Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Bouterse.
Hi Katie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been performing and collaborating with my current business partners, Kaci Torres and Liz Bliss, for over ten years. We started Imagine Circus in 2017, expanding our reach as performers and providing a platform to showcase other talented performers.
To rewind the story, Kaci and I met in undergraduate at NC State. Our circus roots sprouted out of our love of partner yoga and acrobatics. From there, we dabbled in juggling, fire dancing and later sought out training in stilt walking and aerial arts. Shortly after graduating college in 2007, we started street performing in downtown Raleigh’s Moore’s Square, on the corner of Blount & Martin. Our street show included acrobatic feats of strength, partner juggling, and crowd interaction. We cut our teeth putting out a tip jar, making jokes as people walked by, and seeing which acro poses made them stop to watch. It was a fun, low pressure way to develop our skills, as well as our ability to captivate a crowd.
Ready for a real stage, we became involved with SPARKcon — a triangle creativity conference that used to be hosted in downtown Raleigh every September. After a couple of years trying to fit in with yogaSPARK and danceSPARK, Kaci and I founded and co-organized the first circusSPARK in 2010, something we continued to lead for over seven years. Volunteering annually as event organizers, we learned a lot about planning large-scale events and bringing people together. We sought to include as many types of artists as possible, reaching out to hula hoopers, burlesque performers, and even wrestlers. We made a lot of deep connections with different types of performers across the Triangle and still collaborate with many of these same artists through our current business.
Around the same time we started circusSPARK, we met Liz — a fire dancer, budding aerialist, and all-around circus enthusiast. She immediately dove into an organizational role with circusSPARK and became the lead organizer of the annual Aerial Showcase. Later, we collaborated on many theatrical productions and eventually became full-time performance partners.
As the years passed, we continued to elevate our entertainment expertise by performing at different types of events and learning to adapt to different audiences. We performed at universities, street festivals, town celebrations, and corporate events across the Southeast. In order to set ourselves apart, we spent a lot of time developing elaborate costumes and equally elaborate makeup looks (often inspired by Cirque du Soleil).
With our combined years of experience and passion, co-creating Imagine Circus was the next logical step. In 2017, we went all in, setting up our company and building the professional reputation and successful business we have today. Entering our 5th year of business partnership together, we are excited to see what the future has in store for Imagine Circus!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Jumping through hoops — literally and figuratively — is Imagine Circus’s forte! We are a team of problem solvers and do our best to creatively think through every challenging situation. The issues we deal with as business owners are rather diverse, from making sure we have appropriate insurance coverage to fitting oversized costumes into checked baggage. Our key to success is working as a team, letting each person take the lead on tasks where they excel the most and then working together on larger scale projects.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Our mission is to connect our clients with outstanding performers to transform their event into an unforgettable experience. We provide professional, insured performers for fairs, festivals, town celebrations, private parties, corporate functions, fundraisers, special occasions, and more! We offer a wide variety of acts, including acrobats, fire performers, aerial dancers, jugglers, stilt walkers, clowns, balloon twisters, face painters, magicians, and more. Many people don’t realize we also offer upscale food and beverage service, including aerial bartending, strolling tables, and champagne dress. We pay close attention to detail and give individual attention to each of our clients.
We pride ourselves in bringing each client’s vision to life — “if you can imagine it, we can make it happen!” We offer custom costuming for special occasions and can cater to any event theme. Some of the unique costumes we offer include Mirror Man, Mirror Lady, LED Jellyfish Stilt Walkers, and Living Patina Statues.
We value a collaborative work environment that emphasizes accountability, cooperation, and creativity. We work hard to bolster our performers every step of the way — from handling all of the booking logistics and client interactions to guiding costume and makeup looks.
Contact Info:
- Email: booking@imaginecircus.com
- Website: www.imaginecircus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imaginecircus/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImagineCircus
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLA8WiNMS8Q7zRE46LmA4Yw
Image Credits
Jeremy Lewis JLewisMedia.com Paul Corey (only the headshots)
