 | Tumbling TimesNews From Circus Day FoundationIssue No. 2 —May, 2003 |
| Tumbling TimesNews From Circus Day FoundationIssue No. 2 —May, 2003 |
[Letter from Director] [Our Mission Statement] [Circus Salaam Shalom] [Far East Meets Midwest] [St. Louis Arches] [AYCO] [Sponsor an Arch] [April in St. Louis] [Which Way Is Up?] [Join the Pyramid] [After Hours] [Wish List] [Where Are We?] [New Faces] [Members Party]
Ladeeeez and Gentlemen, Circus Lovers of All Ages—
Welcome to our second newsletter. We have changed the name to the Tumbling Times. We are thrilled to report that we have truly had a banner year and we have you to thank for many of our accomplishments. There is no need to tell you that these are difficult financial times. So, I won’t. I will say that the financial support of our membership is vitally important to carrying out our programs.
Circus is such a wonderful boundary-crossing art form. Circus Arts is a great way to build character in individuals and build bridges between communities.
We have just started building the pyramid on the top of which will be the St. Louis Youth Circus. We appreciate your support! Thanks for being the base of this pyramid.
Circusfully, Jessica Hentoff
The Circus Day Foundationteaches the art of life through circus education. We work to build character and expand community for youth of all ages, cultures, abilities and backgrounds. Through teaching and performance of circus skills, we help people defy gravity, soar with confidence and leap over social barriers, all at the same time. |
Circus Salaam Shalom was our premiere Circus Partnership Program. We are happy to report that this Program was a resounding success. Ten children from the Clara Mohammed School and ten children from the Central Reform Congregation flew and flipped in an awe-inspiring combination of friendship and showmanship.
Circus Salaam Shalom became an integral part of KSDK Newschannel 5’s show “Understanding Islam.” The show aired around the anniversary of 9/11 and was also distributed as a video to hundreds of area schools. The good news was that Circus Salaam Shalom was used to show Jewish and Muslims working together in St. Louis. The bad news was that this was the only such program they could find.
The true embodiment of the success of Circus Salaam Shalom was not the fact that 20 young Muslim and Jewish kids put on a really good circus show with everything from juggling to trapeze. The success was not the tremendous media attention the program garnered. The success wasn't even in the interest shown by the United States Department of Defense videographer. The success of Circus Salaam Shalom was that on the day of their performance, these young white-Jewish and African American-Muslim per-formers sat and watched the St. Louis Arches show together. The two groups of kids who had not known each other mere months ago did not sit on separate sides of the circus ring. They sat together, mingled, arms around each other, enjoying the show and each other's company. THAT was the success of Circus Salaam Shalom! This part of the program didn't make the news. Probably no one took pictures of it. The simple act of sitting next to someone may not seem as daring as hanging upside down on a trapeze. But these different children sitting together, really together, showed what art in this case Circus Art can do to potentially change the world. It is this vision, thinking up and instituting programs like Circus Salaam Shalom and Far East Meets Midwest, which makes the Circus Day Foundation so important.
Far East Meets Midwest was a ground-breaking project that brought together Midwestern and Asian arts and artists. The project started with the Circus Day Foundation bringing in a Chinese Master Acrobatic teacher, Xiao Hong Weng, from the renowned Circus Center in San Francisco. Xiao Hong’s master circus classes made front page news in the St. Louis Post Dispatch (really!) and was featured in the St. Louis Chinese American News.
For the actual show, the St. Louis Arches learned and performed Chinese Hoop Diving, Group Bicycling and Diabolo (a.k.a. Chinese yo-yo). The local Chinese-American community embraced this project. The Arches were asked to be part of the St. Louis Chinese American Association’s Chinese New Year Celebration. The Circus Day Foundation also provided entertainment for the Chinese New Year celebration at Washington University and is providing teachers for the Families with Chinese Children Chinese Culture Day, this June.
Far East Meets Midwest was performed two evenings in February in the everydaycircus ring at City Museum to standing-room-only crowds.
Appearing in the performance along with the St. Louis Arches were the St. Louis Osuwa Taiko Drummers, master Japanese top spinner, Hiroshi Tada, Team Respect from Amanat’s Karate Center and performers from the St. Louis Modern Chinese School. The show was featured in the centerfold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch’s Get Out section, in the Riverfront Times (where the story title was “Give Peace a Back Flip”), St. Louis Chinese American News, the St. Louis American, on radio station KWMU and on TV on FOX 2 and KSDK Newschannel 5.
The Saturday evening show was followed by Circus Day Foundation’s first fundraising auction. The generous donations included everything from Blues Hockey tickets to a private recital from a Symphony violinist, and many fabulous items in between.
