THE TEAM
Benny is a Kiwi Circus Instructor, Performer, Stuntman and a certified Rigger. After graduating in Art Design he decided to go on an adventure and work with the circus and that's how he found his passion. He worked in many resorts, schools and circus companies all over the world including Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, USA and Brazil. In 2015 Benny had an amazing experience performing in Mystère by Cirque du Soleil, flying with some of the world's greatest fliers and doing what he loves most.
Cel, who is originally from Brazil, found the Circus Performing Arts to be a natural extension to her Drama Degree.
They met in Mexico in 2009 and have been together ever since. In the USA Cel and Benny joined The Flying Cortes troupe with whom they worked in many circuses around the country and in Europe. Together they won the Public Choice Awards in the Netherlands at Kerstwintercircus and La Piste d'Or at the Festival International du Cirque de Massy, in France.
After 5 years and 4 Continents their desire to settle down brought them to NZ where, since 2014, they have been passing on their Circus love, experiences and inspirations to NZ audiences through teaching, performing and mentoring awesome humans.
TASH TAYLOR
AZUSA NAKAMURA
EMILIA COULDREY
JESSE MILLER
MEL CAMERON
TASH TAYLOR
Flex and Aerial Hoop Instructor
Natasha Taylor competed as a rhythmic gymnast for 12 years before deciding to pursue a Bachelor in Sport and Exercise Science. With a background in coaching dance, gymnastics and flexibility, along with her huge array of gymnastics skills and experience, she is excited to share her knowledge with everyone. After completing her degree, she decided to give circus arts a go and hasn’t looked back since!
AZUSA NAKAMURA
Silks class Instructor
After taking a break from 12 years of dancing, Azusa started her Aerial journey at React in 2018. Since then, she’ve grown to love circus across a range of different apparatuses and no longer see running away with the circus as just a dream.
Outside of the studio, she is a cellist, baker, motorcycle enthusiast, and occasional photographer. She is so happy to join the team and can't wait to share her enthusiasm with her students.
MEL CAMERON
Kids class Instructor
Melissa is an actor and emerging aerialist who is passionate about Circus theatre and physical comedy. During her last year at drama school Melissa tried her first Circus class and was so excited by the possibilities of vertical story telling that she then went on to complete a Masters degree researching Circus theatre and React’s Rise Mentorship programme. Circus highlights for Melissa include being awarded Unitec’s Bold Innovators Scholarship to fund the creation of her Circus theatre show 'Get that Circus out of my Lion!' as well as attending The Master of Commedia dell’Arte in Italy. Melissa has been teaching Circus and physical theatre to students since 2014 at recreational level and loves watching her students grow in self confidence and find new ways of expressing themselves.
JESSE MILLER
Static Trapeze and Kids class Instructor
Jesse kick started his career in the circus industry 9 years ago in an effort to combine his love of nerdy comic book lore with his affinity for physical theatre.
His circus journey has taken him all around the world including the USA, Australia and China as well as teaching and performing all over Aotearoa.
He specialises in several forms of trapeze with a broad skill range across other aerial arts and ground based acrobatics as well as dabbling in object manipulation.
EMILIA COULDREY
Silks Instructor
Emilia started circus 9 years ago and fell in love with the art of silks. She has been training at React Studio for 6 years and been a member of the teaching team since 2020. Before teaching circus Emilia was a swim coach and this is where she found her passion for teaching. Outside of the studio she enjoys sewing, movies, weekends away in her van, and is studying for a Bachelor of Nursing.
React's Performance Highlights
Eclipse - Auckland NZ 2019
React Studio Company show - Self Production
Disconnect - Auckland 2018
React Studio Company show - Self Production
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Skycity Breakers - Auckland NZ 2017
Flying and Static Silks
Netball Fast Five - Auckland NZ 2016
Spanish Web and Triple Trapeze
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Cirque du Soleil Mystère - Las Vegas, USA - 2015
Flying trapeze
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"Four Weddings" TLC reality tv show - Seattle, USA 2013
Co choreographed and Performed Flying Trapeze - 2013
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Festival International du Cirque de Massy - France 2013
2013 winners of the Golden Elephant.
Kerst Winter Circus - Eindhoven, Holland 2012
2012 winners of People's choice Award.
The Gorge Festival - Seattle, USA - 2012
Single trapeze and co-planned and choreographed event circus performance.
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Since back home in NZ React has worked with great companies such as Lewis Road Creamery, Adidas, Tristam European and many more.