With love,
John ‘JT’ Tannous
Executive Director

Flying Trapeze Coach!

Reports to: School of Flight Directors

Description: A flying trapeze coach is responsible for teaching recreational flying trapeze as part of a three-coach team to students aged 4 and up. Currently, these classes are session-based but may revert to single-serving classes as COVID restrictions ease. Regardless, coaches must be able to quickly engage with each student, evaluate his or her individual level, and set out a personalized plan to help progress toward their goals. Your job is to create a fun and friendly environment that fosters a feeling of success and safety in the face of physical and psychological challenges. This is a part/full-time position, depending on the additional coaching skills of the new employee. 

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

– Working all positions on the fly rig: platform, safety lines, catching

– Uphold the highest standards of professional conduct with students, staff, and families

– Support and share SANCA’s Mission and Vision in speaking with students and parents

– Maintain a safe environment for the student, physically and emotionally

– Attend and participate in coach training and meetings

– Maintain equipment including mats, belts, safety gear, and any other equipment used for classes

– Immediately report any unsafe, damaged, or lost equipment to the School of Flight directors

– Set up and break down class space as required by the schedule and weather

– Willingness and flexibility to create success in a class environment with varying levels of skill

– Communicate and enforce SANCA’s COVID protocols

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate would

– Have a passion for flying trapeze and a desire to share that passion with students of all levels and abilities

– Have experience teaching flying trapeze to both children and adults in a recreational setting

– Show initiative

– Show good class management skills

– Be able to catch (not required)

 The minimum requirements are:

– A year of experience working with youth

– Working knowledge of circus skills

– Pass a background check

– Patience and ability to deal with stressful situations

To apply, please send a resume to recruiter@sancaseattle.org

Please join us on

February 23 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

for SANCA’s 2021 Virtual Circus Tent Hall

You’re invited to join us on SANCA’s Zoom for a Tent Hall event on Tuesday, February 23rd at 7:00 p.m. We’re gathering our community of supporters to share a few highlights from 2020 and talk about what’s coming up in 2021. This brief community meeting will include:

• A Welcome from John Tannous, SANCA’s Executive Director

• New performances from members of SANCA’s Youth Performance Troupes

• Our progress on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Anti-Racism with updates from SANCA’s IDEA Committee

• Some notable highlights from 2020

• An update on SANCA’s financial status

• The outlook for 2021 and what’s next

• Community Q&A

RSVP to development@sancaseattle.org to be sent a link a few hours before the event!

The link for the Tent Hall will be emailed to you on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 23rd, a few hours before the event. For questions about this event, contact SANCA’s Development Director, Jeff Deveaux at development@sancaseattle.org.

FAQ: How is SANCA Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Dated: January 6, 2021 (new text is in RED)

Yesterday, Governor Jay Inslee announced that SANCA can reopen beginning January 12, 2021, based on new Healthy Washington guidelines. 

When will SANCA start offering classes again?

In order to give students time to enroll, SANCA will open classes beginning Sunday, January 17, 2021. Classes will be offered in a four-week session. Students must enroll in all four weeks of a class. Please see our updated COVID Policy page for details about how we are complying with state COVID guidelines. 

When can we enroll in Winter Session classes?

SANCA will open enrollment beginning Friday, January 8, at 10:00 A.M. Students can enroll online at sancaseattle.org or by calling (206) 652-4433. This four-week session will run from January 17 through February 13, 2021. Online classes will continue to be available throughout.

Will SANCA survive this latest closure and the uncertain future?

Despite the many challenges the pandemic and closures have caused SANCA, the short answer is YES, we will survive. In 2020, the SANCA community has stepped up generously with record-breaking levels of giving. Individual giving has doubled from 2019 levels ($184,109) to nearly $400,000 this year. Overall, contributed income – which includes COVID relief grants, foundation giving, employer matches, and the federal government’s PPP loan (forgiven) – has reached nearly $1 million. That’s up from $466,088 in 2019. 

This is incredible! SANCA’s supporters and students – all of YOU – have made it possible for SANCA to survive the pandemic’s closures and reduced operations. Not only is SANCA able to survive to now, it has built a reserve that will help us weather the storm even if pandemic restrictions continue for all of 2021. We are so grateful for this generous, loving community!

