Richard Hankes and Ashlee Montague are classical ballet dancers turned world record holding circus performers, and Cirque du Soleil alumna. They specialize in acrobatic ballet, adagio, hand-to-hand, aerial, and bottle walking acts.
Richard and Ashlee met in 2007 while studying ballet at the Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia. Married July of 2017, the couple has performed across the globe together for television, film, commercials, print, and events. They are coached by Jerome Le Baut (Ecole National de Cirque, Cirque du Soleil), Sebastien Soldevila (Director of Les 7 Doigts de la Main), and Mimi Bonnavaud (Gold Medalist Cirque de Demain) in addition to their extensive dance training.
Richard and Ashlee have enjoyed performing for Cirque du Soleil's Broadway show Paramour, performing internationally for 45 Degrees, appearing as "The Crystal Bruts" on Amazon Prime's Mozart in the Jungle, debuting a new P.T. Barnum based musical, and playing leading roles in Eden - a new immersive dinner production created for Celebrity Cruise Line's newest ship, the Celebrity Edge.
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Richard and Ashlee reside in New York City and travel worldwide.
CV highlights:
The Gong Show, ABC Television, Season 2 Episode 9
Cirque du Soleil for SAP, 45 Degrees, Orlando
Singers and Swingers, Opera North
Bar Car Nights, New York Botanical Garden (curators, performers)
Chihuly Nights, New York Botanical Garden
The Box Miami Art Basel, Faena Miami
Paramour, Cirque du Soleil
Mozart in the Jungle, Amazon Prime
Eden, Celebrity Edge
The Greatest Showman Live, 20th Century FOX
L'eden Miami, Variety Worldwide/Perrier Jouet
Guinness World Record "Longest Duration Balance Pointe on Shoulders"
Le Savoir, 45 Degrees/Stella Artois
Star King, TV show SBS South Korea
Sochi Olympics Opening Ceremony Creation
Broadway Electronics Commercial (Hong Kong)
The Box (NYC/SOHO)
America's Got Talent
The Ride NYC
Miami City Ballet
Ellison Ballet
American Ballet Theater
Rock School for Dance Education
Specialties:
Hand-to-hand (static and dynamic)
Champagne Bottle Walking en Pointe
Custom apparatuses
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*Insured by Performers of the U.S.
*Current U.S. passports and driver's licenses