When a mysterious package is delivered to 470 Scenicview Drive, spring break 2019 doesn’t stop for the house full of teens. It’s not until two of them discover that this package is not ordinary but extraordinary that things start getting a little unusual. Journey with Cirrus Circus as two friends romp through Medieval England, Golden Gate Park in the Summer of Love, a run-down speakeasy in the 1920s, and more! Energetic, playful and spirited, Decades is a captivating voyage of discovery that showcases a variety of acrobatics and circus arts in surprising twists and turns.
The latest full-length performance from Cirrus Circus will feature original numbers on Unicycle, Tight Wire, Acrobatics, Duo Static Trapeze, Contortion, Juggling, Chinese Pole, Dance, Lyra and Cyr Wheel, Aerial Straps, Hoop Diving and Aerial Sling.
Cirrus Circus is the teen performance troupe at the School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts (SANCA). They are 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 Seattles popular festivals and events, including Moisture Festival, Seattle Centers 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.
Cirrus Circus coach, Eve Diamond, will be joining the Swiss traveling circus group, Circus Monti, as they tour Switzerland for their Summer tour. Get to know Eve and her tips for sticking to what you love, even if what you love doesn’t always come easily.
To do this work you really sacrifice a lot. In my last year of school, a big job came through and I gave up my house, missed birthdays and funerals. You really do give up a lot to be a part of this work, but it is hard to not do it if it’s something that is speaking to you so loudly.
The year Eve was born, her uncle suffered a terrible motorcycle accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down. The impact of this trauma left an impression on her mother, Marilyn, to get Eve involved in as many physical activities as a possible. Growing up in Boston, she took on everything from horseback riding, baseball, softball, soccer, to field hockey, and eventually circus.
At the age of thirteen, Eve’s mother, signed her up for camp at Circus Smirkus in nearby Vermont.
“I didn’t want to go to circus camp. I was like, ‘that sounds really stupid.’ But then I went…and I became obsessed. I absolutely loved it and almost immediately knew that I wanted to pursue circus.”
After the camp, she auditioned for Circus Smirkus tours for five or six years, but was never quite able to make the cut. So, she took to her own living room and continued to train independently as she prepared for college.
“Nothing existed like SANCA to train circus on your own where I was, so I took gymnastics and practiced in my living room. My dad made hand balancing canes, and I taught myself juggling.”
In her freshman and senior years of college she auditioned for École National de Cirque, but was rejected both times. She focused on her studies, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Keene State College in New Hampshire with a BA in English and a teacher certification. But she never quit training, and her passion for circus didn’t subside despite setbacks. Soon after graduating she was contemplating a career in academia when she got accepted into a three year intensive training program at Circus Center in San Francisco.
“I was in school six days a week from 9am to 5pm for three years and working with some of the most famous, well respected, internationally recognized coaches which was amazing.…[school] was really painful and terrible, but you knew that the coaches who were training you had so much information that you would do anything to get.”
Graduating in 2011, Eve started performing professionally in her specialty areas of cloud swing and rope. Cloud swing in particular was difficult to train due to the amount of space it requires in addition to a specialized technician. Deciding to pursue cloud swing further, she moved to Montreal in 2013 to train with Coach Victor Fomine, a world expert in cloud swing, at his studio, École Léotard.
Since then, she’s been working with SANCA and training Cirrus Circus students as she has continued to network and build her own brand.
“My job outside of coaching, which has been pretty full time, has been maintaining my acts – training, eating well, taking care of my body, sleeping well. And networking, emailing people, and researching companies I would want to work for.
No one in this business is just like here, this is what you do. It takes dedication and curiosity to continue to pursue it. It’s really only possible to do this if you have support because it’s lonely and no one is just giving out information. You have to prove yourself to yourself and everyone around you, constantly, so it’s hard. But it’s also rewarding because you seek out a company you want to work for, you open a line of communication and you keep staying in contact year after year, sharing new work you are doing.
“I’ve been maintaining an email correspondence [with Circus Monti] for the past five years. The Gentile’s did Monti, Ben & Rachel [Duo Madrona] did Monti. It’s important to stalk your friends and follow their path. If your friends have the jobs you want, you have to be good enough friends to have someone vouch for you. This industry is so cut throat and super competitive. Everyone is hungry for the same work. You have to just not give up and be consistent.
It’s my first experience touring and working in Europe. Hopefully it will lead to more work, but you don’t know. So you have to just start all over again. Stay in touch, send updated material, and be someone that people want to be around!
…The good part of working [at SANCA] is that they really support you in doing what you want, especially in an industry with such limited job security.
