HOT LIKE TORCHES. The Torch Sisters are a performance group that combines elements of dance, acroyoga, bellydancing, gymnastics and – you guessed it! – hula hoops. They’ve performed alongside hip hop acts like Sayth and Fathom as well as bluegrass/pop-folk group Them Coulee Boys. What can’t they do? Use fire... yet.

Eau Claire has seen its fair share of impressive talent but with their blazing hula hooping, acroyoga, aerial, fire, and dance skills combined, The Torch Sisters are bringing a new show to the stage that could very well be Eau Claire’s own mini Cirque de Soleil.

It started as an innocent gathering of a group of friends with a history in dance, yoga, and acrobatics, literally hanging out and playing around with their various abilities. Branching off their skills and each other’s limbs, they began to practice more and more, until they realized their skills were performance worthy.

“We started so randomly,” said Torch Sister Michelle Anthony. “We were all hanging out one night playing and eventually it turned into, ‘Wow, we’re good; we could actually perform this.’ ”

Though the number of performers changes due to those willing to participate in shows, key troupe members include: Michelle Anthony, Kerri Kiernan, Teasha Hintzke, Courtney Stoner, Michelle Bolwerk, and Kiara McChesney. The Torch sisters also feature “The Token Man,” Dan Green, in their group as a way of incorporating some male energy.

With their improv- and burlesque-like performances, you’d think they’d be opening for Cher or Christina Aguilera. Though worthy of the accompaniment, the troupe instead landed its first gig and shared the stage at the Mousetrap with Eau Claire rapper Cory Crowell (Fathom) at a bluegrass and rap show.

Crowell performs about 13 shows a year in Eau Claire and said when he combined his talents with that of the Torch Sisters, it created an amazing energy and performance. Crowell and the troupe connected through mutual friends and plan to work together again in the future. 

“They bring a show to life,” Crowell says. “These girls are fun, kind, absolutely talented and every time I see them, they seem to improve.”

“Their performance is more a mix of acrobatics and gymnastics than strictly burlesque,” Crowell said. “It’s different. I had a song that had a lot of gymnastic terms in, so we combined performances, and I’m so happy we did.”

The Torch Sisters performed their second show with Crowell at The House of Rock, where they once again wowed the crowds with their ability to use each other’s bodies as jungle gyms and to show off their hula hooping expertise.

Anthony has been involved with various forms of dance since the young age of five, but says she and her troupe have found the Sisters’ multi-talent dance form the most rewarding.

“(This dance) is the biggest challenge, reward and muse,” Anthony said. “We know what our bodies can eventually achieve, and it inspires us to keep trying.”

The troupe combines the art of acroyoga, a practice that blends acrobatics and yoga together, with hula-hooping and aerial arts. Though they’ve not had the right venue to incorporate their aerial or fire skills, they continue to practice.

“We need to save for insurance so we can incorporate fire into our routines,” Anthony laughs. “It’s an adrenaline thrill, and it’s exciting to connect with people in these unique ways.”

As a yoga instructor, Anthony aims to teach her students the importance of finding peace, harmony, and awareness within one’s self. However, by incorporating her high-energy hooping, acroyoga, and fire technique, she said she discovers new aspects of herself she wouldn’t of otherwise.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m leading a double life,” Anthony said. “I’m on the path to enlightenment, but then I’m performing in bars. If it’s taught me anything, it’s to embrace all sides of me. They each teach about a different energy within me.”

The troupe invites others to join their circus circle, even if participants can barely touch their toes. Anthony teaches a partner acroyoga class at Dragonfly Dance Studio on Saturdays from 1 to 2:30pm in hopes of teaching others to love the troupe’s unique integration of art forms.

For those who prefer to strictly admire the talents, the Torch Sisters’ next performance will be at the UW-Eau Claire Feb. 27 and 28 in the Women’s & LGBTQ Resource Center’s annual Fireball show.

“This type of performance is new to us and to the stages of Eau Claire,” Anthony said. “What we’re capable of inspires us and it’s only going to get better with the support of the community.”