Tag Archives: Chinese pole

Winter 2 classes

SANCA has a large class selection for all ages with classes in all things from juggling to flying trapeze! Check out the list below to view classes that are still available for this session. You can learn more about each class by visiting their respective link or by browsing on your own here.

 

MONDAY

Preteen Circus

Flying Trapeze for Everyone

Adult Partner Acro 3 Jam (DROP-IN)

Adult Advanced Flying Trapeze


TUESDAY

Adult aerial fundamentals (DROP-IN)

Strength & Flex (Online)

Kid Circus

Preteen Aerial 2

Circus for Non-Traditional Athletes

Adult Advanced Trapeze

Flying Trapeze for Everyone  (DROP-IN)

Adult Intermediate Rope

WEDNESDAY

Handbalance 1 (Online)

Kid Circus

Conditioning with Straps & Rings

THURSDAY

Teen/Adult Beginner Trapeze & Lyra 1

Teen/Adult Beginner Lyra 2

Adult Aerial Fundamentals

Parkinson’s Circus


FRIDAY

Handstand Jam (DROP-IN)

Teen Beginner Aerial 1

Intro to Juggling


SATURDAY

10 AM Flying Trapeze for Everyone (DROP-IN)

12 PM Flying Trapeze for Everyone  (DROP-IN)

1 PM Flying Trapeze for Everyone  (DROP-IN)

Adult Aerial Strength & Flex (DROP-IN)

12 PM Adult Handbalancing 1\2 (DROP-IN)

1 PM Adult Handbalancing 1\2 (DROP-IN)

Teen Circus

Adult Beginner Trapeze 1


SUNDAY

Intro to Chinese Pole 

Unicycle

Juggle Jam (DROP-IN)

10 AM Flying Trapeze for Everyone  (DROP-IN)

11 AM Flying Trapeze for Everyone (DROP-IN)

12 PM Flying Trapeze for Everyone  (DROP-IN)

Nick and Rachel Hit the Road

Coaches Nicholas Lowery and Rachel Randall are Duo Straight Up, an energetic, light-hearted Chinese pole duet, and they’re off in their new trailer to perform with a traditional traveling circus!

The last time we checked in was 2015! What has been happening with Duo Straight Up since then?

Nick: That was when our act just started out! We were still doing the original version of our act, with different music, which we performed in Up, with a Twist that year.

Rachel: We performed at two fairs in Hawaii , at “Ciudad de Las Ideas” conference in Mexico, and with the Venardos Circus for the Greater Gulf State Fair in Alabama.

Nick: Yes! We also were Tweedledum and Tweedledee for the Venardos Circus at the LA County Fair, which was an Alice in Wonderland-themed show.

What’s next for you?

Nick: We just got a giant truck and trailer and we’re ready to live the traditional circus life! We’ll be performing with the Zoppé Family Circus.

 Have you been wanting to do full time circus performing for a while? This is your first major traveling show, right?

Rachel: Yeah, we’ve been wanting to perform full time. It’s tricky staying in shape and keeping your act current when you have three weeks of work and then nothing.

How do you feel about living in the trailer for six months?

Nick: I lived in a trailer [which belonged to the show] for six weeks doing the first leg of their tour and it was fine! Honestly, the trailerhas more space than our current room in Seattle and we’re excited to have our own little house on wheels.

Was it hard for you guys to be apart for the six weeks Nick was touring with Zoppe?

Rachel: Yes! I was directing the P3 show at that time so I had a lot going on, and it was hard to not have Nick there.

Nick: Of course. I think it will be much better to travel and perform together this time!

What has changed in your act?

Rachel: It’s sexier!

Nick: And the skills have improved! But older versions of the act were more comic and whimsical and now it feels a little more adult. Still PG-rated! And we’ve had to rework our act a bit to get it to fit with the theme and new music for the show.

What’s the theme of the show?

Nick: It has a traditional Italian circus vibe. All the costumes are period-looking, less modern

Rachel: Think ribbons instead of sparkles

Photo by John Cornicello

How has your act and style changed over time?

Rachel: Initially we wanted to make a playful act (our first idea for a name was “Duo Squirrel”).

Nick: It’s a simple story that we tell with the act. It’s a love story, kind of messing around with each other. There’s always little adjustments to go from one show to the next.

