Since May 17, 2006
Circus Day Foundation Becomes Circus Harmony!
Click here to read why!
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Come see us!
Click on a shaded date to see where we are performing that day.
What’s New
International Circus Festival of Budapest
Jessica Hentoff to speak at International Circus Festival of Budapest’s Social Circus Conference on February 6.
International Circus Fetival of Monte Carlo
Circus Harmony’s Director, Jessica Hentoff, had the honor of serving on the jury of the 36th International Circus Fetival of Monte Carlo where she also spoke at Princess Stephanie’s Luncheon for Circus Directors on the subject of social circus.
Circus Harmony: Tessitura
Tessitura was a tremendous success. Congratulations to our flying chldren, Circus Harmony Band, staff and coaches for a wonder-full performance!
Circus Harmony’s 2012 full-length show was an acrobatic adventure featuring over 30 flying children accompanied by the sensational Circus Harmony Band! We hope you didn’t miss this annual, creative confluence of music and circus arts presented by St. Louis’ only social circus school. This show featured our St. Louis Arches---the amazing acrobatic act you see each year at Circus Flora---with all new acts and the circus stars of tomorrow.
Your Gift to Circus Harmony...
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Circus Harmony Seeking Board Members!
If you would like to be the wind beneath the wings of our flying children and can commit a few hours a month to support Circus Harmony, please email us at circusday@circusharmony.org
Circus Harmony Seeking Teachers
Circus Harmony is seeking coaches. Best candidates would have experience teaching and choreographing high level acrobatic and/or aerial skills but would also be willing and able to teach beginner level classes for all ages. Some administrative work required. Passion for social circus a plus. Circus Harmony is primarily a social circus but does offer recreational and pre-professional training. We are the home of the St. Louis Arches and are a performance-based company. Our students present over 300 shows a year and work year-round. If you are not familiar with our work, please further explore our website and watch our videos at www.youtube.com/circusharmony. If interested (and we are looking for immediate availability), please send email with cover letter and resume to circusday@circusharmony.org.
Thank you Bob Cassilly
Our sincere thanks go to the iconoclastic, incredible, incomparable, inimitable, inspirational, Bob Cassilly who created our glass tent and so much else here at City Museum. And thank you to Lane Talburt for making this great video..
Coming Soon: Spring Classes start January 30th!
CIRCUS CLASS GIFT CERTIFICATES make a great Holiday Gift! One size fits most and no pieces to lose! Order at: circusday@circusharmony.org or 314-436-7676
American Youth Circus Festival
Circus Harmony had an inspirational and educational time at the American Youth Circus Festival. See more photos from the festival on our Facebook page at facebook.com/circusharmony
Taking over Canada
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Elliana, T-Roc and Iking are all happily ensconced up in Canada. Here they are enjoying their studies at École de cirque de Québec and École nationale de cirque. You can follow them at facebook.com/circusharmony. |
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Mark your calendars!
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Thursday August 11th at 6 PM join us for a farewell Show and fundraiser for Elliana and T-Roc at City Museum before they head off to École de cirque de Québec! Financial gifts should be made out to Elliana Hentoff-Killian and/or Terrance Robinson. Their final public show in St. Louis will be Aug 12 at noon. |
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Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who was part of Iking’s Farewell Party, Iking’s life and Circus Harmony. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many tears at a circus. The night was a testimony not only to Iking but to the whole Circus Harmony family. Last Sunday, July 31st, Iking hopped on a plane to head to École nationale de cirque (National Circus School in Montreal)
Universoul Circus!
Circus Harmony’s St. Louis Arches were thrilled and honored to perform with Universoul Circus
CITY MUSEUM, now through August 12
Circus Harmony Youth Circus Showcases every Monday - Friday at 12 and 2. The location of our home ring and where we have year round shows and classes: www.citymuseum.org
Toyota 100 Cars for Good
Congratulations to CHS Hutton House, the winner of the June 30th Toyota Cars for Good contest. We still win a flip camera and $1000 and a lot more people know about our work! Thank you to everyone involved---especially Allison Feist our Valiant Vista Volunteer.
Check out our new blog: Watch Out for Flying Children! at www.circusharmony.org/blog/main/
Read the Latest eNewsletter!
Read the Latest Issue!
Tumbling Times Newsletter!
Available as 838 KB PDF.
Harmonious Congratulations!
