Sri Devi was born in a cabin in a zoo in Buckingham, Virginia—a most unusual beginning that ignited a lifelong devotion to living boldly and pursuing her passions with fervor. From a young age, she immersed herself in the performing arts, studying classical dance, musical theatre, and gymnastics.
For over 14 years, Sri Devi worked alongside her family and a menagerie of creatures great and small as an animal trainer, live show host, and production coordinator with T.I.G.E.R.S. (The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species) at Butterfly Pavilion and Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina as well as Jungle Island in Miami, FL. She has also performed in Tale of the Tiger at King Richard’s Renaissance Faire in Carver, MA.
In her twenties, she discovered circus arts and fell madly in love—with aerial silks, rope, and just a touch of hoop—finding in them a new calling that fused her love of movement and narrative.
Sri Devi earned her B.A. in Drama & Dance with Honors from the University of Virginia and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. After completing a professional course at Gravity Circus in Sheffield, UK, she turned her focus to adapting and creating original works, deeply exploring the fusion of classical theatre with aerial and physical storytelling. Her current artistic pursuit is reimagining Shakespeare through a physical lens—melding voice, verse, and movement across not just the stage, but the entire vertical space—seeking to forge a visceral, embodied connection between performer and story.
In addition to her creative performances, Sri Devi brings decades of experience in costume, graphic, and sound design. She produces audiobooks, is currently developing her original podcast TigerMan & Calamity Fae, and post-produces the Circus Mobility Podcast. She also delights in crafting brand identities and logos for businesses both large and small.
