July 23, 2003
CONTACT: Tia Kreinbring, Synergy Group 314.961.9772
St. Louis, MO—Gitana Productions has chosen Jessica Hentoff of Maplewood to receive the “Deeds Beyond Race: Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year” award.
“Today more than ever it is important to celebrate the efforts of ordinary citizens who stretch to reach out to others very different than themselves in order to create good will and demonstrate a love of neighbor,” said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions, a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to cultivating cultural and humanitarian awareness and appreciation. “The local and global need for such acts of courage and love are at a priority level.”
Hentoff will be honored at Gitana’s “Faces of Love: East Meets West” production on August 15 at the Sheldon Concert Hall featuring Japanese violinist Aska Kaneko accompanied by master pianist Vince Evans. Local jazz favorite Denise Thimes and the Vivian Watt Dance Ensemble also will perform. Kaneko has toured throughout Europe, Asia and the United States and has seven records to her credit including the recently released “Mother” on Universal Records of Japan.
Jessica Hentoff has used the unique venue of circus education as a means of bridging the gap between ethnic, social and geographic groups. Hentoff has worked with children of all ages and backgrounds for the last 20 years teaching self-worth through circus performance.
“Hentoff took circus education a step further by creating the Circus Day Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that brings disparate groups of children together to foster cultural understanding,” said Nadal. “Her vision of teaming up children who otherwise would never have had the chance to meet has become a reality in just a few short years.”
The first partnership Hentoff created was a group of Jewish children from the Central Reform Congregation in the Central West End and Muslim children from the Clara Muhammed Temple in North St. Louis. The children practiced circus acts together for eight weeks and then performed for both congregations and at the City Museum.
“The children learn to work together as a team and realize that skin color, religion and social differences do not matter to put on a great show,” said Hentoff. “It is an amazing experience for children to showcase their talents and really be proud of their accomplishments. It is great to see students accomplish feats they never dreamt possible.”
She has taught tumbling, aerial arts and juggling all over St. Louis City and County and has created specialized programs for students at the Galladet School for the Deaf, St. Joseph School for the Deaf and a group of young adults with Down’s Syndrome. She also has taught at the Center for Contemporary Arts (COCA), New City School and Circus Flora.
Other partnerships have included “Far East Meets Midwest” in which Hentoff partnered with the Asian-American community to teach Chinese circus arts to inner-city youth. She also launched a program that connected several church groups in Kinloch and Ferguson to teach circus performing.
Hentoff developed the performing group the St. Louis Arches which performs with Circus Flora. The group includes 10 youth from age six to 23 who reflect the cultural diversity of the region. Through St. Louis Arches, youth who had had never left St. Louis had an opportunity to visit Charleston, South Carolina; Washington D.C.; Houston, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona. The group will perform this summer at the American Youth Circus Organization convention in St. Paul, Minnesota where Jessica will speak about circus as a community builder.
Hentoff has taught thousands of people of all ages, races, religions and social backgrounds. Through the common interest of circus, she has created interconnected culturally diverse communities within the larger community.
Faces of Love: East Meets West featuring Japanese violinist Aska Kaneko, jazz singer Denise Thimes and the Vivian Watt Dance Ensemble will take place on August 15, 8:00 p.m., at the Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Boulevard. The pre-concert reception, Taste of Japan, will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be available to VIP ticket holders. Ticket prices are $38. VIP tickets are $50. To purchase tickets, call Metrotix at 314-534-1111. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.