Plans for Far East Meets Midwest II are already underway. These plans include collaborations between the Taiko Drummers and the St. Louis Arches, and the St. Louis Modern Chinese School Lion Dancers and the Arches.
So, start gathering your auction items and mark your calendars for Saturday, February 28, 2004, to see Far East Meets Midwest II !!!
This has been an exciting year for the fabulous, flying St. Louis Arches. New members, new acts and new performance locations have all been part of their growth. One new act added to the Arches’ repertoire is the double lyra—a circular trapeze currently performed by Elliana and Shaina. The Arches added new Asian acts for Far East Meets Midwest and will debut their new comedy mini-trampoline vaulting act this June with Circus Flora.
We now have our first member from East St. Louis as part of our troupe. Junior joined in November and was performing by December! His flexibility and infectious smile always wow the crowd.
In December, the Arches performed a special show at the St. Louis History Museum. In January, the Arches were invited by the Windsor Village United Methodist Church to perform in Houston, Texas. The Arches had a great time flying to and performing in Texas. They even fit in a trip to Galveston to see the Gulf of Mexico.
The Arches continue to expand their repertoire and their audience. In addition to performing regularly at City Museum, in downtown St. Louis, the Arches are perfect family entertainment for any event. Look for them with Circus Flora, this June. Then come meet them in St. Paul, Minnesota at the end of August! They also make guest appearances at special events around town.
If you are interested in hiring them for your next special event, please call the Circus Day Foundation office at 314/436-7676.
AYCO stands for American Youth Circus Organization—
a group dedicated to promoting participation of youth in circus arts. This Festival brings together young circus performers, students and teachers from across the country and around the world. They held their first Festival in Sarasota, Florida in 2001. At that first Festival, our own Jessica Hentoff was one of the seminar leaders.
This year will be AYCO’s second Festival and will take place in St. Paul, Minnesota from Aug 21 to Aug 24. The St. Louis Arches will be among the talented young performers. Circus Day Foundation’s assistant coach, Donald Hughes, will give a seminar on teaching circus to inner city children, our executive administrative assistant, April Zink, will talk on circus music and Jessica Hentoff has been asked to deliver the keynote address on Circus Connecting Communities!
If you are interested in attending this inspiring festival or learning more about AYCO, you can visit their website at www.AmericanYouthCircus.org.
Food, travel, lodging, Festival fees it all adds up! We’re honored and thrilled that the St. Louis Arches have been invited to perform at the American Youth Circus Organization Festival this August. We know they are St. Louis’ bounciest ambassadors.
We are offering you an opportunity to send a piece of yourself to St. Paul. Can you sponsor an Arch? Total cost per Arch for this trip is $550. We have 10 Arches, plus 4 adults going to represent the Circus Day Foundation.
Please, help us bring some St. Louis circus sunshine to St. Paul. Sponsor an Arch to go to the AYCO Festival, today!!!
April showers may bring May flowers. April in Paris may be quite lovely. But stop and think—about April Zink! Fourteen years ago, April Zink was the lead trumpet player for The Circus Kingdom band. Thirty years ago (!), Jessica Hentoff was a clown, fire-eater and juggler on this same show. The Circus Kingdom was run by Methodist minister Rev. Dr. L. David Harris. The circus toured the Eastern half of the United States bringing a message of peace and brotherhood in the form of a circus performed by young people from around the country.
When April heard about Circus Salaam Shalom and the work of Circus Day Foundation, she said, “I don’t have to live in Florida. My job is not rewarding. I want to come and help you.” Four months later, she was at her desk in our office in St. Louis. April is now our Executive Administrative Assistant. More exciting is the fact that April is forming the St. Louis Community Circus Band!
So, next time you stop by the office, stop by and welcome April. Also, feel free to bring in and donate any circus band instruments you’re not playing these days. We promise to put them to good use!
While April was in Florida trying to figure out how to get all her belongings to St. Louis, Jessica had been in e-mail contact with Warren Bacon. Warren runs Which Way Is Up? Consultants, a company that rigs and manufactures equipment for circuses, films, underwater and other uses. You can find them online at www.whichwaysupconsult.com.
Warren was Jessica’s first circus teacher, in college. After Jessica’s first season with The Circus Kingdom, she felt she had found her life’s calling and asked Warren how she could repay him. Warren’s reply was, “I’ll tell you what my teacher told me. ‘Pass it on’.” For over a quarter of a century, Jessica has been following his advice—that’s why you’re reading this newsletter!
Warren drove April to St. Louis and got to see first hand how Jessica has been “passing it on.” He’s since come back to help with Far East Meets Midwest. Warren also honored us by becoming our first corporate sponsor. A percentage of all proceeds Which Way Is Up? Consultants makes from the manufacturing of youth circus equipment, will be donated to the Circus Day Foundation. He has also pledged to give us over-run rigging and has already given us huge discounts (in some cases below cost) on items, such as a triple trapeze, American web and fire banner.