It’s cool teaching in Cirrus because it’s important to have people who are working in the industry. I am excited to have this opportunity and come back and share my knowledge with the future generation of circus artists.”
Meet Cirrus Circus at the library as they conduct research, hunt for a good read, and find all the books they can about the physics and mathematics of juggling. Along the way they discover that books are portals to new and different worlds.
When their bumbling professor stops by, he struggles to keep himself rooted in reality rather than follow his imagination. Can they convince their professor that these other worlds are wonderful places to visit, full of amazing adventures and artistic expression?
Acro-Biographies features contortion, Geman wheel, teeterboard, duo trapeze, and more. Join Cirrus Circus as they crawl up, balance on, and flip through the pages, using their imagination and circus skill to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
WHEN
November 10-18th, 2017
Friday 7pm
Saturday 3pm or 7pm
WHERE
Broadway Performance Hall
1625 Broadway
Seattle, WA 98122
SANCA gives a heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS! to Lyla Goldman, who has been accepted to Salpauksen Sirkusartistikoulutus — The Salpaus Circus Center in Lahti, Finland, and hopes to major in unicycle and aerial fabric.
Photo: Amira Silverman
Lyla was one of SANCA’s earliest students and members of Cirrus Circus (originally known as the SANCA Youth Performance Company). She practically grew up at SANCA over the past ten or so years, riding around the gym on her unicycle, often in the company of the Zuckerman twins – Anna & Leah — with whom she formed a unicycle trio act – Tricycle – that was a mainstay showstopper in Cirrus Circus shows over the years. Lyla also took to aerial arts early on, and has performed solo and group fabric, trapeze, and lyra aerial acts. She has performed at Cirrus shows throughout the Seattle area including at Moisture Festival, Seattle Center’s Winterfest, Teatro ZinZanni, and of course, at SANCA.
With Cirrus Circus Lyla has traveled and performed in Europe at the London International Youth Circus Festival in England, at NoFit State in Cardiff, Wales, and at Island Circus in Sylt, Germany. She has also twice toured with Cirkus Smirkus along the East Coast and worked at the Smirkus summer camp.
Photo: Amira Silverman
Salpauksen Sirkusartistikoulutus – The Salpaus Circus Center is a vocational school in Lahti, and offers the only vocational circus degree in Finland. The school helps their students to become unique, creative, versatile, and technically highly skilled artists with a professional attitude. A healthy ratio of humbleness, respect, and self-esteem are valued highly in the educational environment, and the school feels one of the sources of success in the daily work is the powerful dynamic of group collaboration in aiming toward mutual goals. Salpaus Circus Center enables the training of almost all circus disciplines, and provides the opportunity to create shows and perform in a professional environment. One of the main annual events is a unique student-produced Kukko Festival.
Congratulations Lyla! We wish you all the best in your future circus career!
Nick & Wendy in New York City performing with Cirque Mechanics Pedal Punk
It’s nearly summer and there’s lots of changes around SANCA! Our P3 students are graduating, students of all ages are enrolling for new classes and summer camps, and some members of our community are leaving for the season to go on amazing adventures. Among those going on summer adventures are Cirrus Circus members Lyla, Lea, Anna, and Cheya, as well as coaches Nick and Wendy Harden. They are all heading to Circus Smirkus Camp, a youth circus program, for three months of training, performing, and immersion into traditional traveling circus life.
Circus Smirkus is in “the middle of nowhere,” as Nick Harden said when I sat down with him and his wife and co-performer, Wendy Harden, to talk about this incredible journey. Located on a 35 acre pasture in rural Vermont, Circus Smirkus camp is truly an experience of the old circus life. Replete with large, European style Big Top tents, Smirkus accepts approximately 30 students between the ages of 11 and 18 each year to enhance their skills in acrobatics, juggling, aerials, and performance for one month before beginning a 2-month tour all over the northeast.
Nick, who has participated in Smirkus camp in previous years, will be a main acrobatics coach for this year’s campers, and Wendy will be staying in the dorms with campers as their den matron. When asked what they were looking forward to most, Nick reported that, in addition to how rewarding it is to work with youth, having an opportunity to be immersed in circus culture (free from cell phone reception!) and carry on the tradition of the traveling circus is something he loves most about this work. And it is a lot of work! Nick says of their training, “We spend a month in rehearsal putting together the show, and then tour the show around the northeast for about two months. The kids are the show, there’s only one adult in the show. We spend three days in one spot, and then move on to the next town. We go to 10-15 different places and perform between 2-5 shows in each location, but no more than 2 shows a day. It’s a full circus, they have set up duties in addition to their performances. All together we call it 60 shows. In rehearsal we say, ‘remember, you gotta do this for 60 shows.’ ”
This is Wendy’s first year with Circus Smirkus Camp, and she’s excited to be with the campers during such a rich, transformative time in their lives. She says, “Something I’m looking forward to is the bond with all of the campers, or the troupers as they call them. Spending an entire summer with these 30 kids who are away from their parents for maybe for the first time, who are going into high school for the first time, having their first crush or have their first bout of insecurity… that’s a really rich time for these kids going in and out of adolescence and I’m excited to be around that, to bond with them and help them deal with those challenges.”