Rachel: But there will still be flirting! I can’t not be flirty on stage. Before it was more silly, almost slapstick. It’s gotten more and more refined, more streamlined, elegant.

Nick: Definitely our skills have gotten better.

Rachel: We have a release move we call the “princess bomb,” and I do a handstand on his head on the pole. We still have the jump-over, where I slide down and Nick jumps over me.

Photo by John Cornicello

You guys performed at Twist this year, how was that? 

Rachel: Twist is always really fun.

Nick: It’s cool to do a show where there’s so many friends in the audience. The Teatro Zinzanni tent is awesome to perform in. I love that show.

What were you doing before performing and coaching was your career? 

Rachel: I was a professional dancer. I’ve always coached circus as my day job. I got a catering job in January this year (that’s my first ‘real’ job).

Nick: I started working at SANCA pretty fresh after getting my bachelors degree in math. My plan was to hang out here for a year and then apply for PhD programs, but then I had so much fun doing circus stuff that I never did that.

Any advice to others who would like to get more involved with performing and possibly who want to follow in your footsteps? 

Nick: Try to have a good idea of what kind of show you want to be a part of. Go see shows, try to get an idea of what kinds of opportunities exist, talk to people who are doing different kinds of shows. When I started I didn’t really have a good idea of what kinds of shows were out there as possibilities.

Rachel: It’s a little bit of a complicated question. Do you want to make a living at it, or do you want to just perform? It’s really hard to break into the full time performing, in any field. Circus does pay better than dance! Even if you do want to perform professionally in the future, you have to go out there and start performing, with the skills that you have today. Don’t think, “I’m not good enough yet, I can only juggle six balls!” You are good enough!

Nick: Yeah, get on stage! Then you learn what works and doesn’t work. You learn a lot from being in front of an audience. When you find a discipline in which you want to perform, it’s then really important to find a coach that you can work well with and trust them. Then be dedicated to practicing.

How do you stay motivated to have such a dedicated training schedule?

Rachel: We have a constitution. The Constitution of the United Forces of Duo Straight Up!

Haha, that is amazing. Can you share anything on it?

1. If you aren’t barfing, you have to train.

2. Don’t be too grumpy in the morning.

(Rachel: I hate training in the morning).

3. Push each other.

4. Stay positive.


Those are some great guidelines!

Bon voyage! Merde! and we’ll see you down the road!

 

SANCA’s Annual Showcase Spectacular

One weekend only: April 6th-8th.

We have four shows, each featuring a different line up of spectacular local and internationally renowned circus performers alongside SANCA’s tremendously talented student performers.

Every year SANCA presents a showcase of unique circus performances featuring students, alumni, staff, and friends. SANCA’s Annual Showcase Spectacular (known as SASS) is  the accumulation of the culmination of all the hard work it takes to create new acts. Our students and staff have workshopped these new performances and are ready to take to the stage in displays of pure awesomeness!

Among the featured performers are Seattle favorites, SANCA’s youth circus troupes: Cirrus Circus,  the Magnificent 7, and the Amazing Circus 1-ders. Audiences will be treated to daring displays of acrobatics, high-flying aerials, juggling, and much more!

Performances are at The Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway

Tickets are $12 (youth 16 & under) and $20 (adults 17 & up) in advance online from https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3232395 or at the door $15/$20

Friday Night April 6th, 7pm

Emcee: David Taft
David has been a physical theater artist for over forty years, performing in mask, movement, Commedia dell’Arte, dance and puppetry with a number of ensemble companies, has extensive touring credits on the East Coast and Midwest and has worked Off-Broadway for five seasons.   

The main creative focus of David’s work has been devising theater with collaborative ensembles utilizing text, nonverbal scenarios, and/or scenic choreography to investigate the physical realm of theatre and its power and expressivity. David trained actors in mask, movement and clown at Cornish College of the Arts for twenty- four years and is presently lead instructor of Theater at SANCA in the P3 Program.

