Ep.8 Ria Murphy: Building Aerial Cirque
The first time I met Ria was backstage at Ireland’s Got Talent in 2017 (or maybe 2018). I was about to perform my hula hoop act, and she was getting ready for her silks audition. We bumped into each other in the bathroom, exchanged a few words, and then both stepped out to perform live in front of the judges.
Not long after, we swapped numbers and Ria started booking me to perform at a circus night she was running in The Academy nightclub in Dublin. Every Saturday night we’d take turns, jugglers, silks, hoops, all of us doing short sets. It was such a fun time and, for me, it was also an important one. I had just moved back from years abroad working in the UK and China, and Ria gave me my first chance to perform regularly in Ireland.
Since then, I’ve seen the ripple of Ria’s influence everywhere. Her studio, Aerial Cirque, in the heart of Dublin, has been home to so many students, some who’ve even gone on to open their own spaces and build communities of their own. She’s been a big inspiration, not just to me, but to so many in the Irish circus scene.
So in this episode, I asked Ria to share her story, from her roots and early circus beginnings, to building Aerial Cirque, becoming a mother, and the dreams she’s holding for the future.
Early Life & Circus Beginnings
Jess: Ria, can you start by telling us where you’re originally from, and how long you’ve been living in Ireland?
Ria: I was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and my family immigrated to California when I was four. I’d return to Northern Ireland every few years for summer holidays, and those trips became some of my most vivid childhood memories. That duality really shaped me. I felt equally from both places. In California, I was the Irish girl; in Ireland, I was the Californian cousin. At the start of summer, I’d be skateboarding down big sunny suburban streets, and by July, I’d be walking past barbed-wire barricades and soldiers with guns just to get an ice lolly. It was such a contrast, but I think that mix really shaped me.
I moved to Ireland properly in 2012 and it instantly felt like home. Thirteen years later, I’m still here and I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
(Ria at the Meet and Greet for the Japanese Women of Ireland Tour)
Jess: Did you always imagine yourself in circus, or did you have another path before this? Was there a moment when you switched careers, or has circus always been your world?
Ria: Oh, it was a total surprise. My plan was to become a doctor. I studied Biochemistry, Cellular Biology, and Immunology at UC San Diego, with a minor in Theatre. In my last year, I tried an aerial silks class and that was it. I fell completely in love.
I was broke, didn’t have a car, and those classes were a big expense for me at the time, but I couldn’t stay away. After graduating magna cum laude, I was working in a lab doing cancer and diabetes research, but I was just burnt out. One night, after yet another late shift, I decided not to take the full-time job they offered or apply for med school.
If I wasn’t going to do the sensible thing, then I had to really go for what made me happy, even if it didn’t make sense. That degree wasn’t wasted, though. It gave me the confidence to know I could do hard things. I just knew I didn’t want to go back to studying or working in a lab.
I tried acting for a bit, then studied multimedia because I wanted more creative control. That led to a job producing travel shows for Discovery and the Travel Channel, honestly, a dream job. Then I moved to Dublin for love, auditioned and got accepted into a great screen acting program, and couldn’t even get a job making sandwiches.
So, I thought, why not teach weekly aerial classes? Nobody else was doing it in Ireland at the time. I’d done plenty of tutoring before, in calculus and science, so I applied those teaching principles to aerial. The classes grew, people started asking me to perform, and before I knew it, Aerial Cirque was born.
(Ria as a travel show producer pre-circus days )
Jess: Did you have a background in dance or gymnastics before circus, or was it something completely new when you discovered it?
Ria: Just bits and pieces. I did gymnastics for a short time when I was a kid and danced through musical theatre and Irish dancing. But I hadn’t done anything like that in years. I was 22 when I first tried aerial. Looking back, I think I picked things up fast, but I never had the chance before to realise I had a knack for it.
First Steps into Circus
Jess: Do you remember your first ever paid circus job? What was that experience like, and how did it shape your direction?
Ria: Oh yes, vividly. I was hired just three months after starting aerial, by my instructor at the time. I remember being absolutely thrilled. I even told my boss at the lab. I was shaking and completely exhausted afterwards, but I couldn’t believe I’d just been paid to do something that made me so happy.