We still have work to do, though. SANCA’s earned revenue losses exceed $900,000 in total, and will likely continue to grow. So the overall losses are greater than the increased giving, but we have also done everything we can to reduce and eliminate expenses. SANCA will end 2020, somewhat miraculously, with a surplus.

SANCA still needs your help. Our Fall Appeal is ongoing through December 31. Your gift before the end of the year will support SANCA in this time of need, help us continue to offer online classes and limited in-person classes (when permitted and safe), provide scholarships to low-income youth, and support our incredible staff. You can support circus classes for our community at www.sancaseattle.org/give.

Since this last update, our year-end appeal has continued this level of success as SANCA supporters like you helped us reach a $15,000 match. We also have been approved for a grant from the State of Washington specifically for COVID relief of $12,500. We will have final numbers on all 2020 giving later in the winter.

What is the plan for the Up With a Twist event?

SANCA’s big glamorous fundraiser usually occurs in February each year. The 2020 event was a huge hit! Due to the pandemic, Twist is postponed to late summer or early fall 2021. SANCA leadership is waiting until later in the Winter or early Spring to make a determination if the event will be held in-person like always, or if it will be conducted as an online streaming show. 

What safety measures are in place when the gym reopens?

To ensure the safety of our students, staff, and surrounding community, and in consideration of public health, SANCA has developed and continually updated new policies and procedures in regards to sanitation and social distancing to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Masks are required. No one will be admitted to SANCA without a mask that covers the nose and mouth. Masks must be worn inside the facility, even when working out.

Learn about all of SANCA’s safety procedures during the COVID pandemic.

What else is SANCA doing to recover lost revenue?

SANCA’s leadership has been incredibly busy, even during full closures, as they seek out and apply for relief grants and other means of support. We have monitored and applied for just about every available avenue of support and relief funding, including the State of Washington’s recent offering to support restaurants and fitness centers shutdown by the recent closure.

If you are aware of other sources of support that SANCA should approach, please let us know by emailing Development Director Jeff Deveaux at jeff@sancaseattle.org.

If you have additional questions about SANCA’s financial status or wish to see financial reports, please contact Executive Director John Tannous at johnt@sancaseattle.org.

Dated: January 6, 2021. This FAQ will be updated regularly.

We are simply stunned.

The generosity of our students, families, and supporters in 2020 has been amazing! Thank you so very much to everyone who contributed to keep SANCA going through the pandemic and the fall/winter business closure.

Our Fall Appeal succeeded beyond all our hopes. Including matching giving, SANCA raised $160,119 to support the school through the winter pandemic closure, continue online Circus at Home classes, maintain sanitation and safety measures, and when possible, safely re-open for in-person classes.

Your gifts of support also enabled us to launch a new BIPOC Youth Scholarship for 2021, stave off further employee furloughs and lay-offs, and continue to retain our reduced facility after the loss of our north annex gym space. Thank you so much for your support.

In the final weeks of December, SANCA also received new COVID relief support grants, including:

• $2,572.50 from the Amazon in the Community fund
• $8,000 from The Morgan Fund at Seattle Foundation
• $8,269 from ArtsWA ― the Washington State Arts Commission
• $10,000 from 4Culture’s Cultural Relief Fund
• $12,500 from the Working Washington Round 3/WA State Department of Commerce

All of us at SANCA are deeply grateful for the support of our community, local businesses, foundations, and government agencies that have made SANCA’s survival possible during this time.

Sincerely,

Jeff Deveaux
Development Director

FAQ: How is SANCA Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Dated: January 5, 2021

When will SANCA start offering classes again?
Governor Jay Inslee has announced that SANCA cannot offer classes until at least January 12, 2021. As
a result, SANCA will remain closed until then. His first order had us closed through December 14. It
was extended to January 4, and most recently extended to January 11.

When can we enroll in Winter Session classes?
There is no set date for when SANCA will open enrollment for Winter Session. It is necessary for us to
know that we can open before we begin taking students, so it’s possible that we may not be able to
announce enrollment until very close to the end of the current shut down.

It will take about one week from the time we know we can open until we host our first class. Partly,
this is necessary for us to update all class listings to fit the new opening date. Additional time will be
needed to promote to our student base (and beyond) that enrollment is open, and then give our
students time to actually enroll in classes. After all, if we reopen but students haven’t had time to
enroll in classes, that won’t work!

As of today, we are hopeful that SANCA can reopen on January 17 at the latest. If the Governor
makes an announcement before January 11 that we can reopen on January 12, we may be able to
open earlier.

