News

written by Ariele Ebacher based on an interview with Gypsy Snider

As we head into the dark months of winter, there are signs all around us that it is time to nestle in. Animals are gathering stores, trees are dropping their leaves and conserving energy for spring, and in the human world, we gather close to loved ones, celebrating the light that carries us through the dark season.

At Club Fugazi, the creative team behind Dear San Francisco beautifully connects this seasonal spirit to the inherent character of the city itself. I spoke with co-director Gypsy Snider, who shared the touching reflection that because San Francisco is so deeply accepting and welcoming of both people and nature, it holds a truly special connection to the holiday season. The special production, Home for the Holidays, embodies the spirit of lifting each other up, empowering us to do good, and treating each other well. When we spoke, the team was not only preparing to shift to the holiday show but was also navigating the changeover of five cast members—all while continuing to perform seven shows per week.

While The 7 Fingers is best known as a Canadian company that tours the world, its history has woven in and out of San Francisco from the very beginning. San Francisco natives, Gypsy Snider and Shana Carroll, left the city at 18 for Europe and Montreal, respectively. Yet, they continuously returned to work with acrobatic Master Lu Yi and his students, bringing what they experienced abroad back to San Francisco to germinate.  Circus Center was co-producer with Loft (2003/4) and Traces (2006/7) at the Palace of Fine Arts over the holidays. The same venue hosted the Pickle Family Circus as a holiday tradition years prior.  The stars finally aligned in 2019 when Club Fugazi became available. The venue had long hosted the beloved show Beach Blanket Babylon, a musical parody that paid homage to the city through sketch comedy based on current cultural events. When Beach Blanket closed, Gypsy saw an opportunity to continue that homage to San Francisco, but through the art of circus instead of song.

Dear San Francisco has now been running for four years at Club Fugazi in North Beach. Permanent shows are few and far between in the U.S., and rely heavily on local audiences, tourists, and business travelers alike. Like shows everywhere, Dear San Francisco feels the rise and fall of travel and the economy, but its continued run is a triumph in itself. As Gypsy shared with me, “There’s no profit being made anywhere in the industry these days, but if you’re breaking even…you’re winning.”

As a long-running show, Dear San Francisco has evolved over the years, requiring constant care and tending to stay fresh. All-star cast members rotate through and the show grows with each incarnation. After four years, Gypsy feels the show is ready for some bigger creative changes, which we can all look forward to. But through all the evolutions, the heart remains: a love letter to San Francisco told through circus. The show celebrates the city, which in turn supports the show, creating a positive cycle that influences circus culture in San Francisco in general. It's a cycle of evolution rooted in the deep history of circus in the city and spiraling upwards towards the light. 

Learn more about the 7 Fingers and Dear SF  For show info and tickets click here

written by Ariele Ebacher based on an interview with Zane Defiant and Serenity Smith Forchion

This November 2nd–9th the first annual Vermont Circus Festival will take over the town of Brattleboro, Vermont, filling the streets, store fronts, and restaurants with festivities. The main hub for the week's activities will, of course, be the internationally recognized New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA). Full disclosure: I coach at NECCA and live in Brattleboro, so my interest in the festival is both personal and professional ;)

To learn more about the festival, I spoke with Zane Defiant (NECCA Director of Operations) and Serenity Smith Forchion (NECCA co-Founder and Producing Director). Along with Elsie Smith, Elena Day, and Aimée Hancock, they make up NECCA’s 5-person cooperative leadership team. This team is thrilled to launch the Vermont Circus Festival, as an example of what collaborative management can achieve. Our conversation reflected to me how the unique expertise of each member of the leadership team is mirrored in the various components of the festival.

NECCA is widely recognized for its excellence in circus education, particularly technical instruction. Countless artists and instructors have been educated at NECCA and gone on to share their knowledge and talents across the globe. Historically, these individuals came back for the annual Circus Workshop Weekend. This year, that popular weekend has been re-imagined into the Vermont Circus Festival, a full week-long immersion into the circus arts. The event features 50 workshops, three major circus performances, 20+ seminars, roundtable discussions, a visual art exhibit, a book reading, and a social gathering sponsored by the American Circus Alliance. The schedule offers diverse opportunities for anyone to participate, regardless of skill level or point of intersection with the circus arts.  Spectator, practitioner, circus learner, and circus maker, all are welcome.

