Scaling new business heights

The Dust Palace is a unique circus theatre company and school, based in an Auckland industrial warehouse, driven by an amazing work ethic and indefatigable desire to succeed.

As business niches go, you couldn’t be much more specialised than The Dust Palace. 

For owners Eve Gordon (35) and Mike Edward (43), theirs is a unique world of corporate ‘circus-theatre’ style performances, specialist classes for adults and children, outdoor festival performances and their own ‘aerial dancing’ shows staged around New Zealand and overseas.

All up they produce around 50 ‘gigs’ a year.

Launched in 2009, it is an arts business requiring many strings to its bow in order to turn a profit – as well as typical Kiwi ingenuity. Eve and Mike custom-build a lot of their props and circus equipment specifically for their shows and their bodies.

For the past nine years they’ve also had to battle outdated perceptions of circus and demonstrate the athletic, emotional and creative aspects of their art form.

Eve had zero experience at running a business prior to The Dust Palace – she held an acting degree but brought no business skills to the partnership.

Mike had, and still has, a career in commercial realty and acting. He jokingly describes himself as a “C-grade celebrity”, having spent
time in front of cameras on local TV shows such as Shortland Street and Filthy Rich.

But one major thing they had in common was enthusiasm and passion for the performing arts industry.

Although first meeting at drama school at Unitec 15 years ago, the couple connected seriously while involved in a show for another physical theatre company between 2008 and 2010. 

It was Mike’s suggestion that they find a venue and launch their own theatre school. 

Eve was equally enthusiastic and had already chosen a brand (“a feeling and an aesthetic”) inspired by a “hideously dusty space I had once worked in with a friend”.

“Circus is Eve’s first love, and my personal enjoyment for the business comes from my love for Eve,” Mike explains – adding that the business was mostly her dream. 

“I’m really the guy standing behind her, encouraging her to do her thing and helping her when and wherever I can.”

With Eve the creator/performer and Mike contributing other sources of income through his property and acting work – they gelled as a couple and The Dust Palace began its organic growth.

They admit that the business has not been able to sustain a living for both of them – although initially there was a market demand in Auckland to meet, and the ‘gigs’ have been increasing in size and value over the years. 

2018 is already proving to be a strong year, with a number of $10k performances booked.

To the limit

Eve still has to pinch herself to believe she is making a living from such “outrageous” shows, and although Mike had to reluctantly give up the performance aspect of the business due to “wear and tear” on his body, Eve is still pushing herself to the limit as a performer and ‘jack of all trades’. 

She is an accomplished seamstress, as well as a film editor, sound and music expert – setting high standards in all the skills she exercises. While Mike assists through directing and choreographing and generally helping out at the school.

Single-handedly Eve has made the business viable, says Mike, and most people are surprised to learn of the extraordinary hours and effort she puts in to make it all work. 

He’s open about his admiration for the skills and dedicated effort she brings to the business, including her desire to ‘front-foot’ the issue of health and safety within the industry by chairing the new Aotearoa New Zealand Circus Association (ANZCA) committee.

Creating amazing art

Today three strands make up The Dust Palace: the corporate work, the school, and the theatre. The latter, Eve admits, tends to suck up the dollars, but is all about “creating amazing art and putting it out into the world in order to change peoples’ lives”. 

This has always been the core focus of the business. It’s never about making loads of money, they say. 

Eve, in particular, underestimated the percentage of profit required to keep the business afloat. As a performer, her empathy is with the performers, and she admits the biggest gap in her business knowledge has been long-term budgeting.

The school, which has around 250 students, is vital because it keeps seven tutors employed and pays for the warehouse rental – although they admit that the consequence of turning out successful students today can be extra business competition tomorrow. 

But that’s just the way it goes.

On the subject of competition, Eve and Mike agree that staying on top of the market is all about maintaining their standards and integrity, both around performance and teaching. They’re proud of their achievements, and the fact that they’ve still forging on, and largely independent.

For Eve, maintaining her performance skills levels requires a minimum of four hours training a day, five days a week. With her daily schedule starting at 5am, it’s a gruelling commitment.

As for her performances, she’s learned to stop stressing, and no longer gets nervous before a show.

A tipping year

Mike and Eve have high hopes for 2018. They realise the business is at a tipping point, and to grow it further will require some serious support. 

They’ve been encouraged by recent collaborative work – in particular, one with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra – as well as accolades from overseas. 

They acknowledge that it’s time to consider giving up that independence. There’re plans to move premises this year and the ultimate goal is to build a purpose-designed training space – perhaps combined with an indoor sports facility and hopefully with Council support.

“Ultimately, the dream for us is to become fully sustainable,” says Eve. “Before I burn out.”

For the business owner who loved dance and ballet as a kid, failed school gymnastics, but later saw circus theatre as the ultimate physical and mental challenge, The Dust Palace has become her life.

Now for Eve and Mike there are new business heights to scale and plenty more hard work ahead.