About Corpus

Corpus acrobatics is founded in 1991 by Vincent Michels (Dutch) and Marley Eltz (Brazilian) in Amsterdam. Both started as partner acrobats educated in the traditional acrobatics skills, sport acrobatics /hand to hand, modern dance and fine arts.

Corpus is now a well established and innovatory acrobatics company that has been staging the last 25 years acrobatics shows in concert halls, theatres and international festivals all over the world. The performances stands out because of their sensational acrobatics, high visual impact, expression, dance, choreography, costumes, unique elegance and personal style in an acrobatic ballet. Corpus is inspired on the enormous capacity of the human body and acrobatics and made an important contribution to the development of contemporary circus, in which the poetical and visual expression of the acrobatics has come to play a key role.

Corpus works with a highly qualified international team of acrobats out of The Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium, Italia, Brazil, Ukraine, United kingdom, Canada, United States, Russia, Mongolia, Kenia, China and Australia.
Most acrobats are educated in the Corpus acrobatics-lab the Corpus private education in acrobatics skills and arts such as:
Renske Endel, Tobit van Vliet, Boy Looijen , Danielle Bubberman, Simon Heule, Sarah and Senna Van der Stap, Li Ling kassing and many more acrobats.
The company ?works with a high qualified technical crew that is responsible for; light design, set- design, prop design, costume design, music composition, special effects such as fireworks, laser and video projection, rigging, crane and aerial structures and stage design.

During the years Corpus performed with several orchestras, DJ’ s, video artists, fashion designers, singers, musicians, composers, photographers and painters.
Corpus realized several co productions with Symphonic orchestras, ensembles musicians such as; The Residentie Orchestra The Hague in Festival Classique , Flairck, Conductor Jaap van Zweden, The Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, The Youth Orchestra of Norway, the Netherlands Wind Ensemble (NBE), DJ Tisto, DJ Armin Van Buuren and Afrojack.
In 2015 Corpus performed ‘Carnival of The Animals’ with The Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam.

Corpus is very grateful and proud to have been performing with so many acrobats, artists, technicians, orchestras, musicians, producers, designers, agencies and other organizations.

FOUNDERS /

CHOREOGRAPHERS / COACHES

Vincent Michels

Portret-vincentVincent Michels is born in Amsterdam and comes out of a sports and artistic family. His father and mother had a tremendous interest in the Fine Arts, culture and music. His uncle was a famous football coach from AJAX and the Dutch National team.

Vincent showed already at a very young age interest in sports and Fine Arts which he studied later at the Art Academy (University of Amsterdam). Missing the motion of the body he did four years partner acrobatics at “The Como Brothers Circus School” in Amsterdam with the teachers Rijk Hoed and Cor Veldhoven. Together with acrobat/dancer Marley Eltz he specialized in balance acrobatics with the world champion of mixed pair Acro-sport, Emil Krastev from Sofia, Bulgaria. Vincent specialized in balance and tempo partner acrobatics with Euvgenie Kolev, the coach from the national team of the Bulgarian Acrobatics Federation, famous for East- European skill and technique in acrobatics.

In 1991 Vincent and Marley founded Corpus Acrobatics. The shared goal was to create a Dutch-Brazilian New Circus style, a combination of acrobatics, dance and theatre.

In the U.S.A. he attended masterclasses in choreography with the choreographer from Pilobolus Dance Theatre, Jonathan Wolken. In the Netherlands he followed dance classes such as Modern dance and Floor Barre by Itziki Galili and Bart Sluis.

Michels has a big fascination for making sculpted images in motions and magical imagery acrobatics has become the main characteristic of his choreographies & creations. In most of his creations, the human body is dedicated to exploring the tremendously rich wildlife of our planet.

Now he is together with Marley the leading choreographer, coach of Corpus Acrobatics. Vincent created several shows such as the latest in 2014 the Carnival of the Animals with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam.

Marley Eltz

Portret-marleyMarley started her dance career at thirteen years old in the south of Brazil. She then worked in several youth dance theatre and puppet theatre productions. She has also participated in many television commercials on national Brazilian television channels.

In 1988 Marley left her homeland to train in various European countries, initially in dance and acrobatics in Spain and Switzerland. She then started training hand to hand acrobatics with Vincent Michels at The Como Brothers (Parterre acrobatics-teachers) in the Netherlands and went on to receive private training with Emil Krastev (the world champion in acro-gymnastics from Bulgaria,1992-94). Marley specialized in balance and tempo partner acrobatics with Euvgenie Kolev, the coach from the national team of the Bulgarian Acrobatics Federation, famous for East- European skill and technique in acrobatics.

Marley has taken courses in choreography and composition in the U.S.A., with the internationally renowned choreographer Jonathan Wolken, artistic director of Washington-based dance company Pilobolus. She has also attended various dance workshops in the Netherlands including those of Itziki Galili. In 1991 together with Vincent Michels she founded Corpus Acrobatics.

Marley and Vincent are leading the International Acrobatics Lab from Corpus in Amsterdam and is teaching contortion, partner acrobatics and some aerial acrobatics combined with dance and stretching techniques for beginners and professionals.

Marley and Vincent received several invitations as acrobats and guest choreographers for big events and concerts such as: the opening of The Gala Of The Year 2000 from Lee Towers in AHOY, Rotterdam; the interpretation of ?Bolero? by AVRO TV together with the director Jaap Van Zweden (Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra ), the official ceremony for the introduction of the EURO Maastricht 2001, Sensation White in several Arenas in the World and 200 Years Kingdom on the Amstel river in Amsterdam 2015.

Board members

Chairman: Sjoerd Schwibettus
Secretary : Henk Gerding
Treasurer: Peter Kramer

Corpus is a member of the Circuspunt Association. Circuspunt is the platform for the (united) Dutch circus field. It supports and encourages the overall artistic and business development of and in the sector.