Cirque du Soleil's Nelson Smyles flips his way from a beachside town to the world stage
A dream to run away with the circus became a reality for Nelson Smyles when Cirque du Soleil stumbled across his videos on social media seven years ago.
He has never turned back and is now on an Australian tour with the Luzia show.
Hailing from Port Macquarie on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, the 28-year-old is still blown away by being part of the world's largest live entertainment company.
When he was 12 years old Nelson outgrew the gymnastics level that was available in the small town gym.
He and a friend ended up teaching themselves and coaching other boys until they auditioned for the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) in Melbourne.
Nelson puts his success down to being in the right place at the right time, along with his very specific skill set.
"They needed a hoop diver who could understudy for the clown, and they had to be tall," Nelson said.
"Hoop diving and clowning were the two specialties I did at NICA, and I was tall.
"It's needle in a haystack sort of stuff."
Nelson recently visited his mother Leanne Prussing in Port Macquarie. (ABC Mid North Coast: Wiriya Sati)
He was finishing his Bachelor of Circus Arts at NICA when out of the blue he received an email from Cirque du Soleil.
He initially thought it was a scam, as he had not auditioned, but eventually responded after his housemates pointed out that he would be "kicking" himself if he had ignored a genuine offer.
It took another six weeks before he heard back and was told he had been accepted into Cirque du Soleil.
Nelson said the reality of his new life did not hit him until six months later as he came off the stage from his first clown show.
"I did the show, came off stage and I just burst into tears," he said.
"It wasn't anything I thought was going to happen — the little boy from Port Macquarie being the main character on the Cirque du Soleil stage."
Nelson rehearsed for three hours a day for three months before he was allowed on the Luzia show. (Supplied: Nelson Smyles)
Institute services industry needs
Nelson said NICA was the perfect stepping stone for anyone looking to become a circus artist.
"It teaches you what it takes to get to that level that's required to be a professional circus artist," he said.
Tegan Carmichael, the acting head of circus at NICA, said there were a lot of different pathways for graduates to kickstart their careers.
"Our curriculum is all designed to be what the industry in Australia needs," she said.
"We have quite a few alumni working with Circa, and Gravity and Other Myths which do a lot of international tours as well."
Hoop diving and clowning were Nelson's specialty at NICA. (Supplied: Jeff Young )
Ms Carmichael said circus audiences were shifting away from traditional family shows with animals.
"It's about pushing barriers physically," Ms Carmichael said.
"A lot of people want to be wowed by what the human body can do."
Someone who knows all about pushing boundaries is extreme side-show performer Gordo Gamsby who also hails from Port Macquarie.
Gordo Gamsby started with Slippery Circus which ran a workshop at his Wauchope high school. (ABC Mid North Coast: Wiriya Sati)
He has toured 36 countries over 20 years doing dangerous side-show stunts like sword swallowing.
The 40-year-old holds 13 Guinness World Records for his feats of strength.
"I currently hold the record for having the world's strongest tongue,"he said.
"I started by juggling and doing unicycles and balancing shopping trollies on my chin.
"In Tasmania I met a guy who taught me how to hammer a spoon into my nose, and that kind of opened up a whole world to me of doing stunt performing."
Gordo and Lucy Gamsby have slowed down to have a family but they still keep a hand in circus. (ABC Mid North Coast: Wiriya Sati)
After touring the world with his own show he has returned to his hometown with his wife Lucy Gamsby to start a family.
"We were ready for our touring life to slow down, but we didn't want that whole part of our existence to stop," Gordo said.
They now run a multi-arts festival with cabaret shows in Port Macquarie called Tortuga.
Nelson Smyles pulling circus tricks on his home beach in Port Macquarie. (ABC Mid North Coast: Wiriya Sati)
As for Nelson Smyles, he is more than living up to his name.
"I love doing it, failing, going to sleep and thinking of new tricks, just to come in and fail again," he said.