Circus Harmony is thrilled to announce that St. Louis Arches:
Sidney “Iking” Bateman has been accepted to the École nationale de cirque (National Circus School in Montreal)
Elliana Hentoff-Killian and Terrence “T-Roc” Robinson, have been accepted at École de cirque de Québec (Circus School of Québec City)
The melifluous Mei Ling competed in the Teen Talent Showcase sponsored by the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Fund. Mei Ling won a scholarship to Lindenwood University and a gift certificate to Weissmans’s Designs for Dance!
Circus Harmony: Grazioso proved Circus IS Art!
In the words of the Riverfront Times:
This full-length production is packed with all of the tumbling, flying, flipping and magic that can fit into one show, plus, there’s the young performers’ exuberant, infectious spirit, which is showcased throughout the extravaganza.
Check back soon for more photos of the show!
Circus in America!
American Youth Circus Organization and Circus 4 Youth have partnered to produce this wonderful video montage of Circus in America. We are proud to be one of the featured youth circus companies in this film. Please watch:
Youth Circus In The USA from AYCO on Vimeo.
Our performance with Circus Flora and the St. Louis Symphony!
Read about the magical and majestic performance with Circus Flora and the St. Louis Symphony in the St. Louis American.
Jessica in the Beacon!
Photo by Maike Schulz
Read a wonderful interview with Circus Harmony founder Jessica Hentoff in the St. Louis Beacon!
Learn:
- How sometimes you have to fall to be able to teach others to fly.
- Why going to college can still land you in the circus.
- How you can lose a job and gain a career.
- Why circus is like glue.
- How circus is like alchemy.
- And why it matters what you put on your Facebook page.
Circus Kids, an award-winning documentary!!
In 2007, eleven St. Louis teenagers, a clown, a mentor, a dad, a social circus director, and a young film maker went to Israel. It was the beginning of a truly multi-cultural, incredibly inspirational collaboration between Circus Harmony’s St. Louis Arches and the Jewish/Arab Galilee Circus from the Galilee Foundation for Value Education.
The film maker was Alexandra Lipsitz and Circus Kids, the documentary she made about this momentous journey, is now appearing at various film festivals. It recently won two awards at the St. Louis International Film Festival - The Midrash Award (for St. Louis-related films of honesty and artistry that portray the need of the hope of reconciliation or redemption) and the Interfaith Award (for artistic merit; contribution to the understanding of the human condition; and recognition of ethical, social, and spiritual values). It also garnered an honorable mention in the People's Choice category.
Watch the Peace Through Pyramids Project documentary trailer
Read about and see great photos of the Circus Kids premiere in Chicago on our blog!
News and Reviews
- St. Louis Beacon
- Viewer’s review from the Los Angeles AFI Film Festival
- Variety
- St. Louis Jewish Light
- Movie City News
- Riverfront Times
- Ferdy on Films
- St. Louis Kids Magazine
Read about our recent events on our blog!
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
Circus Harmony’s flying children appeared with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey when they were in St. Louis. We were also thrilled to host a number of people from the show at our home ring at City Museum!
Circus Flora in October?
As part of the American Arts Experience, the St. Louis Arches joined other Flora stars to present West by Midwest at the Staenberg Family Complex of the Jewish Community Center on October 2nd & 3rd.
Read about the St. Louis Arches with Circus Flora at the JCC.
CIRCUS KIDS - the documentary
Circus Kids, the documentary made its world premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival Oct. 9 & 10!
Read about the St. Louis Arches' on the red carpet in Chicago.
Watch the Peace Through Pyramids Project documentary trailers
NEW! Never before offered!
Art of Clowning Class with Master Clown, Tom Dougherty
Mondays 7:30 - 9
The Art of Clowning (ages 16 � adult)
Come explore the history, the lore, and the practical application of the ancient art of clown as seen in royal courts, market squares, stages, circuses and streets throughout the world. Clowning is one of the world’s oldest art forms. You will be taught circus skills, stage presence, gag construction, and history by Master Clown Tom Dougherty. Tom’s performances have been featured internationally in such shows as Ringling Brothers, Cirque de Soleil, and Big Apple Circus as well as stages throughout the world.
Watch the Peace Through Pyramids Project documentary trailers
Donate to help the flying children go to Israel!
St. Louis Arches and Galilee Circus will reunite in Israel July 17 - 30, 2010!
