AcroSports, located in San Francisco, CA, was founded in 1993 by two acrobats from the Moscow Circus, a gymnast from Ukraine, and a community organizer who believed that gymnastics provides the foundation for excellence in acrobatics. Through this foundation, students at AcroSports have always discovered how to learn, building skills while fostering a sense of community. While many students have gone on to find phenomenal success in the professional circus world, the core goal has always been to learn in connection with others.
AcroSports offers a unique blend of disciplines—including circus arts, gymnastics, parkour, and breakdancing—each a melding of movement styles and physicality. Classes are available for all ages, from 10-month-old toddlers to seniors. The organization also features its Integrative Program, which provides specialized movement and circus arts instruction designed for neurodiverse students, those with different functional needs, and any child who thrives in a non-traditional class format. From recreational students to the aspiring artists in the CircusLab youth troupe, the AcroSports gym is vibrant and full of action throughout the day.
The team credits a great deal of their success to their community. Students and families love their experience at AcroSports and share those stories with their own networks. This word-of-mouth reputation extends throughout the city, allowing AcroSports to focus on doing what they do best.
Now AcroSports is looking to support its circus community at large. The future of the San Francisco circus scene is becoming much more collaborative. While local organizations have always done great work, they often operated in silos; now, AcroSports is working with other Bay Area circus organizations to build deeper connections with other artists and companies. This past December, AcroSports, Circus Bella, and the American Circus Alliance hosted a Bay Area Circus Community gathering. Realizing that they have more common ground than they have differences, this formidable group of circus companies has come together to produce the upcoming first annual San Francisco World Circus Day Festival.
If you are interested in joining the AcroSports team, they are currently hiring for a Staff Development/Training Manager and an Integrative Program Coach. For more information about these positions and to learn more about AcroSports, visit acrosports.org.
