Lea Hinz

Lea Hinz (born 1989) is a German aerial performer, creative director and choreographer based in the United States. Hinz practiced rhythmic gymnastics while growing up, eventually becoming a six-time German national champion and a member of the German national team. As an adult, she transitioned into circus arts, specializing in the aerial hoop. She performed internationally, eventually settling in Las Vegas. Since the 2020s, Hinz has worked as a creative director and choreographer for films and stage productions.

Early life Lea Hinz was born in 1989 in Göttingen, West Germany. Both her parents were doctors.

Hinz began practicing rhythmic gymnastics at the age of eight and competed for TSV Obernjesa during her youth. She achieved significant success in the sport, In total, she won the German national championship six times and was part of the German national team before withdrawing shortly before the 2008 Summer Olympics. At first it was only going to be for an hour, then for a year, before she returned to her studies, but it became her career. She gradually began to specialize in the aerial hoop, performing aerial acrobatics sometimes off the ground.

In 2013, Hinz began performing internationally. She joined the Canadian contemporary circus company The 7 Fingers, to create the act "Amuse" in Montreal and perform it in Mexico. In 2014, she appeared in the La Soirée cabaret and variety show in New York City. There she developed her solo act, "Girl in Jeans", portraying a self-confident young woman performing aerial hoop acrobatics in street clothes. The act became one of her signature performances. at Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle, and returned to Europe for performances with the Feuerwerk der Turnkunst touring troupe. and appeared on the La France a un incroyable talent (sometimes called France's Got Talent) French television show.

In 2018, Hinz began living in Las Vegas. She was under contract with Absinthe at Caesars Palace, while continuing to tour internationally. She also performed at Teatro ZinZanni in Chicago in 2021, 2023 and 2024. In 2022, she performed with the circus Flic Flac in Kassel, Germany. The film received the Silver Awards for Best Screendance Short and Best First Time Director (Female) from the Independent Shorts Awards in March 2022. Her short film Nasty Infinity, which she both directed and starred in, received the Outstanding Achievement Awards for Microfilm and Experimental Short at the 2022 Indie Short Fest (Los Angeles International Short Film Festival).

Over the 2022–23 New Year, in Kassel, Hinz realized that her time as a stage performer was running out, so she would need to move behind the scenes. It was followed by "Reflections", in 2023, "Cloud 7" in 2024, and "Dolls: Invitation to the Blues" in 2025.

In addition to her own productions, Hinz has worked as a director and choreographer for other artists and companies. In 2021 she co-directed and choreographed a Feuerwerk der Turnkunst tour in Sweden. In 2023 she and Carisa Hendrix co-directed the stage production "Shuffled" for magician Andi Gladwin. In 2024 she worked as choreographer and director for the Particle Ink production "House of Shattered Prisms" at Luxor Las Vegas.