This festival is not limited to circus professionals. Because NECCA is so firmly integrated into Brattleboro—serving as a valuable community resource and an economic driver—the event was specifically designed to extend beyond the NECCA building and embrace the town and region as well as further afield. Those in the arts know we can champion the cultural and economic benefits of art, but it truly makes an impact only when people feel its presence in their daily lives. With free programming scheduled all around town, the festival aims to bring joy, connection, and energy to the entire community.

So whether you’re a lifelong circus enthusiast or a curious local, come immerse yourself in the full experience of the Vermont Circus Festival! Due to the breadth of activities, please visit the website for the complete schedule and registration details.

https://necenterforcircusarts.org/about/vermont-circus-festival/

The life of Noe España is a life in the circus.  He was born into it, as were his children and grandchildren.  I think it is safe to say that it is akin to the air he breathes and the water he drinks, always there and always a part of existence.  In his many years as a circus artist and now as a producer, he has discovered that at its root, circus is all about the audience.  If you stay relevant to the audience, you will stay relevant in changing times.  They will guide you through the years and generations, as they have done for Noe and his family.

His mother’s parents had their own small circus in Mexico, specializing mostly in floor acrobatics and aerials, although his uncles also played music and were part of the circus band  His father was hired as an acrobat and met his mother.  They fell in love and he joined the family as well as the show.  Noe’s own family was large (3 brothers and 3 sisters) and eventually had to split off into several flying troupes to keep everyone in the act.  Noe started as a flying troupe, but when the Wheel of Death became the most highly desired act, he and his brother learned the act and began performing it.   Noe says “If we had stayed only as a flying trapeze troupe we might not have survived the years.  We always have to learn new acts to stay in the business.  As circus people we have confidence and faith that we can learn any new act if we train and practice.”  

As Noe moved from trapeze to the Wheel of Death and eventually the Globe of Death, he noticed a changing relationship to the audience and circus techniques.  He says,  “I have to admit that trapeze was an act where every time was a personal challenge with myself. Each time I wanted to do something better or more interesting to be my best.  It was for myself just as much as it was for the audience.”  But when he started performing the Wheel of Death and the Globe of Death he started really playing with the audience to get their attention, their big reactions, and to entertain them.  It became about the people and he got hungry for the audience’s response.  These were the moments when he realized that as performers and entertainers we exist because of and for the audience.  No matter where we are and what we do, we have to keep that in mind.  

With his company Masterworx Entertainment, Noe tries to create something that caters to the audience who come to see exciting moments, elegant moments, all of these things that the culture of the circus can provide.  He says, we are truly artists, using our creativity to make new versions of these acts that have been around for hundreds of years.  This reminds me of a quote that I have always loved: “Art is long and life is short”.  In our short time on this earth we, as circus artists, dedicate our lives to this business and thereby contribute to the long story and eternal life of the art of circus.  Says Noe, “Through circus we contribute to life and people in a unique and relevant way, now and forever.  We plant seeds in people and those seeds are important.”  

To learn more about Noe España, his family, and his company visit https://www.masterworx-ent.com/cirquesa.html

Your ACA Board of Directors is sending out a survey as part of our summer reflection. We'd like to know what is valuable for our members and our community so we can make informed decisions about what to do more of and what to do less of. As we look ahead, we value your input - and please share this survey with anyone you think would be interested in adding their voice to the work that the American Circus Alliance is doing.  

SURVEY LINK: (should take about 5 minutes)

written by Ariele Ebacher based on an interview with Clayton Cox

In this day and age, it's a rare treat to find entertainment that truly caters to small-town life and local communities. Much of our culture is designed for mass appeal, but in small towns across Kentucky and Indiana, Circus Grimaldi brings the magic of "circus day" directly to the people.