Friday night lineup:
Cirrus Circus (unicycle)
Audrey Greaves (bounce juggling)
Sara Haverkamp (German wheel)
SANCA (group juggling)
Maria Mork (poi)
Nimbus Circus (formerly the Magnificent 7) (wire walking)
Caroline Alvarran-Belz & Sylvie Vermilya (partner acro)
Tania Nambo-Excobar (aerial rope)
Julaine Hall (aerial straps)
Milla Rose (aerial rings)
Laura Miller (aerial sling & tap dance)
Ashlei Mayo (aerial fabric)
Stratus Circus (formerly the Amazing Circus 1-ders) (aerial ladder)
Missy Nagin (lyra)
SANCA group (Chinese pole)

Friday Night Featured Performer: Julaine Hall. Starting at the young age of 5, Julaine joined SANCA’s youngest youth troupe and took off running!  To say that Julaine is a powerhouse is the understatement of the decade as she is proficient in Tumbling, Juggling, Acro, Teeterboard, Straps, and Chinese Pole just to name a few.  A better way to describe Julaine is as a force of nature!  Prepare to be astounded by incredible feats of strength and endurance on the Chinese Pole.

Saturday Matinee April 7th, 3pm  

Emcee: Mary Machala – Actor, Director, Improvisationalist and occasional Unicycler
Mary has acted and directed in Seattle for the past 30 years but who’s counting?  She is a founding member of Book-It Repertory Theatre, Artistic Director of the socio/political improv group Off the Wall Players (this was a long time ago), and touring member of Dudley Riggs’ Brave New Workshop out of Minneapolis, MN (a really long time ago).  She’s also a Master Gardener, Master Composter, Apprentice Beekeeper and fledgling Master Pruner.  After four years of circus classes she still can’t juggle but she can (with a lot of warm up) unicycle across the floor.  Progress, not perfection.

Saturday Matinee Lineup:
Hallie Smith (Cyr wheel)
Max Voronin (diabolo)
Laura Sposato (tumbling)
Fiona Ryan (German wheel)
Rachel Randall & Nick Lowery & Wendy Harden & Nick Harden (group juggling and acro)
Faye Visintainer & Devin Helton (poi)
Julaine & Jacob Hall (unicycle)
Stratus Circus (formerly Amazing Circus 1-ders) (lasso)
Jordan Rempel-White (aerial straps)
Faye Visintainer (single-point trapeze)
Erin Henderson (aerial fabric)
Alyssa’s Aerial Class (mixed aerial)
Duo Avocado (duo trapeze)
Nimbus Circus (formerly the Magnificent 7) (unicycle & lyra)
Cirrus Circus (Chinese pole)

Saturday Matinee Featured Performer: Duo Avocado
Comprising of Youth Company coach Alyssa Hellrung and Stratus Circus performer Ava Vermilya, Duo Avocado will light up the stage on Saturday afternoon!  These two amazing performers have been working together on the Double Trapeze for several years and are excited to showcase some new skills for SASS!  Don’t miss this stunning performance of trust and skill on April 7th at 3:00PM!

Saturday Night April 7th, 7pm

Emcee: Mary Machala – Actor, Director, Improvisationalist and occasional Unicycler
Mary has acted and directed in Seattle for the past 30 years but who’s counting?  She is a founding member of Book-It Repertory Theatre, Artistic Director of the socio/political improv group Off the Wall Players (this was a long time ago), and touring member of Dudley Riggs’ Brave New Workshop out of Minneapolis, MN (a really long time ago).  She’s also a Master Gardener, Master Composter, Apprentice Beekeeper and fledgling Master Pruner.  After four years of circus classes she still can’t juggle but she can (with a lot of warm up) unicycle across the floor.  Progress, not perfection.

Saturday Night Lineup:
Cirrus Circus (group acrobatics)
Siren Glenn (dance pole)
Brighter Than Diamonds (Floorial)
Fallon Mickle & Mary Gargett (hula hoop)
Aimee Storm (poi), Aimee Storm (wire walking)
Emma Cady (aerial fabric)
EJ Landsman (aerial straps)
Vertical Axis (duo aerial fabric)
Emma Curtiss (aerial fabric)
James Finch & Alyssa Luna (duo trapeze)
Iris Stokes (German wheel)
Mari Sharpe (lyra), Nick Harden (circus bike)
Jasmine Manuel & Tania Nambo-Escobar (duo aerial rope)

Saturday Night Featured Performer: Nick Harden
Internationally renowned unicyclist and bike extraordinaire, Nick Harden will take the stage for a performance that is sure to delight.  Nick has been unicycling his way around America and overseas for many years and is here to bring you a new act for your entertainment.  A dazzling display of spins, turns, and tricks on the Swing Bike awaits you on Saturday night.