St. Louis Arches performing at Circus Flora, June 3 through June 27
See www.circusflora.org for times & ticket information
CIRCUS HARMONY ESTEEM
St. Louis's Circus Harmony and Chicago's CircEsteem presented two days of alternating and combined shows at City Museum. It was a great weekend of skill sharing, friendship making and great circus as these two top social circus organizations made circus history.
In an Unprecedented, Unparalleled, Union of Unique, Uplifting Utilizations of Circus Arts, these two troupes presented a Sensational Series of Successful Shows both alternating and in combination, on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving 2009, in the third floor circus ring of City Museum.
Both groups are ‘social circus’ organizations meaning they use circus arts to help motivate social change.
Circus Harmony is an arts education, youth development organization that teaches the art of life through circus education. Through teaching and performance of circus skills, they help people defy gravity, soar with confidence, and leap over social barriers, all at the same time.
CircEsteem is a non profit youth circus whose mission is to unite youth from diverse racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds and help them build self-esteem and mutual respect through the practice of circus arts.
Together, these two youth circus troupes showed the Power of Possibility by focusing on what unites them instead of on their differences. To see lots of pictures and some fun video go to www.facebook.com/circusharmony.
For more information about CircEsteem, visit www.circesteem.org
Circus Harmony: Fermata a fabulous success
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See how the circus took care of business! Check out the program now available for download! Click here to download the 10.9 MB pdf. A story about kids of all ages coming together from disparate backgrounds to train and perform under the big top is sure to give you warm fuzzies. And if the members of Circus Harmony weren’t so gosh darn talented, their story could stand solely on its feel-good factor. But these kids are really good. Like, mouth-hanging-open, how-did-she-just-do-that good. Read more about what the media said about us. |
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High Fashion!
This month we were part of the Streetscape Fashion show at the Foundry Art Center in celebration of St. Charles Fashion week. Click here to watch the video montage.
Are you looking for exciting entertainment to spice up your holiday events? Think of using some performers from Circus Harmony--- we have tumblers, jugglers, aerialists and more. Just call us at 314-436-7676 to book!
Flying at the Big One!
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Come see your hometown heroes, St. Louis Arches and friends, as they perform with Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey as part of their pre-show Three Ring Adventure. Wednesday, Oct 15, ONLY at 6:30 at the ScoottTrade Center. We're also all going to the show see one of our favorite former Circus Harmony performers, the phenomenally flexible juggler, Book Kennison, who is one of their clowns! |
See our latest act LIVE with Circus Flora now through June 21 or watch our Youtube video!
To view our Youtube channel please click here
Harmonious Congratulations to:
Renaldo "Junior" Williams for starting his studies at the Ecole National Du Cirque in Montreal!
Matt Viverito for 'landing' a spot in the flying trapeze troupe of Florida State University's Flying High Circus!
The St. Louis Arches for their great work at the American Youth Circus Festival in August!
The Circuses Come to Town!
Cirque Du Soleil’s Saltimbanco, Cirque Eloize, Cirque Dreams, Diavolo Dance Theater and Royal Hanneford Circus have all played here since January. We are thankful to all these shows for letting our students attend and be inspired. We also got to visit with performers from each of these shows. Best of all, our students were treated to master classes with performers from both Cirque Dreams and Diavolo Dance Theater. The Cirque Dreams visiting teachers were Mongolian and Russian circus performers who knew our own Rosa Yagaantsetseg and the Diavolo workshops were courtesy of the Edison Theater and its dynamo director, Charlie Robin. Thank you to all!
In addition, one of our students, contortionist Kyle Kaiser won the Cirque Dreams talent search and was featured in their show one night. He did a fantastic job!
This photo features our student, Meghan, with our contortion teacher, Rosa and one of the Cirque contortionists. Meghan is doing the difficult, classics contortion trick known at the Marinelli Bend.
GAMMA PHI
Fifteen of the fabulous, flying St. Louis Arches made their (now) annual trek to Illinois State University to be special guest performers with the Gamma Phi Circus. They performed in front of 6000 enthusiastic circus goers. The Arches also took a tour of the college and learned about scholarships that would be available to any of them who might want to attend. To top it off, they all got flying trapeze lessons with the legendary Tony Steele, who is still flying at 73 years old! Thanks to Gamma Phi head coach, Al Light, for arranging all this. Expect to see Arches in college there in the next few years!
CIRCUS HARMONY PERFORMERS AROUND TOWN
5 of the Arches performed at the Laumeier Art Fair
Although you can usually find them in our glass tent on the third floor of City Museum, our youth circus performers also perform for other special events. They were classic and fabulous when featured at the Kemp Auto Museum for the National Kidney Foundation fundraiser.