(Ria performing on Silks)
Founding Aerial Cirque
Jess: Aerial Cirque is such a beautiful studio in the heart of Dublin, with its high ceilings and arched windows. What inspired you to create it, and how has it grown into the company it is today?
Ria: It started so organically. I convinced a gym to let me hang my silks there so I could train. One of the girls training spotted me and asked if I could teach her, so we did a skills swap, she taught me stage combat, I taught her aerial.
One day she invited me to her kickboxing gym, SBG in Dublin, and when I walked in, I noticed these amazing stained-glass windows and high ceilings, about seven metres tall. I immediately thought, this would be perfect for silks.
The owner agreed to rent it out after hours, so I started running classes at 9 p.m. I slowly built a little community and was teaching one class each weeknight. When that gym closed in 2015, I took a huge leap and took over the space myself.
The first summer was rough. July’s always a quiet month, but once the space became fully ours, everything shifted. It stopped feeling like someone else’s gym and started feeling like home.
In school, I was bullied by the mean girls crowd, so I have zero tolerance for drama. And in some aerial studios I’d trained in, there was this competitive vibe where people, even teachers, didn’t want to share their knowledge or give full support. I knew Aerial Cirque would be different, a space where people support and encourage each other. That culture of kindness is still what I’m proudest of today.
Jess: You’ve expanded beyond classes into teacher trainings and retreats abroad. What makes a great aerial mentor, and how can someone start that path if they dream of becoming a teacher?
Ria: Time on the apparatus, first and foremost. You need to really understand how it moves, how it feels, how it reacts.
Then, take a proper teacher training course, like our Aerial Cirque Method. It breaks down how to teach progressively: the right language to use, how to adapt to different learning styles, how to spot safely, and what can go wrong, which takes years of experience to learn.
After that, assist in classes, get comfortable spotting, and practice your teaching voice. But what really makes a great mentor is someone that not only has these teaching skills, but has a delight in supporting others, helping them achieve something they didn’t believe they could before. Someone who creates a non-judgemental, safe space where people can just be themselves.
(Behind the scenes on the crane for "Elevate")
Dreams & Retreats
Jess: When we met up in the Maldives, you told me about your dream to run a retreat there one day. Is this still something you’re planning? Do you want to keep it private, or share it to help manifest it into reality?
Ria: Absolutely. Let’s manifest it. I can’t wait to make it happen. I used to produce travel TV shows, so combining my love of travel with aerial arts just feels right. Bringing a group of people together in a beautiful place to move, eat great food, swim, learn about a different culture, and share in the joy of aerial, that’s my dream.
(Ria behind the scenes working as a travel show producer, camera and director in the background, side note: ecologist on set said it was ok to hang from the tree :)
Motherhood & Training
Jess: We reconnected during a really special time, pregnancy. I remember how inspiring it was to see you still training and even performing up until six months pregnant. Can you talk about how you managed your training with a changing body, and what that experience taught you?
Ria: I went into it with no expectations. I told myself I’d just listen to my body. Each week I’d open my app, see what vegetable or fruit I was now carrying and wonder, is this the one that grounds me? But I kept feeling good.
I picked one sequence I loved and practiced it weekly, partly to track how my movement changed. My body became so efficient at it that, apart from a few balance changes, I could still do the whole thing at 38 weeks.
I was amazed by what my body could do. I adapted my training to my changing body. If I was too tired, I would never push it. Once he grew beyond my pelvis, I no longer wrapped or took weight across the front of my hips.
Movement brings me joy, and that period taught me a lot about gratitude and trust in my body.
Jess: Now that you’re a mum to a little boy, how do you balance running a business, your own training, and family life?
Ria: Honestly? It’s tough. The mental load, the sleep deprivation, it’s a lot. But I prepared before giving birth. I hired a full-time studio manager, an assistant, a bookkeeper, and handed over my classes. You don’t realise how many hats you’re wearing until you start passing them on.
I’m a single mum now, so it’s not possible to take all those roles back. Delegating was necessary, for me, for my son, and for the business.