We hope that Which Way Is Up? Consultants is the first of many corporate sponsors who can help us continue to build our pyramid to support the Circus Day Foundation.
If you know of any corporation interested in becoming a sponsor, please let us know. Sponsorships can take many forms—monetary donations, purchasing of costumes and equipment, even technical and office support!
Meanwhile, if you happen to need anything rigged underwater or in the air, please patronize Which Way Is Up? Consultants.
Our members form the base of support for the Circus Day Foundation pyramid. Your membership really does make a difference. One of the best reasons for becoming a member is your personal invitation to the annual Members’ Party at City Museum. This year the party will be on Sunday, July 27 from 12:30 to 4:30 PM. Delicious delicacies, convivial company and exciting entertainment are just some of the reasons you don’t want to miss this party!
Please, take a moment and join or renew your membership with the Circus Day Foundation. Help us continue to use circus arts to build character in individuals and build bridges between communities. Tell a friend about the work we are doing and the fun we share. Give a gift membership. Help us make our dream of having an entire circus of children come true, right here in St. Louis!!!
Due to the fabulous, sell out success of Far East Meets Midwest, coupled with City Museum’s extended evening hours (until 1 AM on Friday and Saturday nights), we will offer some evening entertainment. In June, we will have Much Ado Circus presents Encore Theater Group in Romeo & Juliet, conceived and directed by our own master juggling teacher, Richard Kennison. In the future, look for Dangerous Donald Hughes’ directing debut with his new circus concept piece, which is, as yet, untitled. Stay tuned!
 |
Circus Day Foundation is using circus arts “to teach the art of life” in:
This summer we will also be running summer camps at COCA in University City, Collinsville Parks and Recreation in Illinois and a Community Camp for Circus Flora in the Grand Center area.
Our Circus Partnership Program keeps growing with the continuation of Circus Salaam Shalom and our new Adams Park Community Center Circus in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. We are always looking for youth groups who want to connect with other youth groups they would not ordinarily get to know. Let us know of any organization that may want to be one of the next Circus Partnerships. The classes, camps, workshops, and Partnerships will all lead to the formation of the St. Louis Youth Circus.
We pride ourselves on our Cracker Jack staff of circus teachers. Our services are more and more in demand. So we are excited to announce some additions to our sensational staff. Joshua Routh is returning to St. Louis after studying, teaching and working at America’s premiere professional circus training facility, the Circus Center in San Francisco. In addition to studying under Master Acrobat Lu Yi, Joshua graduated from the prestigious Clown Conservatory. While in San Francisco, he taught circus skills, clowning and theater for the Circus Center, Fitness In Transit and Starting Arts. An accomplished circus performer, Joshua has appeared with the New Pickle Circus, Velocity Circus, the San Francisco Youth Circus and Ajacks Entertainment. He has taught a multitude of circus skills to campers at the Circus Center and the JCCA Teen Camp, here in St. Louis. His specialties are clowning and acrobatics. Joshua has worked with mentally and physically challenged children and adults at Camp Don Bosco and the YMCA. Joshua also developed a Clown Program for inner city youth at Matthew Dickey Boys Club, here in St. Louis.
From Troy, Missouri, please welcome Joelle Staley! Joelle is the oldest daughter from a home schooled, performing family of 10 children. Joelle’s interest in circus arts began with gymnastics training at age five, which she continued through high school. Tumbling and acrobatics have served as a base skill for the Staley Family Circus routines. In high school, Joelle became interested in sewing costumes and recreating retro patterns. She is now an accomplished seamstress, which is a great asset to her performing family and friends! In addition to coaching her sibling's gymnastics, Joelle also teaches floor tumbling at Troy County YMCA where her family trains part time. Some of Joelle’s other hobbies include creative writing, studying philosophy and raising large breed dogs.
Save the date. Don’t be late. We can’t wait. Bring a date. Can’t beat the rate. It’s gonna be great. Must be fate. Can you relate?
Be there Sunday, July 27 from 12:30 to 4:30 PM on the third floor at City Museum. As a Circus Day Foundation member, you get free admission to the Museum for you and your family that day. You’ll see new circus acts. Eat delicious—if not nutritious—circus food. Meet the performers and teachers. Hear our new circus band. Come support the circus! Be part of the pyramid!
If you’re not already a member, what ARE you waiting for? You just can’t miss this! Join now!
Circus Salaam Shalom, Jeane Vogel; Far East Meets Midwest, AFR Graphic Design; Chinese New Year, St. Louis Chinese American News Photo; Join the Pyramid, John Heuser; Far East Meets Midwest, Jeane Vogel.