Interview – Corporeal Imago
We are delighted to have had the opportunity to interview real life couple and co-directors of Corporeal Imago Gabrielle and Jeremiah, who are currently performing their contemporary ariel dance show Imago at the Edinburgh Fringe until Sunday 24 August.
Q. Tell us more about yourselves and your show Imago?
A. We’re Gabrielle and Jeremiah, co-directors of Corporeal Imago—and yes, we’re also a couple in real life. We met performing lead roles in TORUK – The First Flight by Cirque du Soleil, and after years of touring as Na’vi on Pandora, we were hungry to create something that reflected the emotional complexity of adult relationships. Imago is the result. It’s a contemporary aerial-dance duet that explores the tension between holding on and letting go. With a custom rope-loop apparatus we invented, Imago blends the precision of aerial circus with the intimacy of dance, all grounded in real life connection—first with us, and now with our incredible cast, Eowynn and Isak, who are also a married couple. The risk is real, the sweat is real, and we think the emotional impact is too.
Q. What are you looking forward to most about bringing your show to the Edinburgh Fringe?
A. Fringe is this amazing collision of global creativity, and we can’t wait to be part of it again. There’s such a beautiful spirit of experimentation at Fringe, and Imago really belongs in that space—it’s a genre-bender that sits somewhere between circus, dance, and visual theatre. After such a rich development process with this piece, we’re especially excited to finally connect it with such a wide and diverse audience. And to do so in the intimate, atmospheric setting of a converted church makes it all the more special.
Q. What first drew you to aerial work and each other?
A. We both came to aerial from dance, and what drew us in was the heightened sense of life through the risk (and reference to mortality). We’re both thrill seekers to some degree—there’s something incredibly empowering about defying what the body should be able to do, about pushing past limitations with sheer will and strength. Aerial work can feel both death-defying and God-defying, and that charge is energizing. As for each other, we first connected over our shared love of performance and our ethos of the stage as a sacred space. That foundation of shared values carried into our off stage relationship—and eventually, into building a company and a family together.
Q. What are the benefits / challenges of performing aerial work in a converted church?
A. The acoustics and atmosphere in a space like Assembly Roxy, with its vaulted ceilings and imposing pillars, bring a haunting quality to the show that you just can’t manufacture in a black box theatre.
Q. As a real-life couple and with your show featuring another real-life couple what advice would you give to other couples performing together?
A. Your communication skills will be tested. It’s one thing to collaborate when you’re rested and the work is smooth—but when you’re tired, sore, or holding a difficult position mid air, being able to speak (or not speak) with grace is a whole other thing. But “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is true here in more ways than one. The adventures we’ve had and memories we’ve created through creating and touring are some of our best.
Q. I have a fear of heights, has a fear of heights ever kicked in for you when you are in the air and how did you get through it?
A. Absolutely. And honestly, we think it’s healthy. A little fear—and a lot of respect for gravity—keeps your instincts sharp (and your adrenaline flowing). You never want to be so comfortable in the air that you stop paying attention. In my career, I’ve had injuries that remind me to “stay frosty” as a former Cirque du Soleil Saltimbanco acrobat used to remind me. That edge of awareness is what keeps us present, and it’s also what keeps the audience on the edge of their seat.
Q. Why do you think there is something so special about Cirque du Soleil and what do you miss most from being part of TORUK – The First Flight?
A. If you’re asking us now, as parents of a two-year-old, what we miss most is probably not having to cook or clean for ourselves… But honestly, Cirque is magical because it fully immerses you in another world — every detail, from the set to the sound, is engineered to pull you into a dream. Performing in TORUK gave us the gift of doing that night after night. We miss that level of production scale — and the thrill of transforming ourselves and doing something so physically intense in front of thousands of people. That said, Imago lets us bring that same intensity, but with creative freedom and deeper personal meaning.
Q. What is coming up next for you after the Fringe?
A. We’re deep into developing our next show, Drift. It’s a world premiere slated for 2026 that builds on some of the themes in Imago but leans more into ecological grief and non-human agency. It’s a bigger ensemble work and we’re really excited about where it’s heading.
Q. And finally, whose love story would you most like to tell in mid-air?
Our two-year-old who already loves being “flown” during rehearsals, and there’s something really special about sharing that joy together. It might not be a show concept just yet, but it definitely deepens our love for aerial—and strengthens our bond as a family.
Corporeal Imago are performing Imago at 139 Central at Assembly Roxy at the Edinburgh Fringe until 24 August at 1pm. For more information and to book visit Imago | Edinburgh Festival Fringe