Jess: Do you think you’ll introduce your son to circus as he grows up?
Ria: He already kind of is. He comes to the studio sometimes and just loves it there. He builds towers with yoga blocks, runs around, and makes friends with everyone. If he ever wants to do aerial, it’ll be waiting for him. And if not, that’s fine too. I’ll support him in whatever lights him up.
(Ria 31 weeks pregnant training Silks at Aerial Cirque)
The Hard Parts
Jess: To open a space like Aerial Cirque in the heart of Dublin must take a huge amount of passion, motivation, and courage. You clearly love what you do, because it can’t be easy starting and running a studio like that. For someone who dreams of opening their own circus space one day, what would your advice be?
Ria: Start small. Seriously. Rent space by the hour before you sign a lease, it lets you build your community, test your systems, and see if the lifestyle suits you.
Get an online booking system early. We used Bookeo for years, it made life so much easier. Before that, I’d get messages like “save me a spot, I’ll pay later,” and then they wouldn’t show. It was so frustrating. A proper system saves you time and energy, and it gives you data you can actually learn from.
You’ll wear every hat at the start, teacher, admin, cleaner, everything, so build processes that take mental load off. Automate what you can, but keep the personal touch when needed.
Now we use a more advanced system that supports memberships, multiple locations, and better data. It’s pricier, but the experience for students, and for us, is worth it.
Jess: And on the flip side, what has been the hardest part for you? Have you ever felt like giving up, or wondered if it was worth all the stress? What kept you going through those moments?
Ria: Learning to delegate. Before I had my son, I could power through endless to-do lists and late nights. But that’s not sustainable. Letting go of control and handing over responsibilities was tough, but it had to happen. I eventually realised I’d been doing the work of three people, and no one can keep that up forever.
Safety & Responsibility
Jess: Running a studio must also come with a lot of responsibility, people’s safety is literally in your care. How do you manage that side of things?
Ria: Safety is everything. We have systems for everything: equipment checks every six months, detailed records of each piece of gear, points rigged for rescue so no one ever gets stuck, and the list goes on.
All our teachers go through our Aerial Cirque Method training and mentorship before teaching solo. It’s about building awareness, good progressions, and confidence in spotting and student care.
Jess: Have you ever had situations where a student got tangled or stuck up in the silks, and how do you deal with moments like that? Is it something you actively train your mentors and teachers for?
Ria: Oh yes, before we had our rigged-for-rescue system. I remember one student who panicked and couldn’t follow my instructions, even though I stayed calm. Thankfully we had a ladder and got her down safely, but it really reinforced why we train for those scenarios and have backup systems in place.
Jess: How do you put across to your students that, even though circus is fun and creative, it’s also something to approach with focus and care because it can be dangerous if not done properly?
Ria: While we have a lot of fun in our classes, they are taught with focus and care. Our classes are structured with extensive warm-ups and conditioning before we get to the fun stuff in each class. This is our studio’s culture and our students’ norm.
(Vertical Dance - Interactive projection mapping that Ria created for Culture Night in the Heart of Dublin City Center)
Looking Ahead – Circus in Ireland
Jess: You’ve always struck me as such a driven and motivated person, someone who just gets things done. Can you share a little behind the scenes of how you stay on top of everything, whether it’s to-do lists, notebooks, or habits that help you smash goals and turn dreams into reality?
Ria: You wouldn’t think that from how long it took me to send these answers. I was keeping a running to-do list on my iPad, but recently I’ve gone back to writing daily lists in my notebook. I think the physical act of writing it, pen to paper, helps me gain clarity.
A mentor introduced me to the Eisenhower Matrix, which has helped me prioritise tasks by sorting them into four quadrants based on their urgency and importance. Having a child also forces you to learn how to prioritise like no other.
When I have a lot of projects on, I use ClickUp to stay organised. I also think about the value of my time and energy. If I can delegate something and it doesn’t light me up, I will. But if it feeds my soul or connects me to people I love, I’ll make time for it.
