|
SUPPORT US! Help children defy gravity, soar with confidence and leap over social barriers, all at the same time. Click his nose to donate! |
|
|
SUPPORT US! Help children defy gravity, soar with confidence and leap over social barriers, all at the same time. Click his nose to donate! |
Circus is a performing art for those who want to be physical and a physical activity for those who want to perform. It is non-competitive and combines the best of both arts and sports. Circus really does teach the art of life. While you are learning to flip, fly and juggle, you are also learning important life skills like focus, persistence and teamwork. One of the most important aspects of circus arts is that it helps participants get comfortable with presenting themselves in public.
Circus is comprised of five different genres---acrobatics, aerials, object manipulation, equilibristics and clowning. Unlike many other sports and performing arts, there is no single skill set one needs to be successful. If you are not a great tumbler, you may have good balance. If juggling is not your thing, aerial work may well be. In other words, there is something for everybody. The experience of all aspects of circus work will serve to enhance the children’s sense of self, both in regards to control over themselves and in relating to others.
Every class includes a warm-up which works on strength and flexibility. All circus skills benefit the development of physical coordination, body/spatial awareness, emotional control and mental concentration. Tumbling and balancing improve body awareness and control. Partner acrobatics and pyramids require trust, cooperation and responsibility. Clowning is a wonderful outlet for getting attention creatively and with a purpose. Mini-trampoline is an exciting and dynamic activity where the students get to feel the exhileration of flying in a safe, controlled way. Mastering trapeze (even at a low height) gives participants a tremendous sense of special accomplishment as they experience their own abilities from a new perspective. Also, circus is fun!
We offer extensive classes at City Museum with Fall, Spring and Summer sessions. You can also schedule workshops, private and semi-private lessons in our space at City Museum or to come to you. Please call us at 314-436-7676 for more information. Although Circus Harmony’s work is geared towards young people, we offer classes for all ages. In fact, our oldest student is 82 and takes a trapeze class! You are never too old to run away and join the circus!
Circus Day Foundation
Resident Teaching Artists
JESSICA HENTOFF (Artistic/Executive Director) has been involved in circus arts since 1973. She is considered one of the leaders in the field of Social Circus (using circus arts to motivate social change). Jessica has performed as an aerialist, clown, juggler, bareback-rider, small animal trainer and fire-eater and was a founding member of both the Big Apple Circus in New York and Circus Flora in St. Louis. She has choreographed countless shows for thousands of youth of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. Her circus choreography has been seen by audiences spanning from Washington DC’s Kennedy Center to the Scottsdale Center of the Performing Arts in Arizona and now, all the way to Israel!
Jessica has taught circus skills to children and adults of all ages and levels for over thirty years (including deaf children, adolescents with Downs Syndrome and children of all labels---ADD, BD, LD, etc.). She has been privileged to coach and choreograph the St. Louis Arches since their inception in 1989. Jessica was the director of the Circus Flora School in Missouri and co-director of the Berkshire Children’s Circus Camp in Massachusetts.
Since 1989, Jessica has run everydaycircus, a family entertainment business based in the fantastic City Museum in St. Louis. In 2001, Jessica started the Circus Day Foundation/ Circus Harmony to maintain the youth circus troupe the St. Louis Arches and to further inspire individuals and connect communities through circus arts. She serves on the advisory board and the Social Circus Task Force of the American Youth Circus Organization and on the Circus Fan’s of America’s Circus Youth Committee.
Ms. Hentoff has been honored by Gitana Productions with the title “St. Louis Extraordinary/ Ordinary Person of the Year for Deeds of Love Beyond Race” for the work she does using circus arts to bring multicultural communities together. She was the recipient of the SGMA Heroes Award for her dedication to youth sports in the community. The Arts and Education Council has named her the 2009 St. Louis Arts Innovator of the Year. In January of 2009, the World Circus Federation brought her to the Monte Carlo Circus Festival to address their joint symposium with the European Circus Association on the subject of social circus---using circus arts to work with youth and motivate social change.
Jessica’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, Far East Meets Midwest and Circus Harmony. Her most rewarding achievement to date has been the collaboration this summer between the St. Louis Arches and the Galilee Circus in Israel. These trademarks of Circus Day Foundation/Circus Harmony are the embodiment of the organization’s mission to help children “defy gravity, soar with confidence and leap over social barriers, all at the same time.”