You can also find our young circus stars getting inspiration by visiting other shows. They were special guests with Cirque Eloize during that modern circus’ recent engagement at Lindenwood University. This month, you can also catch Circus Harmony students in the audience being inspired by Cirque Dreams at the Fabulous Fox, Diavolo Dance Theater at the Edison Theater and the Royal Hanneford Shrine Circus at the St. Charles Family Arena. We thank all of these institutions and organizations for graciously allowing our aspiring performers to attend their shows. Our students are excitedly looking forward to special workshops with performers from each of these groups, as well.
Our students with Cirque Eloize
DULUTH TRADING features our director!
http://www.duluthtrading.com/features/bigtop.aspx
Jessica really wears and recommends their clothes because they are tough, stretchy and have lots of pockets!
Back from my wonderful trip to the Monte Carlo Circus Festival where I made a presentation on Social Circus to 60 members at a joint symposium of the World Circus Federation and European Circus Association at the invitation of Laura Van Der Meer. The subject of the symposium was Circus: Culture for the Millions. I talked about how circus education is a way to use circus arts to reach at least a million more! I talked about our work in general and specifically about our collaboration with the Jewish/Arab Galilee Circus youth troupe. In addition to slides of our students, I also showed the 4 minute trailer from the documentary that is being made about the collaboration (you can see it at www.circuskids.tv). On the topic of social circus, I shared the dais with Michel LaFortune from Cirque Du Soliel's Cirque Du Monde program. There were also presentations on animal rights legislation around the world, creativity and innovation in circus, and preserving circus historical items. Playmobil had its new circus sets on display. It was an honor to be included in this confluence of circus interests.
We have been getting some great press recently! (Thank you Insight Marketing.) If you have a moment, please check out the following stories:
Article about Circus Harmony Center and upcoming show:
http://www.stlbeacon.org/theaterdance/circus_harmony_brings_kids_together
Article about our octogenarian trapeze artist:
http://www.stlbeacon.org/theaterdance/bunny_herring_still_flies_on_the_trapeze_after_80
Article about our upcoming show and Monte Carlo presentation:
http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2009/01/13/west/news/0114wcj-circuslady000.txt
AP story about our work (this article appeared in papers around the world):
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28598880/
ST. LOUIS -- December 1, 2008 -- Jessica Hentoff is receiving two special honors in early 2009. The Arts & Education Council of St. Louis has named her Arts Innovator of the Year and the World Circus Federation has invited her to address the joint symposium of the World Circus Federation and the European Circus Association on the topic of Social Circus. The term Social Circus refers to using circus arts as a way to motivate social change. Jessica Hentoff is one of the leading American proponents of this social art form. In her 20 years of being a social artist in St. Louis, Hentoff has used circus arts to inspire individual and connect communities.
The international symposium takes place during the annual Monte Carlo Circus Festival in Monaco which is the global circus community's most important event. The festival and World Circus Federation were created by the late Prince Rainier III of Monaco and are now under the patronage of his daughter Princess Stephanie. The Federation's goal is to preserve and promote circus arts and culture around the world. The Monte Carlo Circus Festival has been held annually since 1975. Hentoff's presentation is scheduled on Friday, January 16, 2009.
The Arts & Education Council's St. Louis Arts Innovator Award will be presented to Hentoff in St. Louis on January 26, 2009. The awards honor groups and individuals who help preserve a legacy of artistic excellence and enrich St. Louis' cultural community.
Hentoff is founder of Circus Day Foundation/Circus Harmony-- St. Louis’ only circus school-- and of everydaycircus, the entertainment agency that books circus acts for regional events. Jessica Hentoff and her "flying" children, the St. Louis Arches youth circus troupe, are familiar to attendees of the circus at City Museum, Circus Flora and numerous St. Louis area festivals and events.
Circus Lady Hentoff's remarkable vision and use of circus arts to build character and community has brought about ground-breaking and bridge-building programs like Circus Salaam Shalom (with local Jewish and Muslim children) and Far East Meets Midwest (combining Asian and Midwestern arts and artists).
For the past two year, Hentoff's work has gone international with Peace through Pyramids, an inspirational collaboration between the St. Louis Arches and the Galilee Circus, a Jewish/Arab youth circus in northern Israel. A documentary film is being made about this remarkable Social Circus project. Click on www.circuskids.tv to view excerpts from the film. The concept of Peace through Pyramids is what has earned the Circus Lady the appellation of St. Louis Arts Innovator and the invitation to address the combined World Circus Federation and European Circus Association in Monte Carlo.
