Dear
Pressure

Contemporary circus piece “Dear Pressure” is a duet performance by two circus artists, Kęstas Matusevičius and Aino Mäkipää. It can be considered a letter to the pressure we face in our everyday lives due to social norms. The performance explores prominent topics in current society, such as dissatisfaction with body image and internalised gender roles.

The artists challenge stereotypes surrounding the ideal circus artist’s body. Even though the only thing that truly matters is being strong enough to perform, members of the community and spectators still tend to judge artists’ physical appearance. In the same spirit, “Dear Pressure” confronts the convention of the man being the base and the woman the flyer. In one scene, Aino lifts her acrobatics partner, who is one and a half times heavier than she is.

Although the show grows from the artists’ personal experiences, its circus language and everyday themes create a collective experience. Everyone faces some kind of pressure, regardless of profession, body image or sexual orientation.

These difficult subjects should not scare us away. “Dear Pressure” brings them in front of an audience so that we can laugh, breathe out, and feel a little less alone when the show ends.