DARLINGTON — Suzie Q and Toby J plan to amaze and astound the audience at the Driver Opera House Restoration’s presentation of “Our Greatest Showmen: An Extravanganza for Lafayette County and Beyond!”
But for half of the duo, it won’t be the first time on stage at Darlington High School.
Gratiot native Toby Monson graduated from DHS in 1994. His final performance there was in a production of Peter Pan in 1993.
He went to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and majored in biology. For 10 years, he worked for a tour company that did adventure camping tours. For seven of those years he spent traveling around the United States. Then the company sponsored him go to Australia to serve as manager with its sister company.
“That is how I got down there,” Monson said.
He began taking classes, doing flying trapeze at an area circus school he had taken tour groups to, for an activity after work and to meet new people. Monson had participated in cheerleading while at UW-Platteville and said he enjoyed the activity.
“Someone there was a sports acrobat and suggested I should try it since I was in cheerleading,” Monson said. “I tried it and it was fun.”
He then began competing in sports acrobatic competitions and won the 2007 Australian Sports Acrobatics Championship.
Monson met Emma Corbett — Suzie Q — in a gymnastics class. The gymnasium where Monson was training held open adult gymnastics classes after practices. Corbett came to learn a new flip for her pole dancing routine. At the time, Emma was a professional pole dancer and was looking to add acrobatics into her routine.
“Suzie was putting on a show with a partner and adding acrobatics with it, but her partner quit coming to rehearsals so I filled in,” Monson said.
They began working together as partners.
“Soon he was missing work to come to rehearsals,” Emma said jokingly.
They joined their two strengths and started competing in pole dancing competitions, weaving their routine with acrobatics. They made it a signature blend called Acro-Pole. With that new skill they won the Open Pairs Division of the Asia Pacific Pole Dancing Championships in 2010, 2013 and 2017, and were Pole Art Champions (Pairs Division) at the International Pole Championships in 2013 representing Australia. They appeared on Australia’s Got Talent in 2011 and again in 2012, where they made it to the semifinals with their ‘Flying Pole’ act.
“On double poles, we were one of the forerunners in Australia,” Monson said. “Doubles pole started around the time when we started.”
Corbett said the duo was “one of the first to introduce more acro elements,” which inspired other pairs to do the same.
Even though they call Sydney their home, they don’t exactly have a physical house. They are content traveling around the world teaching workshops and performing for various events, such as Christmas parties, weddings and corporate events.
Corbett also teaches worldwide yoga retreats.
Both have been a part of a big fundraiser event in Australia called the Sydney Chocolate Ball, where they raise money to fund vital research of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, a genetic muscle disorder which causes progressive degeneration and mostly impacts the face, shoulder blades and upper arms.
They are resident aerialists at ‘El Circo’ in Sydney at the Slide Lounge, where a nine-course meal is served along with nine circus acts. They just got off a tour with Princess Cruises on the Majestic Princess where they were performers from November to February.
“Everywhere has its own thing that I love,” Corbett said, adding Wisconsin has its own set, but joked she would prefer the summer activities over winter ones.
At the shows starting 7:30 p.m. Friday, they will be performing a pole routine, adagio, or partner acrobatics, and trapeze acts during the Driver Opera House’s “Our Greatest Showmen.” Other shows are set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. A fourth act will be with students who attended workshops. Youth ages 8 and above will learn some iconic “circus” tricks.
Those who attend will have the option to be in the show.