Will SANCA survive this latest closure and the uncertain future?
Despite the many challenges the pandemic and closures have caused SANCA, the short answer is YES,
we will survive. In 2020, the SANCA community has stepped up generously with record-breaking
levels of giving. Individual giving has doubled from 2019 levels ($184,109) to nearly $400,000 this
year. Overall, contributed income – which includes COVID relief grants, foundation giving, employer
matches, and the federal government’s PPP loan (forgiven) – are near $1 million. That’s up from
$466,088 in 2019.

This is incredible! SANCA’s supporters and students – all of YOU – have made it possible for SANCA to
survive the pandemic’s closures and reduced operations. Not only is SANCA able to survive to now, it
has built up a reserve that will help us weather the storm even if pandemic restrictions continue for
all of 2021. We are so grateful for this generous, loving community!

We still have work to do, though. SANCA’s earned revenue losses exceed $900,000 in total, and will
likely continue to grow. So the overall losses are greater than the increased giving, but we have also done everything we can to reduce and eliminate expenses. SANCA will end 2020, somewhat
miraculously, with a surplus.

SANCA still needs your help. Our Fall Appeal is ongoing through December 31. Your gift before the
end of the year will support SANCA in this time of need, help us continue to offer online classes and
limited in-person classes (when permitted and safe), provide scholarships to low-income youth, and
support our incredible staff.

Since this last update, our year-end appeal has continued this level of success as SANCA supporters like you helped us reach a $15,000 match. We also have been approved for a grant from the State of Washington specifically for COVID relief of $12,500. We will have final numbers on all 2020 giving later in the winter.

What is the plan for the Up With a Twist event?
SANCA’s big glamorous fundraiser usually occurs in February each year. The 2020 event was a huge
hit! Due to the pandemic, Twist is postponed to late summer or early fall 2021. SANCA leadership is
waiting until later in the Winter or early Spring to make a determination if that event will be held in-
person like always, or if it will be conducted as an online streaming show.

What safety measures are in place when the gym reopens?
To ensure the safety of our students, staff, and surrounding community, and in consideration of
public health, SANCA has developed and continually updated new policies and procedures in regards
to sanitation and social distancing to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Masks are required. No one will be admitted entry to SANCA without a mask that covers nose and
mouth. Masks must be worn inside the facility, even when working out.

Learn about all of SANCA’s safety procedures during the COVID pandemic.

What else is SANCA doing to recover lost revenue?
SANCA’s leadership has been incredibly busy, even during full closures, as they seek out and apply for
relief grants and other means of support. We have monitored just about every available avenue of
support and relief funding, including the State of Washington’s recent offering to support restaurants
and fitness centers shutdown by the recent closure.

If you are aware of other sources of support that SANCA should approach, please let us know by
emailing Development Director Jeff Deveaux at jeff@sancaseattle.org.

If you have additional questions about SANCA’s financial status or wish to see financial reports,
please contact Executive Director John Tannous at johnt@sancaseattle.org.

Dated: December 9, 2020. This FAQ will be updated regularly.

DONATE TODAY TO SUPPORT SANCA

2020 has been a year. It’s been a year filled with challenges and crises: a pandemic and business shutdowns, devastating smoke and forest fires, and social injustices that by far disproportionally affect our BIPOC communities.

Reflecting on all that happened in 2020, I find myself filled with gratitude and a deep appreciation for our community of circus families, artists, and supporters. 2020 could have been the year that forced SANCA to close.

But that didn’t happen, because of you.

You provided the support SANCA needed to survive a harrowing year. Your trust and love of SANCA stood fast and helped us survive. Overwhelmingly, families in our community donated their tuition back to SANCA and made other gifts of support to help our circus community through the pandemic closures. Thank you.

You joined us online for Circus at Home classes and welcomed us into your homes with all the circus we could bring to you over the Internet, and some of you even shared your home performances with us during our spring Quarantine Cabaret — one of SANCA’s first online shows. Thank you.

So many of you volunteered on short notice to help SANCA as we scrambled to refit our facility with COVID-safety measures and practices. You helped us with the move out of our North Annex so that we could save expenses by optimizing our footprint in a smaller facility. You brought beauty and magic to SANCA with the painting of wonderful new murals to enliven the gym and bring smiles to the faces of our students. Thank you.

