December 2007
Ladeez and Gentlemen,
We inspire individuals and we connect communities. We are St. Louis’ only circus school and social circus organization. Circus school means we teach a wide variety of circus arts. Social circus means we use circus arts to motivate social change. We defy gravity. We defy labels put on us because of our backgrounds. We basically defy expectations. And we ask you to watch.
We build pyramids of people and bridges between people. We need your help to continue to “help children defy gravity, leap over social barriers and soar with confidence, all at the same time.” We teach circus skills to over 1,300 people a year in our classes at City Museum and numerous outreach programs. Through Circus Harmony and over 400 shows a year, we entertain and inspire over 100,000 people throughout the St. Louis area and beyond. Over 80 percent of our students are from low income families. The donations from this annual appeal go towards our Circus Harmony Scholarship Fund.
We promote peace though pyramids and harmony through handsprings. This past summer, we did it in the Middle East. We took a troupe of our students to Israel where they joined forces with a Jewish/Arab youth circus. Eleven American and thirteen Israeli young people demonstrated, in a breath-taking way, what can happen when people of different nationalities and backgrounds build something together. This is a great example of social circus in action. Next summer, we hope the Israeli Jewish and Arab children can come to America. These are only children--- but they have a lot to teach the rest of the world.
In the words of Rabbi Marc Rosenstein, who invited us to Israel: “I think many who saw the shows felt the same tears in their eyes, maybe out of the feeling one is seeing a vision of something that we all long for... the total obliteration of barriers, whether social, economic or gravitational.”
Circus truly has the power to transform individuals and communities. Please read the quotes from some our grateful students on the reverse side of this letter. Then, make your generous gift to help a child fly physically, emotionally and socially. Thank you in advance for your support of this important work.
For Harmony,
Jessica Hentoff Artistic/Executive Director
P.S. If you contribute $100 or more to our Circus Harmony Scholarship Fund, we would like to recognize you during a special donor appreciation reception at City Museum on February 23, 2008.
“We teach the art of life through circus education.”
