Maartje Bonarius
Maartje Bonarius was born into a life of circus. From the age of five, she spent every summer performing with her parents, brother, and even the family dog in their mini-family circus, Circus Bonarius, in France.
She trained at Codarts Rotterdam, graduating in 2012 with a specialization in aerial and partner acrobatics. Together with her partner Harm van der Laan, she co-founded Tall Tales Company, a pioneering Dutch contemporary circus company known for its unique blend of circus, physical theatre, and storytelling. Under their joint leadership, Tall Tales has become a key player in the Dutch and European circus landscape, creating work that explores the human condition through bold, narrative-driven performances.
In 2017, Maartje had an injury, with consequence of limited use of her arms and legs and making her wheelchair-dependent. Unable to continue performing physically, she reinvented herself as a director, finding new ways to tell stories through circus.
Maartje sees circus as an artform that inherently celebrates diversity and challenges societal norms. For her, circus is more than spectacle: it is a deeply human language that everyone can understand, regardless of background or ability. Her work is based on the theatrical meanings inherent in circus movements; the act of standing on another human being can speak about violence, trust, courage and fear, sometimes simultaneously.
After a number of performances in which she ‘spoke through the bodies of others’ she now returns to the stage. In her current project So Low, Maartje examines themes of carrying and being carried—both literally and metaphorically—inviting audiences to reflect on care, autonomy, and the often invisible obstacles faced by people with disabilities. As she says, “I want to explore what it means to be a circus artist with a disability, how I can still share a personal story on stage, and how we can create circus that embraces different kinds of bodies and movement.”
Contact details
Maartje Bonarius
co-founder of the Dutch contemporary circus company Tall Tales Company
Weg (2012)
Description: Poetic duet about a couple trapped in their relationship
Turbulentie (2013)
Description: All ages performance about a pilot and a flight attendant who travel without a plane
Solo (2014)
Description: Monologue about the (im)possibilities of romantic love
Langs (2016)
Description: Full evening theatre performance about how you can feel lonely while being together with others
One of These Days (2018)
Description: Choreographic performance about our current performance society
Square One (2019)
Description: Research at the intersection of juggling and abstract geometric art
Square 2.1 (2020)
Description: Virtual circus performance in which the audience follow a route through their own home and sees it with a complete fresh look
Square Two (2021)
Description: Site specific performance in the shape of a promenade full of living juggling sculptures, art and poetry about the role of codes in our lives
A Clockwork Orange (2022)
Description: Indoor theatre performance with six acrobats about lone wolves and the state, based upon the world-famous book by Anthony Burgess
On the Move (2023)
Description: Duet between a b-boy and handstand artist about finding a common language
Facades (2024)
Description: A series of ‘autobiochoreographies’ in which three acrobats dance with their demons
In Your Hands (2025)
Description: A circus translation of the St Johns Passion highlighting the feminine within the divine. Coproduction with B'Rock Orchestra
Droplines (2026)
Description: Choreographies for three jugglers in acts of failing
Tall Tales Company reimagines and provides experiences on understanding circus, in relation to itself and other artforms, in ways that are seriously ahead of the curve in the international cultural field
– New Horizons Festival, Sweden
My goodness, these people know what they are doing and why! Beautifully choreographed, elegantly performed, with a great soundtrack and a fabulous use of site
– Total Theatre UK about Square Two
2024, June 23 – deVolkskrant – De vintage synthesizers en rondspringende acrobaten in de Bach-bewerking ‘In your hands’ doen je adem stokken
2023, July 18 – Opera + – KoresponDance 2023 (3): Mezi českým barokem a horkou Andalusií
2022, Mar. 30 – TheaterKant – Gewaagde circusversie van gewelddadige cultfilm
2020, Dec. 17 – deVolkskrant – Donkere culturele tijden? Met deze tips straalt uw beeldscherm u zo door de lockdown heen
Latest Video
Tall Tales Company, 10 years, episode 3: Interview about the work made with Tall Tales Company
Footage - Piet van Steen
Tall Tales Company, 10 years, episode 5: Interview about the work made with Tall Tales Company
Footage - Piet van Steen
Langs (2016)
Footage - Piet van Steen
Square Two (2020) - Trailer
Footage - Piet van Steen
Square Two (2020) - Registration
Footage - Piet van Steen
Square Two (2020) - Documentary
Footage - Benda Film
Square 10 (2023) - Trailer
Directed by Maartje Bonarius, Footage - Piet van Steen
Facades (2024) - Trailer
Directed by Maartje Bonarius, Footage - Piet van Steen
Facades (2024) - Registration
Directed by Maartje Bonarius, Footage - Piet van Steen
In your hands (2025) - Trailer
Directed by Maartje Bonariu