When we were granted permission to re-open for Summer Camps and classes, it was your trust in SANCA’s safety measures that made our re-opening a success. Many families were able to take classes and send kids to camps to safely take part in the healthy, creative, confidence-building, and fun circus arts classes that SANCA is known for because of you. Thank you.

Your gifts of support even allowed us to continue scholarships for youth in financial need and commit new resources to a dedicated BIPOC Youth Scholarship that guarantees added support for families that have been historically marginalized. Thank you.

2020 could have been the last year for SANCA, but instead it was a banner year of support. You kept us going through the toughest year of our history, and it’s brought us to the point where we can now see light at the end of the tunnel, with a vaccine on the way. The coming months will still be a challenge, but SANCA will make it through, and it won’t be long before we can be together again in the circus classes and shows we all love so much. And that’s because of you.

Thank you,

Jeff Deveaux

Development Director

FAQ: How is SANCA Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Dated: December 9, 2020

Yesterday, Governor Jay Inslee announced that SANCA cannot offer classes until at least January 4, 2021. As a result, all SANCA classes and camps are cancelled until then.  

Will SANCA survive this latest closure and the uncertain future?

Despite the many challenges the pandemic and closures have caused SANCA, the short answer is YES, we will survive. In 2020, the SANCA community has stepped up generously with record-breaking levels of giving. Individual giving has doubled from 2019 levels ($184,109) to nearly $400,000 this year. Overall, contributed income – which includes COVID relief grants, foundation giving, employer matches, and the federal government’s PPP loan (forgiven) – has reached nearly $1 million. That’s up from $466,088 in 2019.

This is incredible! SANCA’s supporters and students – all of YOU – have made it possible for SANCA to survive the pandemic’s closures and reduced operations. Not only is SANCA able to survive to now, it has built a reserve that will help us weather the storm even if pandemic restrictions continue for all of 2021. We are so grateful for this generous, loving community!

We still have work to do, though. SANCA’s earned revenue losses exceed $900,000 in total, and will likely continue to grow. So the overall losses are greater than the increased giving, but we have also done everything we can to reduce and eliminate expenses. SANCA will end 2020, somewhat miraculously, with a surplus.

SANCA still needs your help. Our Fall Appeal is ongoing through December 31. Your gift before the end of the year will support SANCA in this time of need, help us continue to offer online classes and limited in-person classes (when permitted and safe), provide scholarships to low-income youth, and support our incredible staff. You can support circus classes for our community at www.sancaseattle.org/give.

When will SANCA start offering classes again?

Governor Jay Inslee has announced that SANCA cannot offer classes until at least January 4, 2021. As a result, SANCA will remain closed until then. SANCA does offer a variety of online classes so you can stay fit during the closure. 

When can we enroll in Winter Session classes?

There is no set date for when SANCA will open enrollment for Winter Session. It is necessary for us to know that we can open before we start enrolling students, so it’s possible that we may not be able to announce enrollment until very close to the end of the current shut down.

What is the plan for the Up With a Twist event?

SANCA’s big glamorous fundraiser usually occurs in February each year. The 2020 event was a huge hit! Due to the pandemic, Twist is postponed to late summer or early fall 2021. SANCA leadership is waiting until later in the Winter or early Spring to make a determination if the event will be held in-person like always, or if it will be conducted as an online streaming show.

What safety measures are in place when the gym reopens?

To ensure the safety of our students, staff, and surrounding community, and in consideration of public health, SANCA has developed and continually updated new policies and procedures in regards to sanitation and social distancing to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Masks are required. No one will be admitted to SANCA without a mask that covers the nose and mouth. Masks must be worn inside the facility, even when working out. 

Learn about all of SANCA’s safety procedures during the COVID pandemic.

What else is SANCA doing to recover lost revenue?

SANCA’s leadership has been incredibly busy, even during full closures, as they seek out and apply for relief grants and other means of support. We have monitored and applied for just about every available avenue of support and relief funding, including the State of Washington’s recent offering to support restaurants and fitness centers shutdown by the recent closure.

If you are aware of other sources of support that SANCA should approach, please let us know by emailing Development Director Jeff Deveaux at jeff@sancaseattle.org.

If you have additional questions about SANCA’s financial status or wish to see financial reports, please contact Executive Director John Tannous at johnt@sancaseattle.org.

Dated: December 9, 2020. This FAQ will be updated regularly.