You can count on us:
Project PQ stands for spectacular shows combining professional dance and prop manipulation with fire and light. We work with professionals, love what we do and are passionate about performing on stage. Enthusiasm and quality are our top priorities. Safety is also at the forefront of our minds, especially in the case of fire shows. Over the past 15 years or more, we have established a track record for being reliable and punctual, so you can always count on us. Many of our clients return to us time and again.
The passion and the idea that sparked Project PQ – how it all began…
I’m Petra Quednau, dancer, performing artist and producer of Project PQ. Thank you for your interest in learning about who and what lies behind Project PQ. I’ve turned my passion for dance into my career. It was through this occupation that I first came into contact with the world of magic and the circus arts. Fascinated by the sheer endless opportunities, I reflected on what kind of act could be combined with dance. For me, fire signifies strength, dynamism and passion. My aim was to learn how to master flames, and through continual training I was able to combine fire artistry with dance and develop my own personal style. In my first fire show entitled “Lady of Fire“, I combined the elegance of dance with the combative nature of fire. I have remained faithful to this concept to the present day. I was soon able to kindle enthusiasm for the concept among my fellow dancers, which is how Project PQ came about over 20 years ago. Not wishing to confine myself solely to fire artistry, I gave my project a name composed of my own initials.
Project PQ – hot even without fire….
After fire came light, and I began experimenting with black light. While working with star magician Peter Marvey over a period of many years, I acquired a fascination for making objects levitate and disappear. UV light is a great medium for making this happen. Like me, my mother, Usch Quednau, loves testing different materials, and we started trying out UV paints, lacquers, fabrics and granulates. One evening, while sitting on the balcony overlooking the garden, I watched the flies chasing the light and flying into it. Inspired by nature, I came up with the idea for the Black Light Show Animatix Lux, which remains very popular with audiences to this day. My head is always buzzing with new creative ideas and I aim to put many more of them into practice.
Flying high?
In an endeavour to hone my skills, I grasped every physical challenge that came my way. I was particularly interested in martial arts and acrobatics, and after trying out a number of disciplines I found the ideal apparatus: the aerial hoop. Through further training, some of which took place in New York, I succeeded in reaching new heights. In Mainz I performed at a height of 8m in the Staatstheater during the production of Hochzeit, to name just one of the amazing events in which I have taken part. However, metaphorically speaking I have always kept my feet firmly on the ground, as I enjoy country life with my family and pets in a small rural community on the outskirts of Mainz. Sustainability and environmental protection are of utmost importance to me. I strive to uphold these values in both my private and professional life. Our shows have been climate neutral since 2019.
Who else has a burning interest in events? Meet the team…
Where would I be without an enthusiastic and competent team? I generally work with women, and each of my professional dancers brings her own personality and speciality to the team. We are a troupe of ballet dancers, musical performers, hip-hoppers and jazz dancers, all of whom have been trained by me to juggle with equipment and manipulate props (flow arts). I take pride in the fact that some of them have been working for me for over 8 years. The sense of fun and mutual trust that we bring to the stage goes down well with our audiences. To find out more about our female performers, please take a look at our latest image folder. For the past four years, we have also had a man on the team. Daniel comes from the world of ballroom dancing and is so full of enthusiasm that we couldn’t do without him. Last but not least there are the dedicated creative professionals who work behind the scenes, taking care of the fireworks, website programming and costumes.
When can we treat you to a mesmerising performance?
We look forward to presenting you with a first-rate, dynamic show at your next event. Please feel free to get in touch. We will be happy to advise you on the types of show act best suited to your event. Alternatively, you’re welcome to visit us in person. We train regularly at our rehearsal room in Mainz-Hechtsheim. Our office premises are in Köngernheim.