Photo: Marion Chuniaud & Ruben Naranjo
Nicolás Aravena Miller
Biography
Nicolás Aravena Miller, also known as Niki, is a Chilean circus artist and visual creator based in Montreal. Raised in Santiago de Chile, he discovered art and movement as forms of freedom, resistance and self-expression.
At 13, he entered the world of parkour, urban exploration and acrobatic movement, learning through the streets, abandoned spaces and human encounters across the city. Around the same time, drawing, music and philosophy became an important part of his artistic identity.
At 17, he immersed himself in street juggling while studying Physical Training in university. Performing in public spaces became both a way of survival and a deep connection with people and emotion. Traveling solo through the south of Chile with only his juggling props, a tent and a guitar helped shape his understanding of performance through lived experience.
Today, his work is driven by curiosity, resilience and the desire to create honest and transformative experiences through movement and performance.
Parcours
Niki’s path evolved from street movement into contemporary circus and performance creation. After receiving a full scholarship at a circus school in Chile, he developed his practice through acrobatics, juggling, theater and stage performance, later collaborating with social circus projects and artistic communities.
Seeking to expand his artistic language, he moved to Montreal, where he continued training and developing his performative identity through circus and dance research. His background in parkour and street juggling naturally merged with dance expression, creating a movement quality rooted in instinct, musicality and physicality.
Today, his practice combines acro-juggling, movement research and theatrical presence, balancing power, vulnerability and emotional honesty.