circus artists.
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Nisha is more than just a circus artist. She and her husband Dan Ferguson are internationally renowned as DaNisha Sculpture. They exhibit their ceramic and sculpture work in prestigious galleries and boutiques throughout Canada, Mexico the United States and Australia. Dan is the sculptor and mould maker, and Nisha is the designer and painter.
Take a look at their website.
The History of GravityWorks
Discovering Aerial (1996)
GravityWorks was founded in 1996 in Toronto, Canada by Nisha Ferguson at the age of thirty-three. After witnessing a Cirque du Soleil street performance in Montreal, Nisha fell in love with circus arts. Her early exploration began with flying trapeze, but it was the discovery of stationary trapeze that truly captured her passion and set her path in motion.
Building from the Ground Up
A chance encounter with someone who had worked with Cirque du Soleil proved pivotal. Under this mentorship, Nisha learned how to build her own trapeze. Using heavy-duty raincoat fabric padded with foam, she sewed her own mats and transformed a warehouse into a creative playground. Hanging her trapeze from the ceiling, she invited friends to join her in exploring suspension, strength, and movement in the air.
With no formal training available at the time, Nisha taught herself aerial acrobatics by repeatedly watching Cirque du Soleil VHS recordings, learning through observation, experimentation, and persistence.
The Birth of GravityWorks
The first people to join Nisha on this aerial journey included her sister Chantal, Chris Taylor, her best friend Barb, and several others. What began as informal training and shared curiosity soon evolved into a collective that would take the name GravityWorks.
Life on the Road (2001)
In 2001, Nisha set out for Mexico with her husband, their two children, and several circus companions, drawn by the promise of year-round warmth and a different way of living. Traveling in a blue 1970s Volkswagen bus, they supported themselves by performing at campgrounds and in the French Quarter of New Orleans until local authorities asked them to move on.
To make performances possible anywhere, Nisha’s husband built a portable aerial rig that could be set up in front of the van, which also served as a changing space. Nisha’s eldest son, just nine years old at the time, learned to juggle and quickly became part of the act.
A Home in San Miguel de Allende
Upon arriving in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, the group set up their aerial rig in the heart of the city and began performing. The town soon became home and the creative center from which GravityWorks grew and evolved as a performing group, deepening its connection to community and place. Both of Nisha’s kids grew up performing along with the troupe.
Continuing the Legacy
Today, GravityWorks continues its legacy of aerial artistry, performance, and community-building. Nisha still swings from the trapeze in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, carrying forward the spirit of curiosity, creativity, and collaboration that first launched GravityWorks decades ago.
Nisha’s Shows
Throughout the years, Nisha has directed, choreographed, designed, and trained people from all over the world to put on several large and small scale circus performances.
DaNisha Sculpture
Nisha Ferguson continues to train in aerial acrobatics while also working as a painter and designer in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Alongside her husband, Dan Ferguson, she co-owns DaNisha Sculpture, where they create small and large-scale sculptural work.
OUR SISTER SCHOOL IN MEXICO
GRAVITYWORKS ESCUELA
DE LAS NUEVAS ARTES CIRCENSES
GravityWorks also has a circus school in San Miguel de Allende, directed by longtime GravityWorks member Ana Cecilia Corona, continuing the company’s legacy of high-quality training and performance. To learn more about our sister school, click the button below.
