About Chris

CHRIS PETTERSEN I started my career as a circus artist at 6 years old when I began practicing balancing on the slackrope in my backyard. From 2001 to 2008 I went to different circus schools in Norway, Sweden and Belgium including 3 years at the Ecole Supérieure des Arts du Cirque in Brussels. Since graduation I have performed with my slackrope act in places such as Circus Monti in 2009 and 2013, in Cirque du Soleil’s “Wintuk” in 2010, GOP Varieté in 2011 and 2012, and the London Olympics Closing Ceremony in 2012. Together with the love of my life we have been performing together since 2014 and we are constantly developing new acts and creating variations on the old ones in order to have acts that fit in many venues and stages of all kind of sizes! Mara Zimmerli Age 4 or 5. My grandmother sees me riding a carrousel horse and says out of the blue "one day I will buy you a horse". Age 11. I fell in love with a black Icelandic horse. Reminded Grandma of her promise. Age 15. Attend apprenticeship to become a professional horse trainer. Age 18. I sell my Icelandic horse in exchange for an Andalusian stallion. This is the only action in my life which I regret today. I also finished the apprenticeship and got invited to work as a show rider in a park with birds of pray Falconeria Locarno. I always dreamed of being a showgirl, but I realised that shows and horses don't go together for me, so I quit. Age 22. I work as a stable manager for a lawyer on his big mansion. This perfect job felt like a golden cage and I got depressed so I listened deep inside of me, and my heart told me to go on the historical pilgrimage Jakobsweg in Spain together with my horse. I quit my job the next day. Age 23. I took the most amazing travel journey and walked together with my horse the 2500 kilometres from Zürich to Finisterre across Europe. After the journey ended I sold the horse and bought plain tickets across the world, where I continued to expand my horizon. Age 24. I needed money and felt urged from society to take a reasonable path. I took a job as a security officer and prepared for Swiss police school. My lack of orthography saved me from that fate. Age 26. Still working as a security officer, and out of sheer boredom I get depressed and once more listen deep inside of me. This time my heart wants to go to the circus. I started working in the publicity team for Circus Monti. I fell in love with the circus. I fell in love with Chris, still my current partner on and off stage. I decided to become an Artist. Age 27. First act, first award, first job in Varieté PEGASUS. But seriously becoming a performing artist and enter the entertainment Business was personally the most challenging growing process I have been trough. I found myself in a new world and it took me years on til I truly felt a part of it. Age 30. A wink of heaven, two major things happening! A wonderful friend started teaching me aerial acrobatics. And I got to join Circus Luna, so between performances I start teaching circus arts in various schools and associations. I learned and discovered all the different disciplines like juggling, clowning, magic, floor acrobatics, silks and many more together with the kids. It was phantastic! Age 31. I created my first aerial acrobatics solo piece; "Spellbound". I love how it all came together. There is a bout 10 wonderful people involved in the creation process. They all helped me out of joy of creating my dream act! And I managed to "world premiere" the act for a full tent! Age 32.I decided it's time to give the urge of creating something important with my life a space. Currently I am on a mission to help performing artists to become cirquepreneurs, by creating a location independent second income stream and understand the business side of showbiz! If we Artist do business with the creativity and passion we bring on stage, we can go big and we will move the world in a positive direction! Thats what I feel passionate about. Meeting and connecting performing artist and learn about Business so we can make an impact on the world! Future Age. I am full of anticipation to see where I will go!