Our Story
GravityWorks was founded in 1996 in Toronto, Canada by Nisha Ferguson at the age of thirty three.
Having witnessed a mesmerizing Cirque du Soleil street performance in Montreal, she fell in love with circus arts. Intrigued by the world of trapeze, she initially experimented with flying trapeze lessons. However, her genuine passion ignited when she encountered stationary trapeze.
A fateful encounter with an individual who had worked with Cirque du Soleil became her mentor in crafting a personalized trapeze. Sewing heavy duty raincoat fabric together and padded with foam, she made her own mats. Transforming a warehouse into her playground, she suspended her trapeze, inviting her friends to join in the joy of swinging and hanging suspended in the air.
Nisha Ferguson and Ana Cecilia Corona performing doubles trapeze in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico 2010
Nisha taught herself aerial acrobatics by watching Cirque du Soleil VHS videos on repeat from their shows.
The first people she had join her on this aerial circus adventure were her sister Chantal, Chris Taylor and her best friend Barb, among a few others, who ultimately decided to call themselves GravityWorks.
In 2001, Nisha embarked on a journey to Mexico accompanied by her husband, two children, and a few circus companions. Their goal was to bask in the year-round warmth of the region.
They undertook the voyage in a blue 1970s Volkswagen bus, driving through the United States with the clear aim of reaching Mexico as their final destination. Sustaining themselves financially, they entertained audiences at campgrounds and within the French Quarter of New Orleans until local authorities prompted their departure.
Nisha's husband ingeniously crafted a portable apparatus to suspend aerialists in mid-air. This contraption would be positioned in front of their van, which doubled as a convenient changing room. Nisha's eldest son, at just nine years old, honed his juggling skills and seamlessly became part of the performance.
Upon reaching San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, they promptly set up their aerial rig in the heart of the city and commenced their shows. This charming town swiftly transformed into their abode, marking the nucleus from which GravityWorks, their performing group, flourished and expanded.
Nisha continues to swing from the trapeze to this day in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
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