Every Body’s Circus is exactly as it sounds! It’s a program that demonstrates circus is for every body, especially and emphatically for underserved and resilient communities. Whether you are someone who experiences a physical disability like hemiparesis, a trans teen who doesn’t always have access to safe spaces for physical activity, a neurodiverse child who benefits from individual attention to keep exploration safe and fun, we likely have classes for you! But more than our classes, Every Body’s Circus is a place to reconnect with fun and with the community. EBC is our students who make lifelong friends, who see peers grow alongside them through learning physical literacy, agency, trust, and cooperation. It’s our dedicated and passionate coaches, who creatively problem solve to make skills work for their students, who foster community, and who meet people where they are. Every Body’s Circus is at the core of SANCA’s mission as a nonprofit, to improve the mental, physical, and emotional health of children of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. 

The program started with Jo Montgomery, a pediatric nurse practitioner and the co-founder of SANCA. She began SANCA from her nursing practice where she was using circus arts with patients for its physical and occupational therapy benefits. Eventually, she needed more space and more staff to accommodate her students, she founded SANCA as a non-profit in 2004. SANCA has always strived to meet the needs of students of different abilities to allow them to realize all the spectacular things they are capable of. 

If you have questions, comments, or just want to say hi, feel free to contact Mercury (they/them) at [email protected].

M.U.S.T., Special Olympics of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital.

SANCA’s Brave Spaces Programs are classes designed by and for folks who don’t often have representation in circus arts and come from underserved communities. Our Brave Spaces programs include: 

— The Gender Affirming Circus Program (for youth and adults)
— Neuro-support Circus
— Circus for Non-Traditional Athletes
— Postpartum Circus
— Celestial Circus 

For questions or comments please contact Mercury at [email protected]

“This class has given me the chance to not feel anxiety about the complexities of my identity. I finally get to be my weird self and not feel judged when I don’t have other spaces where that is always true. This class has reminded me that I have autonomy over my body and I know myself best. I can say no this is too much or yes I’m ready to try this or I want to try again. It has been so helpful to have a space where I don’t have to explain myself, but I can just share and be accepted for who I am. This class has helped me feel safe and connected and not alone and I am so lucky to have found Gender Affirming Circus.” -Edelawit Aucoin

Class | Recovery Circus Arts Project 
January 2024 – September 2024

The Recovery Circus Arts Project was created by professional clown and circus artist, Faeble Kievman, to create a space to support and teach circus to those in recovery from the disease of addiction. This class is a mix of focused teaching and skills sharing focusing on physical theatre, acrobatics, juggling, clowning, and aerial. This class comes at no cost to students in an effort to minimize any barriers to recovery for our community members.

Learn More!

SANCA’s Every Body’s Circus (EBC) program offers access to programming for children with the following needs:

— Learning differences
— Behavioral issues
— Sensory and processing issues
— ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder
— Cerebral palsy, hemiparesis, spina bifida
— Visual or hearing impairment and other physical challenges
— Anyone who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access circus or exercise

Our access programming includes group classes, recreational class aides, individual one-on-one lessons, and camps designed to provide a flexible, individualized approach to group and one-on instruction that enable youth to develop physical and social interaction skills. These progressions are adapted to the abilities and needs of the students participating in each class and/or session. We hope to create an inclusive, integrated community where children of all abilities can exist side by side at SANCA.

Group Classes

In EBC group classes, students gain core strength, balance, flexibility, gripping strength, social skills, self regulation skills, and confidence using a variety of circus skills, including trampoline, tightrope, juggling, handstands, and aerial arts. Students who have participated in our Every Body’s Circus programs have accomplished amazing proficiency with many circus skills in spite of incredible obstacles, including visual or hearing impairment, stroke, spina bifida, hemiparesis, and more.

Currently we hold group classes for students with mobility differences. We are hoping to expand our group classes to include other differences in ability

Class Aides

EBC aides are coaches assigned to recreational group classes with a student who needs more one-on-one attention, but still wants the social aspects of being in a group class with able-bodied peers. EBC aides have specialized training in meeting students’ needs in a circus context and have strong classroom management skills. In classes with an aide, there will be a rec coach to teach the whole class skills and an aide to help the EBC student learn, take breaks, and advocate for their needs.

One-on-one Lessons

SANCA offers a limited number of one-on-one lessons for students with disabilities who benefit from individualized care. These classes are primarily for students who would find group classes overstimulating or otherwise difficult to navigate due to neurological differences or other barriers. EBC one-on-one lessons cost $60 and are eligible for scholarships. In one-on-one lessons, students will work on strength, balance, flexibility, self-regulation skills, and gain confidence through developing skills in aerial arts, tightwire, tumbling, trampoline, and juggling. 

Camps

EBC camps are full or half-day camps for students with different abilities. At EBC camp, students learn strength, balance, flexibility, self-regulation skills, and gain confidence through developing skills on aerial arts, tightwire, tumbling, trampoline, juggling, and more! Camps can be paid through scholarships. 

Tuition & Financial Assistance

Pricing – Group classes and camps vary in price based on the length of the programming. You can check our classes page for current offerings and prices. We do not charge an additional rate for rec class aides. One-on-one lessons are $60 for one hour.

Youth Scholarships – SANCA’s youth scholarships are need-based scholarships based on yearly household income and other eligibility factors. Students who receive DDA or other government disability funding are automatically eligible for scholarships. Click this link to view eligibility and to apply!

Insurance – Our services cannot be billed to insurance as they are not considered mental health therapy.