WARREN BACON (Acrobatics, Minitrampoline, Aerials, Equilibristics, Juggling ; Risk Management and Rigging Consultant) has over thirty years experience as an international aerialist performer and over fifteen years of rigging management experience first as the Rigging Supervisor at Universal Studios in Orlando Florida, and with his own nationally recognized rigging firm. Warren’s interest in youth circus organizations goes back to his own experience as a student at Florida State University, where, while pursuing a graduate degree, he was introduced to circus arts in a special program offered at that institution. Warren recognizes the extraordinary task that youth circus organizations were trying to accomplish, and was confronted by the real need to bring state of technology equipment to them. “Putting risk management techniques to work for these groups, and taking the message of making better, safer equipment available to not only professional circus but youth circus as become my goal.” In the end, Warren’s dream of someday teaching has been realized. “This is where it all started for me. I wanted to make a difference. I started my career in a youth circus and now I find myself, at the end of my career, imparting the dreams and skill I began with… Children learn to accept challenges gracefully, they learn to work in a team, they acquire mental and physical discipline. It’s all about self exploration and confidence.” Warren was also Jessica Hentoff’s first circus teacher and circus partner.
ROSA YAGAANTSETSEG (Contortion, Hand Balancing, Aerials, Wirewalking) is a Master Teacher and Honored Artist of Mongolia. While she has done and taught every circus act you can think of (including partner acrobatics on the back of a yak), her specialties are contortion and hand balancing. Rosa is world famous as a performer and choreographer of acts that are “a creation of beauty, strength, creativity and control of the human body”. Her acts have won accolades from around the world, including sliver medals at the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival, the Paris Young Actors Festival, the Italian International Circus Festival, the Hungarian World Circus Arts Festival and more.
COURTNEY HEIDENREICH (Lead Aerial and Basic Circus) has performed, coached and trained a variety of aerial and ground acts throughout the United States, Caribbean, Canada, and China. Her touring experience has taken her to over thirty states with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Kelly Miller Circus, and other circuses. In addition to performing as an aerialist in the circus, she has also worked in multiple circus schools, resorts, and theme parks.
Courtney has explored the various different approaches to circus arts education and is interested in developing ways to apply conventional wisdom and pedagogy to the circus realm. Courtney has found that the best way to remain in touch with the learning process is to remain a student. She continues to train and develop her own artistic material and is currently working to incorporate contortion into her repertoire. Ultimately, Courtney views the circus as a vehicle to express the human condition. She is working to create fusion pieces that borrow from the traditional world of circus while continuing to push the envelope. She is grateful to have found a community at Circus Harmony that welcomes her creativity and provides a nurturing environment to grow.
Specialty Teaching Artists
SARIYA SAABYE (Partner and Power Acrobatics) is a four-time national tumbling champion and former member of the USSA acro and tumbling World Team. She has competed nationally with Arch Rivals water ski team. Sariya has choreographed and coached tumbling and sports acrobatics for the past 14 years and is also a certified personal trainer. In addition to working at the Circus Harmony Center, is a full time physical therapist with an emphasis on orthopedics and pediatrics.
MONICA NEWSAM (Dance, Aerial Dance and Silks) finished her primary and secondary education in her home country of Panama. She continued her studies at the Nation School of Dance and Folklore in Cuba where she choreographed and danced in several dance festivals. Monica traveled to India where she studied Indian Classical dance and yoga while teaching Spanish and classical ballet. She returned to Panama as a dance professor at the University of Panama where she started the Gramo Danse project 1999 that still continues giving performances to schools and the general public. Recently, she has been living in Missouri and received a Master’s Degree in education from Lindenwood University while serving as a ballet teacher and dancing with Mid-America Dance Co. She teaches Spanish at St. Clair High School and continues dancing. She also trained aerial dance in Panama with the Mexican circus “Hermanos Gaska”. She has performed aerial dance in Panama, Bahamas and Missouri. She has performed at the Aerial Dance Festival in Boulder, Colorado.
CHRISTIAN MISNER (Magic, Stage Presentation) was Orlando’s premier magical entertainer for over 10 years. Christian the Magician has performed for famous dignitaries, top theme parks and most importantly, thousands of fun-loving fans from around the world. Never satisfied, Christian moved to St. Louis to attend law school at St. Louis University and continue performing for families and companies in the Midwest. He can now be seen regularly at one of St. Louis’s best-known attractions, the City Museum. Christian also teaches Magic and Stage Presentation at Circus Harmony.