Sunday Matinee April 8th, 3pm

Emcee: Emma Cady began training in circus arts at SANCA at the age of nine.  From age ten to eighteen, she performed with SANCA’s youth troupe Cirrus Circus throughout the greater Seattle area as well as in London, UK, Cardiff, Wales, and Sylt, Germany.  She has also worked as a professional aerial artist in such venues as Seattle Immersive Theater and Teatro Zinzanni, where she played the role of Schmee in their production of Lighter than Air.  In addition to hosting shows at SASS in the past, Emma has also been a Mistress of Ceremonies for the American Youth Circus Organization at two of their national festivals, first in Seattle and most recently in Trenton, NJ.  

Sunday Matinee Lineup:
Sara Haverkamp & Lilian Hoskinson (mixed circus)
Cirrus Circus (contortion)
John Spinosa (unicycle)
Nimbus Circus (formerly Magnificent 7) (tumbling)
Stratus Circus (Amazing Circus 1-ders) (unicycle)
Iska Popovic (wire walking)
Duo Shipwrekt (Laura Miller & Faye Visintainer) (duo trapeze)
Kevin Ruddell (aerial rope)
Carmi Westbrook (single-point trapeze)
Randi Morrison (aerial sling)
Alice Page (aerial fabric)
The Beautiful Aerialists (aerial fabric)
Duo TomKat (duo trapeze)
Julaine Hall (Chinese pole)

Sunday Matinee Featured Performer: Kevin Ruddell
Kevin has been a part of the SANCA community for many years.  Having had both of his children in classes as youngsters, he decided it was time to take to the air himself!  He has been training Rope with several renowned performers including Eve Diamond and Carey Cramer.  Let him astound you with feats of strength as he climbs his way to new heights on the Aerial Rope!

 

Performances supported in part by 4Culture and Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture

When You Know You’re Strong – Circus Strong!

Make your End-of-Year Gift for SANCA’s Youth Scholarship Fund today!

One of the most amazing things about circus is that it empowers Every Body.

Julaine in the middle! Performing a 3-high during “Acro-Biographies: Flipping the Page.” (2017) – photo by John Cornicello

Whether building confidence, overcoming fears, or becoming stronger in mind and body, it’s that moment of “I DID IT!” that circus provides which can transform a life.

Julaine Hall knows this better than most. You’ve probably seen Julaine on stage in a Cirrus Circus show – maybe as recently as this fall for “Acro-Biographies: Flipping the Page.” At 13 years old, she’s one of the stars of Cirrus Circus, and was invited to perform at Teatro ZinZanni’s fall 2016 family matinee shows. When she’s not on stage, then she’s working hard, practicing and rehearsing at SANCA at least five days a week on her Chinese Pole act and other circus skills.

Some of her other favorite apparatus include corde lisse, static trapeze, and aerial straps. If you know circus, then you know these all require a lot of strength! Julaine enjoys the challenges these circus apparatus give her and she says, “I may not have been born the most flexible, but I feel like my body is built for more strength based skills and acts.”

Being circus strong is a great foundation for fitness, for performance, and for life. As Julaine looks toward her future, she hopes to one day attend École de cirque de Québec – the circus training center in Quebec City and to launch a professional career in circus performance.

Julaine hangs out during “Acro-Biographies: Flipping the Page.” (2017) – photo by John Cornicello

“I think about circus all the time. It’s a lot of my life.”

Performing on Chinese Pole during “Up, with a Twist.” (2017) – photo by John Cornicello.

But that’s not all! Julaine is also thinking about what comes after performance, and she’s inspired by SANCA’s resident doctor of physical therapy, Emily Scherb – who was also a circus artist. Like Emily, Julaine wants to balance her performing career with the knowledge and skill to carry forward in the circus community as a caretaker and physical therapist. With a unique understanding of the challenges and demands that circus and performance place upon the body, she’ll be able to give back to the circus community even after she retires from performance.

Julaine’s success in circus and her ambitions for her future career might not have been possible without the support of SANCA’s Youth Scholarship Fund. Julaine was able to access the fund at a time when her family was dealing with expensive medical costs, and she didn’t have to give up on her passion for circus. Her commitment and achievements speak to how vital SANCA’s scholarship fund is to providing access to all youth in our community.