I’m a big believer in writing down goals. A few years ago, I did a Creative Europe programme that made us write down our goals at the end. At the time, I thought it was a bit woo woo, but a few months later, a performance came up that allowed me to fly them over to collaborate with me. Magic. But you have to put in the work too, write it down, make it specific, give it a deadline, and go after it.
I’ve been told I take great care in everything I do, and I think that’s true. I love my work and feel really lucky to be doing it, so if I’m going to do something, I want to give it everything I’ve got.
(Ria Multitasking, stretching, directing, answering emails)
Jess: I think it’s really great to see new Irish circus courses like Circilár PRO. Things like this just weren’t around when I was first starting out. It feels so positive to see this kind of infrastructure for circus here in Ireland. What’s your take on it? Do you think programmes like this will help create more opportunities for artists and teachers? And is this the kind of thing you’d ever see yourself developing further, maybe a six-month course or a more professional-level programme for artists?
Ria: It’s amazing to see. The scene has grown so much in the past decade, and the talent here is incredible. Courses like Circilár PRO are exactly what the community needs to keep pushing forward.
I’ve had the opportunity to teach intensive programmes for professional dancers abroad, which I’ve really enjoyed. I haven’t explored the idea of launching a professional-level course myself, at least not yet, but it’s certainly something I’d be open to in the future.
Jess: And finally, our Bubble Bum Banter signature question — if you had to choose: velvet or stripes?
Ria: I have both. But if I have to choose, stripes all the way.
My Take
I’m sitting here with my cup of tea, and every time I read one of these interviews back, I’m left feeling so inspired. It’s humbling to get to pick the brains of such incredible artists and leaders, and to read their stories from start to finish. These are creative, courageous lives, and I’m always amazed by how openly they share.
I loved how Ria spoke about the early days of Aerial Cirque and how she offered such honest, practical advice for others dreaming of opening their own space. That kind of wisdom is gold. I also have to admit, I paused mid-read to look up the Eisenhower Matrix she mentioned. I’d never heard of it before, but now I’m determined to try it.
I’ve been using Microsoft To-Do for years, but lately I’ve found it tricky because my life splits into so many lists: performing, Bubble Bum, home, family, and circus goals. I think the Eisenhower Matrix might be exactly what I need to bring a bit more clarity.
I might be paraphrasing, but something Ria said to me once really stayed with me. She said she feels that people who do silks are very intelligent because it’s all about problem-solving, calculating wraps, reversing entries, and remembering complex patterns. That’s one of the things I love about silks, it’s not just physical, it keeps your brain switched on. I’m not sure I qualify for the “intelligent” part, though, ha-ha, sometimes it takes me months just to remember which wrap goes where.
I actually haven’t trained silks since my trip to India back in February. I’ve been taking a little break from it while juggling everything else that’s going on, but I’ve been keeping up with my stretching and going to the gym once a week to get my pull-ups in. When I do go back to it, I don’t want to feel like a complete fish out of water. I still have this huge Google Drive filled with everything I learned there...hours and hours of training with a professional Cirque du Soleil artist... all sitting untouched. I’m hoping that when I finally get back into an open training, I can open those videos, remember what I learned, and try to bring some of it back to life.
The hardest part, though, is remembering it all. You can master a skill, but once you’re up there at the top, you start second-guessing yourself, wondering if you remembered that wrap or if you’re fully locked in. It takes so much courage, discipline, and brain power, and I really respect that in people who do silks.
What I took from Ria’s story is that progress doesn’t always mean doing more. Sometimes it’s stepping back, staying curious, and letting inspiration find you again when the time is right.
Resources & Links
If you’d like to learn more about Ria and Aerial Cirque, you can find Ria and her studio here:
For anyone curious about the Eisenhower Matrix that Ria mentioned, here are a few helpful tools and reads:
-
eisenhower method
- Microsoft To-Do – another great option for digital task management.
- ClickUp
If you’re an aerialist or circus artist looking to stay organised in your own training, these methods are brilliant for balancing practice, recovery, and creative projects.
Courses:
6 Month Professional
Circus Training
Circilár PRO – Designed for emerging and professional circus artists ready to elevate their craft and career. - Circilár PRO website
