Sophie van der Vuurst de Vries (Rotterdam 1990) and Willem Balduyck (Lichtervelde 1989) both entered the circus world at a young age at the youth circus from Bruges and Rotterdam.
They met during their studies at Codarts Rotterdam Circus Arts, where they graduated in June 2012. They share their passion for nature, for simple objects and for searching a unique style, in which they can express themselves through their own company: Circus Katoen.
After they finished their studies they created their first performance: ‘Ex Aequo’, with which they have been touring since 2013 in their homelands and abroad.
‘As heavy as it goes’, premiered in 2017 at Festival PERPLX (Belgium). With this performance, Circus Katoen is a laureate of CircusNext 2015-2016.
“Our ecological principles always play an important role in our lives, as well as in our work. The objects we choose are mainly natural/biodegradable/recycled and have to fit in our small car. The company name (Katoen=Cotton) is one way of paying homage to our ethos. Cotton, when produced in a sustainable way, is a clean, natural fabric, soft, yet very strong, a contrasting characteristic that can also be found in our work. Our dream is to keep creating, playing shows and while doing this, growing our own potatoes.”