The campers, or troupers, at Circus Smirkus Camp are indeed entering into a rich time in their lives, a time that will only be enhanced by the supportive, creative, and talented team leading them on their circus tour. We’d like to wish the very best to Nick, Wendy, and the group of Cirrus Circus youth performers as they work hard, learn new lessons, and carry on the grand tradition of the traveling circus!
In March our youth performance company, Cirrus Circus, held try outs for students to display their skills and earn a coveted spot in the dynamic ensemble. Cirrus welcomed several new students to the troupe, one of whom is 12 year old Julaine Hall. I sat down with Julaine to talk about her experience at SANCA, her devotion to circus, and this exciting next step in her career as a performer.
Julaine (center) basing a pyramid of acrobats.
Amber: How long have you been at SANCA?
Julaine: I’ve being doing circus since I was about two-and-a-half years old and I’m 12 now. I’ve been performing since I was five, and I’ve never taken a quarter off. Not even summer.
Amber: Wow! You’ve been coming here since you were a toddler. Can you remember a time when you didn’t have circus in your life?
Julaine: No!
Amber: You’re having the coolest childhood! So, after you began at age two, what happened next?
Juliane: I started with general circus classes and then I went on to the Amazing Circus 1-ders, then on to the Magnificent 7, and I just got into Cirrus Circus on March 4th.
Amber: Congratulations! That’s a great achievement. So, what do you love about circus?
Julaine: Well, when I was little, before I began at SANCA, my mom tried putting me in gymnastics but they had too many rules. Circus is much more about of the box, it’s more fun. I’ve always loved doing tricks but when I got to perform and make acts it was even cooler!
Amber: What was the first circus skill you ever felt really good at?
Julaine (bottom left) performing with other members of Cirrus Circus.
Julaine: Forward rolls probably, when I was really little. Now I can do front flips, back flips on the trampoline, and if I warm up enough, I can do a back flip off the edge of the tumble track. I also do Chinese pole, tumbling, and juggling. Those are some of my strongest skills. Now I’m learning a sequence – round-off/back handspring/back layout/half twist on the tumble-trak, and new tricks on Chinese pole.
Amber: What do you think is challenging about circus arts?
Julaine: Well, I’ve never gotten seriously hurt, but if something seems new and scary, sometimes you just have to power through and keep on doing it. That’s a challenge when you’re scared, it’s hard to just do it again.
Amber: What do you imagine for your future in the circus?
Julaine: I think it would be fun to go all the way through Cirrus Circus and then become a circus coach. I really want to be a coach in my 20’s and maybe in my 30’s. I think it might be fun to be in something like Acrobatic Conundrum as an adult. But mostly I want to be a coach and work with kids. It’ll remind me of the good ole days!
When speaking with Julaine, her passion and excitement for circus and her career at SANCA was palpable. It was amazing to meet a young person with so much commitment, discipline, and vision for the future. Julaine was a scholarship student for a period of time while her family dealt with expensive medical bills on a tight income. Because of SANCA’s scholarship program, Juliane did not have to give up with her passion for circus. Her commitment and achievements speak to how vital SANCA’s scholarship programs are in our community.
“This show will be a special benefit show for SANCA, featuring guest appearances from SANCA artists and staff. Net proceeds from this show will go towards SANCA’s programs recognized nationally as a leader in youth circus arts education, safety, and instructor training.
The Moisture Festival presents its 13th year of high energy comedy/varietè shows featuring a rapid succession of acts showcasing comedy alongside awe-inspiring physical and mental dexterity, with poignant moments of strength and delicate beauty to make audiences laugh, wonder, shake their heads in disbelief and truly appreciate how live entertainment can exhilarate and bring real joy. A live show band propels each performance. Varietè has its roots in the Music Halls of 19th century England, cabaret in Europe and vaudeville in America. Because of the talented artists currently working in this genre, it is still fresh, exciting and tremendous fun for the audience.”
