When and Where
November 16th, from 8 p.m., Prague, as part of Circus nights in CIRQUEON.
About the Program
Cirqueon – Center for Contemporary Circus and Cink Cink Cirk present the original performance Orbiting Zero, which will premiere in Prague as part of Circus Nights 2025.
A new circus interpretation of magical realism, the show blends contemporary circus, object and physical theatre, and new magic.
Orbiting Zero is a continuously evolving spiral around the theme of creation. Through contemporary juggling and new magic, Aleš Hrdlička explores the tension between expectation and reality, and reminds us that the world is never simply black and white.
The performance plays with the physical (im)possibilities of plastic juggling rings and takes the audience on an absurd visual journey, deconstructing both the circle as a shape and juggling as an art form. Each “invention” opens a new dialogue between the artist’s intention and the material’s intuition — captured in an infinite loop.
About the creators
Aleš Hrdlička is a new circus performer, creator, and consultant specializing in magic, juggling, and object manipulation. Originally from Prague, he is also active in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where he graduated in 2020 from Codarts University of the Arts, majoring in Circus Arts. Aleš has received numerous international awards, including the BNG Award, circusnext pre-selection, and the title of Czech Champion in Modern Magic (2014–2022). He is one of the founding members of the new circus company Cink Cink Cirk. As a member of the French charity organization Magiciens du Monde, he proudly shares his passion and inspiration in hospitals, schools, and orphanages across developing countries. He is currently focusing on contemporary performing arts and theatre, and has performed at hundreds of public and private events around the world — from Las Vegas and Shanghai to most European countries and even the remote corners of Africa.
Creative Team
Author: Aleš Hrdlička
Assistant & Dramaturgy: Hannah Lennox
Supervision: Matthias Romir
Lighting Design: Karel “Karlos” Šimek
Sound Design: Oliver Torr & Jonas Balcar
Effects Consultants: Michal Nesveda, Tom Cassani, Maxime Weinmann
Research Partners: Darragh McLoughlin, Hannah Lennox, Filip Zahradnický, Michaela Stará, Lukas Bliss, Lidya Arinna Emir, Michal Fridrich
Co-production: CIRQUEON, PERPLX, Cink Cink Cirk
Supported by: Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, KD Mlejn, National Recovery Plan, Next Generation EU, Cink Cink Cirk
Special Thanks: Botovna, Šárka Maršíková, Ondřej Hykl, Jan Smrkovský
Photography: Jakub Dušek, Heroen Bollaert
Trailer: Mikuláš Hrdlička
The performance was created as part of the CIRQUEON residency program and is presented within the Circus Nights project with the support of the Prague City Hall and the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.