RICHARD KENNISON (Juggling and Act Creation) has taught thousands of people how to learn how to juggle. He has taught in many venues including inner city schools to corporate meetings. He acted as the St. Louis Juggling Club president for over a dozen years. Richard has trained and coached a number of nationally-award winning youth jugglers including, Book Kennison, Casey Boehmer, Cameron Ritter, Kellin Quinn, and Tony Pezzo. Richard produced the City Circus Cabaret at the City Museum. He also has produced and/or directed circus themed versions of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights’ Dream, Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest. Richard is Board Member of the International Jugglers Association and served as a co-director for the Championships for the 2010 IJA festival. Richard has a BA in Philosophy from Webster University and a business degree in Sports and Entertainment Management from Fontbonne University. Richard is the Entertainment Director/Event Planner for New Town at St. Charles. Richard is a certified Y.E.P. (Youth Education Program) representative of the IJA (International Jugglers Association.)
AARYA SARA LOCKER (Clowning and Acting) is an actor, clown, director and writer with over 20 years of performance experience. After receiving her BA in Acting at Washington University in St. Louis, Aarya traveled extensively performing, teaching and training in the U.S. and abroad. She has performed with Cirque du Soleil, The Globe Theatre in London, Krooze Komics and dozens of regional theatres and fringe festivals. Aarya has trained with Renee Basinette in Montreal, the British Academy of Fight Directors in London, and The Actors Studio and Shakespeare and Company in the U.S. Aarya worked as a performance and clown coach for Circus Smirkus, Prison Performing Arts and Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. Aarya is an advanced yoga teacher and is currently learning lyra and trapeze. She performs as an actor at various venues throughout St. Louis. She is thrilled to be joining the Circus Harmony Family!
Guest Teaching Artists
CARRIE HELLER (Aerial), M.S.W., CEO of the Circus Arts Institute, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker as well as a professional trapeze artist, an unusual but effective combination! Prior to her psychology and graduate social work training she was a choreographer and performer with over 20 years experience. Carrie has appeared on CNN; at the Georgia World Congress Center; Emory University; The Rayburn Congressional Center in Washington D.C.; and at other events across the country. She has lectured on her Circus Arts Therapy techniques at the World Congress on Child and Play Therapy in Toronto, Canada, at the American Youth Circus Organization Festival, and many other venues.
Carrie is the author of Aerial Circus Training and Safety Manual, a guide for teachers and students. Carrie is also the author of several other training manuals focusing on Circus Arts Therapy. Utilizing her manuals, Carrie conducts workshops for circus schools, gymnastics schools, camps and treatment centers, as well as individuals, families and groups throughout the country.
CARLO GENTILE (Foot Juggling, Chinese Poles, Rolla Bolla, Chinese Acrobatics) has been teaching circus arts to children and adults since 1994. He has performed with Circus Flora and toured with the Royal Lichtenstein Circus as a clown, juggler, unicyclist and diabolo artist. Carlo is a charter member of the American Youth Circus Organization.
Carlo has been teaching and directing circus programs for the past nine years. In 2002, Carlo and his wife Orlene founded Fool Time Circus, an ensemble of teachers/performing artists dedicated to building confidence and expanding life choices through recreational circus arts. Both are graduates of Santa Clara University and the San Francisco Circus Center’s Clown Conservatory. They just returned from Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China where they developed their foot juggling techniques. In 2004, they toured the Midwestern and Eastern USA with the Zoppé Family Circus. Currently, they reside in Los Angeles awaiting the birth of their first child.
LYNN POLKE (Hula hoops, Dance, Aerials, Character Development) Lynn Polk ran away and joined the circus after getting a Fine Arts degree from UW Milwaukee. The circus has provided her with the opportunity to travel and perform throughout the world, work in film and television, choreograph and teach others circus skills. She has worked with Ringling Bros., Big Apple Circus, Cirque du Soleil, LA Circus and many others as a dancer, aerialist, hula hoop spinner and elephant empress. She currently owns RTC Productions which mentors and manages performing artists, choreographs and produces shows.
