Go back BIG WOLF COMPANY IN THE RĪGAS CIRKS RESIDENCY PROGRAM FOR BALTIC ARTISTS
17.01.2025.
From January 17 to 23, the Rīgas cirks Residency Program for Baltic Artists will host the Estonian circus collective Big Wolf Company (Grete Gross in collaboration with Elisa Matvejeva) as they work on their upcoming solo performance for children.
Big Wolf Company is Estonia’s first professional contemporary circus troupe, founded by Grete Gross and Lizeth Wolk.
The idea for the performance Kehakõne emerged in August 2022, with its first iteration for adults premiering in September 2024. This performance combined visual art, poetry, aerial acrobatics, dance, and live music. Each of the forty audience members was welcomed into a soft, teepee-like tent, where they could move freely — walk, sit, lie down, interact — and engage with the performance.
Through Kehakõne, artist Grete Gross invites the audience to experience a space that feels as warm and cozy as a grandmother’s embrace, a place where one can relax into its softness while trusting the strong foundation beneath. It’s a space where time seems to slow, encouraging people to notice small, beautiful details that are often overlooked — a space where it’s easy to simply be.
During the residency at Rīgas cirks, Big Wolf Company will further develop the Kehakõne concept, seeking new ways to adapt this liberating and supportive experience for a younger audience. The residency will focus on exploring this playful world and tailoring it to meet the needs of primary school-aged children.
The residency will culminate in a work-in-progress presentation of Kehakõne.
Big Wolf Company founder Grete Gross has been passionate about aerial acrobatics since childhood. She trained for nine years at the Folie Circus Studio in Tallinn and, in 2015, graduated from the SaSak Circus School in Finland with a specialization in aerial acrobatics. Since completing her education, she has worked with several international circus companies in Estonia and Finland (Big Wolf Company, Mago, Stunt Theatre Kajakas), earning recognition as a solo artist as well.
Grete Gross is the only artist in the Baltic region specializing in aerial silks using the double hammock.
Big Wolf Company previously participated in the Rīgas cirks Residency Program in April 2021 as part of the Baltic Circus on the Road project. The company’s performance Three Sisters was showcased at the RE RIGA! festival in August 2021.
In 2018, Grete Gross’ solo performance Confines, organized by Rīgas cirks, was presented in Riga.