Now in its third year, Circus Grimaldi began as a four-person fundraising show for a local organization. When that first run sold out, they decided to take it on the road with a 250-seat tent. Because the show remains relatively small, they can bring it to smaller communities, typically those with populations around 2,000.

By partnering with local nonprofits, Grimaldi directly taps into the communities it visits. Each year, those relationships deepen as the show is invited back. This year's show features a cast of eight artists who also set up the tent, run the tech, and handle ticket and concession sales. With a trained rat act, aerialists, jugglers, and clowns, the show adheres to a traditional circus model. Co-owner Clayton Cox says, "We made the show to serve the audiences in small towns that other bigger shows have abandoned. The people are so surprised that something is coming to them, and they bring that appreciation and wonderment into the tent with them." For Clayton, the intimate experience of a small show and the quality of interaction between audience and performer are the true measures of its success.

This summer, Circus Grimaldi will be touring Kentucky and Indiana from July 25 to September 1. More info can be found on their website:https://circusgrimaldi.com/.

Circus isn’t just an art—it’s a community, a career, and a movement. The ACA connects producers, directors, schools, and artists of all levels and we fight for recognition, funding, and fair treatment for artists and industry professionals nationwide. Your support furthers this work!

What ACA Offers You:

Mentorship & Creative Development – Gain access to our Mentorship, Act Pitch, and Circus Creation LAB programs.

Networking & Community – Join our First Friday Zoom calls for open conversation, collaboration, and new connections.

Visibility & Promotion – List your upcoming events in our monthly newsletter and see what fellow members are up to.

Free Industry Development Workshops – Learn from top professionals and grow your career.

Make an Impact – Join one of our many committees and help shape the future of American circus.

Are you With it and For It? Join today!

https://americancircusalliance.wildapricot.org/join-us

The American Circus Alliance and VIVA Fest are excited to propose the launch of Circus Creation LAB, a 2-day event designed to bring together top U.S. circus directors and emerging artists. This unique event will provide a collaborative environment where young artists can work closely with circus directors creators from around the country.  These creative labs are designed to foster personal and artistic growth, as well as make connections with peers and leaders in the professional world.  

The event will take place In Las Vegas, NV directly following VIVA Fest on March 23rd - 24th. 

Applicants must be either a registered VIVA Fest participant and/or a member of the American Circus Alliance.  Ages 16+

Once accepted, applicants will register for the LAB and pay the $250 program fee.  Limited scholarships are being made possible by VIVA Fest, the American Circus Alliance, and CSAW.  For more information on scholarships  email: info@americancircusalliance.org  

Apply today! 

Dec 15th- Application deadline

Join us on October 2nd for the virtual launch of this collaboration with other international arts organizations to expand opportunities for the circus arts!  

While all ACA members are invited to attend, this project is best suited for those with circus shows that seek touring opportunities or those who seek existing shows to produce/present.  

Register here: project launch registration link

The ACA hosted a Step Right Up! gathering in Las Vegas under the Cirque Mechanics tent at the Viva Fest! Over 100 people attended!

Welcome one and all to a circus gathering you won't want to miss! Engage with and learn from some of the leaders, makers and dreamers in the ever-evolving world of circus. 

Hosted by the American Circus Alliance board 

On January 13, the ACA  attended the APAP conference and was invited to host a conversation for the presenters / producers / theaters in attendance. Over 75 people joined the conversation.

Demystifying Circus: A Panel Open to APAP conference attendees hosted by:

•  Margaret Lawrence, Moss Arts Center, Virginia Tech 

• Mary Rose Lloyd – New Victory Theater

• Amy Vashaw, Center for Performing Arts at Penn State

• Ruth Juliet Wikler (Wikler Arts)

Hosted by: Mark Lonergan (Parallel Exit)

Demystifying Circus: Presenters and Artists share knowledge, risk, challenges and rewards of presenting circus in a "post covid" world. Who is attending? What are the basic technical requirements? Is it for children only? Where are the US based companies located? Hosted by the American Circus Alliance.