From swans to sequins: Circa’s Duck Pond makes a splash in Canberra

Posted on 3 September, 2025

Pointe shoes are being swapped for sequinned flippers in this epic reimagining of Swan Lake this month.

Taking everything we know and love about one of the world’s most romantic ballets and turning it on its head, Duck Pond is pirouetting and waddling into the Canberra Theatre Centre from Thursday 18 until Saturday 20 September to make feathers fly with a spectacular circus re-imagining.

Brought to life by contemporary circus company, Circa; ballet, fairy tale and circus lovers alike will be transfixed as Duck Pond draws upon the worlds of Swan Lake and The Ugly Duckling to present one of its most ambitious works to date.

And with sumptuous aerials, jaw-dropping stunts and plenty of humour, it promises to be a loving homage and a cheeky subversion of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece and Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story.

Photography: Pia Johnson

According to acrobats Maya Davies – who plays the Black Swan – and Sophie Seccombe – who plays the Ugly Duckling and White Swan – while the show is fun and vibrant, at its core, it’s about identity.

“Both those stories really speak to identity and finding yourself. In our version of this story, the Ugly Duckling becomes the White Swan and discovers themselves throughout the piece,” explains Maya.

“That’s why this show works so well for contemporary circus – because contemporary circus is so much about being yourself, and it’s such an inclusive community. The story really speaks to the support of the craft, which is really nice.”

Just with the bonus of being suspended in mid-air and dressed in sequins.

Photography: Pia Johnson

Drawing small bits of inspiration from the ballet and combining it with contemporary circus movements, in Duck Pond audiences will only get to see glimpses of the traditional stories they know and love.

Explaining that she has a background in ballet, Sophie says that what makes the show unique is it utilises a lot of elements from dance and theatre as well as acrobatics – an unusual combination in circus shows.

“If you have a ballet mind, you will certainly see little references that you’ll understand. Like, certain ways that we hold our hands is a bit like the cygnet dance in Swan Lake,” says Sophie.

“It’s a fun new style for some of us; dipping a toe into the dance world and the theatre world. Bringing the story to life has been really important for us,” adds Maya.

“It’s always challenging to perform a story that people already know because it comes with a certain expectation…I hope we challenge that idea. I think we do a good job of honouring the story but doing in our acrobatic circus way which is obviously spectacular and lots of fun.”

Photography: Pia Johnson

And for those wondering what exactly they’ll see during the hour-long show, from the seductive burlesque Black Swan to hapless princes, Maya and Sophie say to go in expecting the unexpected.

“There’s lots to enjoy. There’s super high-level acrobatics, lots of sequins, and lots of sparkles,” says Maya.

“There’s so many different disciplines – we have multiple different aerials, hoops and the spare wheel!” adds Sophie.

Add in a mischievous duck army, and one thing is for sure – you’d be quacking mad to miss this.