Performers include:
Cirrus Circus
Jasmine Manuel
The Amazing Circus 1-dersTRIcycle
Duncan Davenport
Magnificent 7
Brighter Than Diamonds
Mary Gargett
with Special Guests Splinter Dance & The Georgetown Orbits!
After many weeks of work, we’re just a day away from Up with a Twist!
Saturday was one of the last rehearsals before the show. Friends, family, staff and performers all came together to eat, rehearse and make last minute preparations for the big day.
This year’s Up with a Twist is sold out, and for good reason. Not only does this show support SANCA’s vital programs, it’s an outstanding production showcasing some of of our most talented performers. If you didn’t get a ticket this year, be sure to tune into our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a live feed of the show, featuring pictures, clips, and interviews with the performers and audience.
All three youth performance troupes take direction from their director, David Crellin.
Coach Mary practicing her LED Hoop routine for the packed north annex!
The Cicus 1-ders, our youngest performers, worked hard all day fine tuning their performance with the dedication and discipline of performers much older.
Coach Milla putting finishing touches on costumes
Director David Crellin and MC Kevin Joyce discussing cues while Cirrus perfects their table routine.
HOTEL 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
Thank You to everyone who made SANCAthon a success!
Here’s the annotated Catch-athon video by Kristen Petersen
SANCAthon is a super fun community celebration! We’ve got exciting plans for this year’s SANCAthon and you don’t want to miss it!
Four hours of excitement including:
· Catchathon!
· The Buskers’ Challenge!
· Team Events!
· Circus Performances and Drawings
Participants can register today, join a team, and learn more at www.sancaseattle.org/sancathon! (must preregister by Friday, October 30th)
MEET THE SANCATHON TEAMS!
Read about all our exciting team events at the SANCAthon Team Page. You can make contributions in support of teams or individual participants from their team and personal pages.
Team Catchathon:
Our goal is to make as many catches in one hour as we can! Join us in the SANCA School of Flight Tent to kick off SANCAthon at 12 p.m. on Sunday, November 1st.
Team Aerial:
We’re taking on the challenge of climbing the height of the Space Needle as many times as possible in one hour! Are you a climber? We’ve got your apparatus– rope, fabric, trapeze, or Chinese Pole, this event’s for you!
Team CANYONATHON:
Wire Walkers and Unicyclists: We’re going to cross the width of the Grand Canyon in a relay-style event especially for tightwire walkers and unicyclists!
Team Handstand:
We will attempt a wave of handstands around the whole gym where everyone will hold a handstand for 15 seconds before the next person goes up in a relay fashion!
Team Juggler:
The SANCAthon juggling team is all about three things: Throwing, catching & raising funds for the SANCA Youth Scholarship Fund. We are setting our sights on achieving the group goal of 2,015 catches in any juggling pattern and with any juggling prop, be it bean-bags, balls, rings, or clubs. It is as the old juggling saying that we just made up goes: You gotta throw ’em if you wanna catch ’em.
Team Tumbling:
SANCA’s tumblers are going perform a demonstration of the awesome skills we’ve learned for everyone to see! We’ll dazzle you with rolls, handstands, cartwheels, or crazy tumbling passes.
Turbo Tots:
SANCA’s 2 – 4 year-old tots are going to tear it up at the TURBO TOT OBSTACLE COURSE! This incredible, super fun obstacle course will include Wacky Wall Walkers, Balancing Feathers, Juggling, Monkey Jumps and More!
MEET THE SANCATHON PERFORMERS!
Contribute in support of performers at their team & personal pages from the SANCAthon Team Page.
The Amazing Circus 1-ders and the Magnificent 7 – accompanied by the SANCApators Band — will close out the day by with some amazing new performances. You may be witness to the debut of AcroVengers: Origins, as well as an amazing aerial ladder act, a tumbling and springboard act, and a new ring juggling act.
The Buskers’ Challenge:
Cirrus Circus and our staff performers will give it their all for you! Challenge our performers to achieve amazing feats of daring do by putting down a donation for a trick. Want to see an acrobatic three-high? Juggling 7 balls? A dueling unicycle challenge? Show us the $$, we’ll show you the tricks!
Random Acts of Circus will happen throughout the day, and you’ll have opportunities to enter drawings for fabulous prizes. See you Sunday, November 1st for SANCAthon!
SANCAthon is a super fun community celebration! We’ve got exciting plans for this year’s SANCAthon and you don’t want to miss it!
Team Catchathon:
Team CANYONATHON:
Team Handstand:
Team Juggler:
Turbo Tots:
