Youth Companies
Taking circus and performance skills to the stage
A Unique Arts Experience for Youth
Up with a Twist 2020 – photo by John Cornicello
SANCA’s Youth Company is an immersive, multi-year arts program that gives youth ages 5 to 18 a unique arts experience and a progressive track to develop performance skills based on traditional and modern circus arts. They create and perform original acts at major festivals in Seattle such as Moisture Festival and Seattle Center’s Winterfest as well as the Chicago Social Circus Festival and AYCO. The program includes four troupes divided based on age: Stratus Circus, Nimbus Circus, Celestial Circus, and Cirrus Circus.
Youth in the program learn the necessary skills to perform many elements of circus solo and with others in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment that provides both challenge and reward to the student.
Youth are trained in:
Acrobatic Arts (tumbling, partner balancing, human pyramids)
Juggling (balls, rings, and clubs, club passing, plate & carpet spinning, diabolo)
Balance (walking globe, tightrope, unicycle)
Aerial Arts (trapeze, rope, fabric, hoop)
Dance
Theatre and Performance Skills
SASS 2022 – Photo by John Cornicello
After completing
the Performance Program at 18 years of age, students have the tools needed to create and perform their own acts and engage with the broader Circus community. Participants in SANCA’s Youth Companies have become mentors and coaches to other young artists. Some have completed other training programs including Circus Smirkus in Vermont, SaSak in Finland, L’Ecole de Cirque de Québec, and L’Ecole Nationale de Cirque de Montréal in Canada. And our former students have gone on to create their own circus companies and perform with companies including The 7 Fingers, Teatro ZinZanni, Quatuor Stomp, and Cirque du Soleil.
Youth performers may be booked for your next event!
We perform at school events, community festivals, halftime shows, auctions, galas, receptions, and more. Stage shows and ambient entertainment are possible.
Complete an inquiry form here to get started!
How to Apply
Application information may be found on each troupe’s page:
Funding for this program is provided in part by:
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Up with a Twist 2021 – photo by John Cornicello
Celestial Circus
SANCA’s performance troupe that serves teens (12-18) with marginalized identities within SANCA who want to explore their sense of community through art.
Cirrus Circus
SANCA’s performance troupe for advanced teens (12-18) who enhance their creative autonomy with unique performance opportunities and work directly with skilled coaches in a variety of disciplines.
Nimbus Circus
SANCA’s performance troupe for youth ages 8 to 12 who have the drive for working hard (in large and small groups) and the personality for being on stage.
Stratus Circus
SANCA’s performance troupe for youth ages 5 to 8 who enjoy working in large and small groups in an accelerated learning environment and who love to bring extra sparkle to the stage.
Synapse Circus
SANCA’s performance troupe for youth ages 8 to 18 who are eager to excel in performance while also having time to do other sports/activities.
“The SANCA Youth Performance Company [now known as Cirrus Circus] has given me the confidence and the support that made me who I am today. Youth Company has touched my life and I, in turn, hope that through performance I can touch the lives of others around me.”
— Anna Partridge, Youth Company Charter Member