Peace through Pyramids is the embodiment of Jessica the Circus Lady’s mission to help children "defy gravity, soar with confidence and leap over social barriers, all at the same time."
To see this work in action, check out www.circuskids.tv and watch the trailers for the documentary being made about our inspirational Israeli collaboration!
18 of Circus Day's talented youth circus performers did a great job performing at Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus on their opening night!!! They got a lot of compliments from the performers and staff at the show. For two of our students, Melvin and Mysteria it was their very first show with us. What a thrill to say you made your debut at Ringing Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus!!
For more pictures of this performance, visit http://photojoe.lifepics.com/net/Pro/Default.aspx
Thank you to Universoul Circus, Cedric Walker, Manuel Ruffin and the cast and crew of Universoul Circus for having us as their guests at their recent appearance in St. Louis. What a great show!
To visit the website of Universoul Circus, please go to www.universoulcircus.com
Special thanks to Wandi Mtshula and Ricardo Sosa for coming and working with our students!
Final Peace through Pyramids – Credit: Chris Mrozewski
The Israelis Came!
The Galilee Arches Reunited
Galilee Circus: Troupe of Israeli children from Jewish and Arab villages
St. Louis Arches: Troupe of American children from different St. Louis neighborhoods
Galilee Arches: International troupe of American and Israeli children of diverse backgrounds
Last summer the combined troupe toured throughout Israel and performed for thousands of people.This summer the Israeli toupe came to America!
July 30 - Aug 13, 2008
We can still use your support!
Donate online via SSL from here.
Click Here for full-sized flyer.
Read the Galilee Arches Press Release.
READ, SEE AND HEAR ALL ABOUT THE GALILEE ARCHES' AMAZING TIME IN ST. LOUIS:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Jewish Light
Second St. Louis Jewish Light Article
St. Louis Beacon
Riverfront Times
KSDK/NBC TV
KWMU/NPR
Online videos!
Galilee Arches' videos are starting to go up at http://www.culturesurfer.com/ (currently on the main page but also available by going to More Videos and then Sports). More will be put up each week.
Galilee Arches on HECTV's State of the Arts! Click here to view the video. The coverage of the Galilee Arches starts at about 0:25 on the video.
Read the Israeli blog:
To read the text in English: http://www.eng.makom-bagalil.org.il/10625/
To see the wonderful photos, to go to the Hebrew side, then click on dates at bottom on the right: http://www.makom-bagalil.org.il/10624/
We are especially grateful to:
City Museum for giving our circus a home.
The Original Soupman for taking such good gastronomic care of the flying children!
The Anti-Defamation League for recognizing how circus children can make “a world of difference.”
We would like to thank the following for their generosity in supporting our Peace through Pyramids project.
We'd also like to thank:
Staenberg Family Foundation, Ruth Siteman, Ken and Nancy Kranzberg, Susan Latorre, Sally Sloan and Tom Hentoff, Mary Strauss, Giovanna and Bob Cassily, Bob Knipfer, John and Cindy Wallach, Stein-Sharpe Family, Cyndy and Laurence Hillman, Harold and Karen Karabell, Margot Hentoff, Bert and Janet Krauss, Don Stueck, Rick Erwin, Carlo and Orlene Gentile and Family, Erb Industries, Karen Schellin, Diane Kline, Global Foods, Pepose/Feigenbaum Family, Harold Hoffman, Diane Ranken, Cate Ponder, Glazier-Snow Family, Greene Family, Callanan Family
New Video Links
New Arches Act Performed at City Museum 2008.
Arches Perform at Circus Flora 2008.
Arches Perform at Circus Flora 2007
Circus Harmony 2005 Special from KETC Channel 9 (PBS)
Culture Surfer Video Collections (Go to Other Video, Sports, and then click on Circus Harmony or Galilee Arches.)
- Circus Day Foundation is a proud founding member of Interchange, the new arts education integration program. Learn more at: www.interchangestlouis.org.
- Buy juggling equipment from Dube to support Circus Day Foundation.
- Use This Link
We Gratefully Acknowledge Our Funders:
Circus Harmony | 4120 Parker Road | Florissant, MO 63033 | 314-436-7676 | circusday@circusharmony.org