Sisters’ Aerial Act Returns Home for Circus Performance

For the first time, an aerial act featuring two sisters, which has toured the UK for ten years and is described as “breathtaking,” is performing in their hometown. Kizzy and Tilly Packham have captivated spectators at various circuses, pantomimes, and events through their synchronized performances on the static trapeze and aerial silks. The Gemini Sisters are scheduled to perform this Christmas at the Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth, a location very close to their childhood home in Gorleston, Norfolk. Tilly, 27, expressed her enjoyment, stating, “I love it, it’s so nice being so close to home and having friends and family come to watch us perform.” Kizzy, 26, mentioned her fondness for returning to “where it all started,” recalling her time dancing at the Hippodrome during her childhood. She recounted, “I used to be one of the little dancers in the ring, then I saw one of the girls doing what I do and thought ‘I need to do that’, and that’s where it began.” Having been part of an aerial act since her early teenage years, Kizzy persuaded Tilly to abandon her A-levels and join her in defying gravity. Tilly remembered, “We did a bit of a practice in our shed in the garden and I loved it; it was all I could think about.” Her sister further stated, “We had two weeks, I trained her from having no dance or gymnastics, and I got her down in the splits.” She concluded, “We made a routine and didn’t look back.” A decade later, the duo finds satisfaction in the “buzz” of their joint performances. Tilly remarked, “The fact we get to do it together is something quite magical for me and it’s created this bond between us which I think is really special.” Kizzy concurred with this sentiment. She elaborated, “We’re sisters, so of course we have our spats, but as soon as we step in the ring we give each other a smile and just get on with it.” She also shared, “We always say ‘I love you’ just before we go on, like a bit of a superstition that we’ve made over the years.” Jack Jay, who serves as both the director and ringmaster of the Hippodrome circus, described the Gemini Sisters as a “dream come true.” He further commented, “To have one of the most amazing aerial acts I’ve ever seen, and for them to be not only from the UK, but also from right here, is incredible.” Jay continued, “This act is breathtaking, it’s beautiful and they make it look far too easy.” He characterized the act’s concluding segment, Kizzy’s gravity-defying skywalk, as “mind-bending.” He elaborated, “She is completely upside down, held by nothing but the top of her feet, walking across the roof of the Hippodrome – it’s pure circus.” Updates on Norfolk news can be found on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available for review.