Before he joined Warehouse Circus as its training director in September, Michael Galkin had a long and impressive career. Galkin began in circus as an eight-year-old in a small circus school in the Ural Mountains. He studied from 1989-90 at the State University of Physical Culture, Department of Physical Training and Sports of Gymnastics, Moscow then went on until 1992 to further study at Ural's State Pedagogical University, Department of Physical Training and Sports in Sverdlovsk.
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He had 15 years' experience as a tumbling competitor and nine years as a circus artist and his many awards and honours included being a three-time champion of Russia in power tumbling (1988-90). During his international circus career, he's performed on the teeter board with Moscow Circus, the Russian swing and Chinese pole in Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco show, and teeterboard and trampoline in Circo de la Costa in Argentina. He's also had more than two decades' experience as a gymnastics, tumbling, acrosport and circus coach.
"My speciality is the acrobatics," Galkin says.
With such a wealth of international experience, it might seem strange he would end up buying a house in Canberra, but like many people, it was for love. He followed his Australian wife here and Warehouse offered him a job. They met when she was performing in the Cirque du Soleil Amaluna show in Montreal. She had trained as a gymnast at the Australian Institute of Sport and moved to a circus career after graduating from the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) in Melbourne. Now the couple is living here with their two sons.
"I love Canberra," he says.
"It's been wonderful - the people have a really good attitude."
"I'd been coaching in the US for 10 years and it was quite different."
The American children were not always as dedicated, he says, and there was often an attitude, especially from their parents, of "We pay money - you have to do this."
In Australia, though, he's found the young circus students are keen to learn and do what he tells them.
"When you work with kids, if people want to learn it's so much more fun to teach them."
And in class, he says, the students are supportive of each other and want to do everything they can.
"It's a really good creative process."
When he did his early training in Russia - then the Soviet Union - he says things were very different to here.
"It was a long time ago ...There wasn't much money and not many people. We trained every day, six days week in circus school. It was more serious, but it was fun."
But in some ways, he says, Warehouse Circus reminds him of his own circus school.
"It was quite small and I had a wonderful coach and mentor, Alex.
"Alex was from a circus and taught me skills like acrobatics, tumbling, teeterboard and Chinese pole.
"I stayed there until I was 16 and as I was good at tumbling, I was accepted for one of only four places on the USSR national tumbling team.
"We competed all over the USSR and at 18 years, I was the USSR Cup Champion."
After his competitive career was ended by injury in the early 1990s he switched to circus performance and thrived again in his new career, combining performance and training, both adults and children, from the ages of eight to 80.
"You might think as a Russian acrobatics coach I would be severe or strict, but I'm exactly the opposite," he says.
"My first coach in Russia was always positive and encouraging and that's what I'm like too. When a young person wants to learn, they get better results. When you push too much, you get the opposite reaction. So, I encourage and ask 'Can you do more?'"
He says Warehouse Circus is famous for its teaching of manipulation and juggling and he has been strengthening the acrobatic side of things and sharing skills and upgrading equipment.
He has been teaching the advanced troupe of senior students at Warehouse Circus campuses in Chifley and Kaleen. He offers an acrobatics intensive class and some aerial classes. He says circus is a great activity for young people.
"It's less structured and more creative than gymnastics and allows for more inclusion. Circus training requires working as a team and this is an important attitude.Students develop physical coordination and get stronger and more flexible, all in a fun atmosphere. With acrobatics, they also learn the rules. When you follow all the steps of the training process you will be safe."
He says the standard of training and performance at Warehouse Circus is very high.
"Several students have continued on to professional careers in circus."
For more information on Warehouse Circus classes and shows visit warehousecircus.org.au.
