Defying Gravity: Making Circus Arts Inclusive and Accessible Performing Arts
By Janet Jarrell
Erin Ball discovered
circus art in 2008 at a buskers festival, where ze was captivated by partner acrobatics. Ball signed up at the Toronto School of Circus Arts and later explored aerial arts. Ze spent the next few years dedicated to training, following a discipline meant for non-Disabled bodies, not knowing about zir own neurodivergence, which was later diagnosed as AuDHD.
Bryce Murdoch
Belleville/Kingston
In 2014, Ball became a double below-knee amputee. Defying expectations, Ball kept pursuing zir passion. The transition was tough, both physically and because there were hardly any visibly disabled performers in circus arts. “I was both unlearning internalized ableism and discovering how deeply ableism is ingrained in circus arts,” Ball shared.
strengths. Ze uses mobility devices and prosthetics in zir acts, like specialized legs that make zir 7.5 feet tall. “Being suspended over an unsuspecting audience that had no idea what was coming. 40 feet in the air, I removed legs that appeared to be my (former) flesh legs…there were loud gasps from below.”
With support from the disability activism community, Ball faced zir internalized biases and learned to embrace zir body. Over time, Ball teamed up with disabled artists whose experiences didn’t fit the usual circus norms, creating inclusive training methods. Ze realized that marginalized communities have always been part of circus arts but are often excluded, so ze made it a mission to create opportunities for them. As a double amputee, Ball had to rethink circus training, moving from rigid skill-based instruction to a strengthbased, individualized approach - ways “that are unique to each body.”
Now an internationally recognized performer and instructor, Ball works with zir partner, Maxime Beauregard, another disabled circus artist. Together, they started InterComplementary Journeys, focusing on slow touring instead of the usual industry hustle.
Understanding the power of visibility, Ball proudly showcases zir body on stage while making sure audiences have access. Ball doesn’t believe ze has to "adapt" the performances. Instead, sees the work as exploring zir body’s unique 26
The main challenge Ball faces isn’t zir body but systemic barriers. Accessibility is often an afterthought, stereotypes linger, and ableist assumptions create obstacles. Instead of seeing these as individual problems, ze works with people who have lived experience to find collective solutions. Ball references the term ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ - “I think working with people with lived experience is the only way to do this work. We can’t ever know someone else’s lived experience, we would just be guessing, often unsuccessfully,” Ball said.