Salto Natale is the winter circus in Zurich-Kloten founded by Gregory and Rolf Knie, a big top show that pairs circus with dinner every holiday season. From November 2024 to January 1, 2025, MindWorks performed our Singularity LED drone circus act as part of the show, 50 shows with 20 drones.
The booking
Salto's Head of Artists reached out to us on Instagram in February 2024 and asked to see full act videos. After a video call with the team we agreed on terms for the season and signed the contract that April. Over the following months we sent over our music and artist details, and Salto sent plans of their stage so we could build the act for their ring before we arrived.
Building the act for a circus ring
Salto performs on a round stage inside a big top, with a ring light truss about 9 meters above the stage. A standard Singularity flight area is about 10 meters wide, 11 meters deep and 6.5 meters high, so the tent had room for both versions of the act.
We ran both versions during the season. In the ground version the performer stays on stage while the drones fly in formation around them. The aerial version adds a finale where Dalton Sessumes, the founder of MindWorks, rises on an aerial harness and performs aerial acrobatics inside the drone formations.
What we learned
Circus rings and stages often use black dance flooring. The drones we flew at the time used sensors that read the floor, and dark surfaces made tight formations harder to hold. Our current flight software doesn't rely on floor-reading sensors, so the drones can fly over any type of flooring and over obstacles.
What this means for your show
If you produce a circus, a theater show or a dinner show with a run of dates, Singularity can join the lineup as a self-contained act with a small crew. Drone colors, choreography and music can be adapted to your show, and the aerial finale can be added when the venue has the height and rigging for it.
Watch the aerial version and the ground version, read about the act on Das Supertalent, or see our indoor drone show service.
Planning a season? Send us your venue and dates and we'll recommend the right version of the act for your stage.
