Organization: Circus Center
Mission: To inspire passion for the circus arts through training, performance, and community engagement.
Activities: TRAINING: Circus Center offers classes for every level of ability in flying trapeze, acrobatics, aerial arts, contortion, juggling, and many other disciplines. We have training for all ages, from our recreational and pre-professional youth programs serving students as young as 6 years old, to our recreational adult classes and private lessons. We also offer full-time professional training for aspiring physical comedians through our Clown Conservatory program, graduating 6-12 students each year. In addition, we offer artist residencies; summer camp; corporate, youth, and group events; workshops; specialty intensives; and much more. Our world-renowned team of instructors have performed with the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe, Moscow Circus, Cirque du Soleil, Pickle Family Circus, Circus Bella, Circus Smirkus, Teatro ZinZanni, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, and the Big Apple Circus.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Circus Center partners with schools and community organizations to offer circus arts activities to underserved young people. This year, supported by multi-year municipal funding, we expanded our after-school program at a center for economically disadvantaged children. We also continued our regular series of community open houses to provide low-barrier introductions to the world of circus. And for those young people who get bit by the circus bug, we offer generous need-based financial assistance and other support for their participation in all of our on-site youth programming.
PERFORMANCE: Circus Center produced an abbreviated 4-show season of professional performances in our Circus Center Cabaret series. This year, we also mounted a world premiere professional production at Z Space, a prestigious San Francisco venue. These shows employ dozens of circus, music, and variety artists annually. We also produced 3 semi-professional shows annually: one performed by the trainees in our Clown Conservatory professional training program, and two performed by professionals and advanced adult students. Collectively our performances serve thousands of audience members every year, all at accessible ticket prices.
NTEE category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Secondary category: Recreation & Sports