You can support our Youth Scholarship Fund by making a gift during our end-of-year campaign. No amount is too small, every contribution will make a difference for youth like Julaine who are discovering through circus that they are strong!

Cirrus Circus presents “Hotel”

Hotel poster FINALsmHOTEL is the tale of a once-grand institution that has fallen on hard times. A thick layer of dust covers the concierge desk and the rooms sit unoccupied. When two unsuspecting guests arrive to stay the night, little do they know, they are in for a wild ride. With portraits that swing out of their frames, a fountain that comes to life, acrobatic bellhops and juggling ghosts, it’s clear…this is no ordinary hotel!

Cirrus Circus is known throughout Seattle as one of the most accomplished youth circus groups in the region. The troupe is in demand locally, performing at many of Seattle’s popular festivals and events, including Moisture Festival, Seattle Center’s Winterfest, the Georgetown Carnival, and more. In July 2014, Cirrus Circus had the honor of performing internationally at the London International Youth Circus Festival in England, at No Fit State in Cardiff, Wales and Island Circus in Sylt, Germany.

HOTEL will feature all-new original numbers on trapeze, aerial fabric, aerial hoop, and Chinese pole, as well as contortion, club juggling, unicycle, partner acrobatics, clowning, and more.

HOTEL is a collaboration between the Directors and members of Cirrus Circus, with costume design by Milla Voellinger, set by Morgan Sobel, acrobatics consulting from Jacob Skeffington and Erica Rubenstein, and select originally composed music by Tristan Moore.

Rachel Nehmer, Interim Cirrus Circus Managing Director
Arne Bystrom, Cirrus Circus Assistant Director

Meet Duo Straight Up

Nick & Rachel performing at SANCA's Annual Spring Showcase in May 2014.

Nick & Rachel performing at SANCA’s Annual Spring Showcase in May 2014.

SANCA Coach Spotlight — Duo Straight Up
Rachel Randall & Nick Lowery

Coaches Rachel Randall and Nick Lowery are the latest in a longstanding SANCA tradition of students and coaches who dream big and reach for the stars as professional performers. They first started crafting their Chinese Pole duo act in the fall of 2013, but prior to that they have both spent many years as circus coaches for SANCA.

Rachel joined SANCA in October 2007 after graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in Dance. She started as a Circus Tot instructor and quickly added a repertoire of teaching that includes unicycle, German wheel, tumbling, and general circus classes. She is also the dance instructor for SANCA’s Professional Preparatory Program.

Rachel says, “I teach students from ages 2 to 70. When I first started teaching Tot Classes at SANCA I was teaching a young 2-year-old named Nina. Now, seven years later, she is a Magnificent 7 youth performer, and I am once again her coach. It’s been amazing to see her progress. I am so proud of my students and how much they grow as individuals and performers through circus arts.”

Nick came to SANCA in 2009 from Oberlin College in Ohio, where he was involved in a student circus club. He took a few classes at SANCA, and was interested in becoming an instructor. After training as a coach and teaching general circus classes, he became interested in Chinese pole and started to specialize. Now Nick teaches SANCA’s pole classes; he also works as a catcher for flying trapeze, and does the coach quarterly schedule on the administrative side.

“I never expected circus to be my life. It started as a hobby,” Nick says. “Being at SANCA gave me the inspiration and opportunity to pursue circus arts in a way I never expected.”

Duo Straight Up performs at SANCA's Circus Festival in August 2014.

Duo Straight Up performs at SANCA’s Circus Festival in August 2014.

After the 2012 Staff Summer Show Rachel and Nick started dating, and not long after that they decided to create a duo act. Rachel says, “I wanted to spend more time with Nick, but he was always busy teaching and training Chinese pole. I decided to take his class, and it turned out that I picked up pole skills really quickly.”

“I asked Rachel if she wanted to create an act together,” says Nick. “We started working together in November 2013 and had our first performance at SASS – SANCA’s Annual Spring Showcase in 2014.”

Since then, Duo Straight Up has appeared at the Vancouver Circus Festival, at the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Backstage Bash, and SANCA’s Up, with a Twist at Teatro ZinZanni. They’re aiming to take their act to the professional circus circuit. They say that circus can be more entertaining and accessible to the public than other art forms, and that makes it more fun to perform and connect with audiences.

Keep an eye out for these up-and-coming Circus Stars!