Sara Twister. Photo courtesy of Sara Twister
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Best-known for her one-woman show, Ready.Aim.Fire, which is as much a feat of precision and physical excellence as a comedy, Sara Twister is the globe-trotting winner of the Director’s Awards. She’s been invited to perform on five continents, in theaters, at art festivals, and even at corporate events. Her signature show has been performed in four languages and has won multiple awards, including the 2024 Bronze Jury Award at the International Performing Arts Theatre Festival in Germany and the 2023 1st Place People’s Choice Award at Wandertheaterfestival, which led to her being invited back in 2024 due to overwhelming demand and sold-out performances.
Sara was also selected to represent solo women in the street theatre industry at three events featuring the world’s only all-female entertainer lineups: once in the USA, once in Italy, and also to celebrate International Women’s Day in Dubai.
Her perfect aim and flexibility combine into a mesmerizing display of foot archery that has entertained audiences and inspired fans. Her performances have brought her to events with hundreds of thousands of attendees annually and to sold-out theater shows, where her work continues to resonate deeply with audiences. In this interview, she discusses her journey, inspiration, and future.
Q: Sara, you’ve lived a fascinating journey. You’re not exactly following in your parents’ footsteps, and your career path hasn’t been conventional. What made you want to get into live performances?
A: I was born in Bombay, India, and grew up living in 19 countries spanning four continents. My six siblings and I assisted our parents in bringing humanitarian aid to people in need. When I was 17, I left my parents’ mission to travel from Zambia to Germany. It was there that I put myself through school. I finished college but knew that my talents and passion were not the “Sitting down” type. I started as a for-hire artist painting murals, but I wanted to be more active in the entertainment industry.
So, I started as a missionary’s daughter with a dream but no means other than determination. I’d been highly inspired by street theater as an art form growing up. Having people bring their talents to a public space was the only exposure to art and culture I could get.
Q: Can you speak about some of your most notable achievements?
A: There have been so many highlights! Winning awards like the 2024 Bronze Jury Award at the Lingener Theo Festival and the First Place People’s Choice Award at Wandertheaterfestival in 2023 were incredible moments. Being invited back to Wandertheaterfestival for 2024 due to sold-out performances really affirmed the connection my work has with audiences.
I’ve also had the honor of representing solo women in the street theater industry at events like Asfaltart’s Women’s Edition in Italy and an all-female lineup in Lawrence, Kansas.
And, of course, there are my television appearances — performing on Das Supertalent in Germany, Iumor in Romania, and being a guest on Ireland’s The Ray D’Arcy Show.
Q: You were already a college graduate when you got started in circus performance, then. That’s pretty late by most standards, isn’t it? Didn’t that come with more challenges?
A: I started circus life very late in life, at 24. Most people think you have to start really early, but I think determination and commitment are more important than age. I knew what I wanted to achieve, so I gave up everything and lived in the attic of a circus school. It had no windows, no kitchen, and even at 5’2″, I could barely stand up in it. But when no classes were going on, I could use the training space as much as I wanted. And that’s what I did.
When I started performing my own show, I was not good. I was terrified of speaking in public. It took me a whole year of carrying around a microphone before I had the guts to use it. It took the faith of some good friends and my stubbornness in what I wanted to achieve as a solo artist to get me through it. It got easier. I now can’t stop speaking on stage.
Q: And now you’ve captivated audiences all over the world. How did you go from a circus performance to a one-woman show?
A: I toured with a circus group through Central America and started with circus acts in Variete and dinner shows throughout Europe, but I wanted to create my own show and follow my own ideas. Really, I wanted more than just to be one circus act in a show. I want to bring a message to the little girls, boys, mothers, and fathers that you CAN follow your dream and make it work. My shows are more than visual stimulation. They bring a message. They invite people to think. And also to play along and get involved. With Ready.Aim.Fire, I found a way to combine skill, humor, and a message of resilience.
Q: You’ve also helped bring circus acts like this to street theaters and festivals where they didn’t used to be. How do you think that changes things?
A: Formerly, these acts would only be seen in a restricted environment. Now, they are accessible to audiences worldwide in an outdoor environment. Children and young people especially need to be exposed to the more positive outlooks of these shows and role models outside their social media worlds. This is a problem in modern-day society, and I strive to solve it with the format of the show I offer.
Q: You’ve done a lot of good already and taken your act pretty far. How do you plan to go up from here?
A: I’m currently training two record-breaking trick shots, which will be the basis for my new work. I’m currently writing a show with the underlying message of “Feeling,” which explores the practice of physical body awareness as a means of “feeling awareness.” The practice of learning to identify and recognize feelings is of so much importance in all aspects of human communication. I’ll be presenting this thesis to audiences both as a show for the theater and as a presentation for corporate and school functions. I also plan to deliver this as a TED talk, along with a demonstration of the trick-shot foot archery that inspired it.
Q: Let’s end with some advice. What can you teach aspiring performers, creatives, entrepreneurs, or anyone trying to follow a non-traditional path?
A: An important lesson I’ve learned is that everything is in motion. Where you are now is only a small part of the journey. This is just as important to remember when at highs in your career as at lows. Don’t judge yourself on the details. Remember that there’s a whole lot more to the picture.
Sara Twister looks forward to the future of her career as a foot archer in the innovative entertainment industry. Her unique and daring skill has turned Sara into an inspiration for others. As she continues to push boundaries with her performances, she remains a testament to the power of resilience and creativity.
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