CIRCUS ART SPOTLIGHT

Today we are going to talk about the traditional versus the contemporary circus. Dolly, Antonio and Darren are all circus performers and coaches with very different backgrounds. Dolly comes from ...

Coach Rikki Hettig-Rolfe Meaux takes a break from coaching at the CAC to talk to us about circus summer camp. The CAC was able to host a successful but much smaller summer camp in 2020. 2021 prom...

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Pedro Reis began circus training at the age of 12 at a local YMCA, developing his skills on the flying trapeze. He later went on to help found the first circus sc...

Aaron Watkins email: Aaron@CircusArts.org website: CircusArts.org As a clown and magician, Aaron has laughed with people everywhere from The White House to China & the Middle East to the 3...

Antonio Moore email: Coach.Antonio@CircusArts.org website: CircusArts.org      Antonio is a new addition to The CAC staff. He grew up in Chicago competing in gymnastics & performing with t...

Rikki Hettig-Rolfe Meaux, Education Associate, Program Manager and Coach at The Circus Arts Conservatory & Tonia Bichler, Training Programs Registrar email: Rikki@CircusArts.org website: Ci...

Guest Name: Miguel Vargas, Circus Arts Conservatory Head Coach and Darren Trull, CAC Coach and Performer Website: https://circusarts.org/prevail-a-benefit-for-the-circus-arts/ Today we are goin...

Jon Griggs has been involved with the circus his whole life doing everything from performance to management. He is now the Arena Safety & Facilities Manager and a coach at the CAC - keeping u...

Miguel Vargas and Jared Walker are both key players in producing Sailor Circus Academy shows. Miguel is the Sailor Circus Head Coach and Jared is the Creative Director. Together they have decades...

Darren was a gymnast in Canada for 16 years & has an International Business degree from The John Molson School of Business in Montreal. In 2010 he joined Cirque Du Soleil and has performed in...

Karen Bell is the CAC Education Outreach Manager and Rikki Hettig-Rolfg Meaux is an Education Associate and Coach. Together, they are an integral part of the CAC Magnet programs for Middle and Hi...

With a name like SaSa, you know she comes from a family of performers – circus performers that is! Listen as SaSa recounts her family history of travelling the world performing in different acts ...

We’ve spoken with Kelly Fairchild before but felt there was still a story to tell so I’m going to visit with her again today to learn more about her circus background. Kelly’s mother's family, Th...

We shine the light on CAC Co-Founder and Vice President Dolly Jacobs. Dolly was born into circus royalty – her father was Lou Jacobs, the legendary clown for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baile...

We shine the light on CAC Founder and President Pedro Reis. Hear about how he ran away and joined the circus as a teenager beginning his career as an international performer. Then we’ll explore w...

Miguel Trejo Vargas is a fifth-generation circus performer. He has been a flying trapeze artist since he was 7 years old. Most recently, he worked as a performer in Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba an...

#24 BIG TOP VOLUNTEER - MARCIA CARLSON-PACK...

#23 OUT OF DOOR ACADEMY - MICHAEL SALMON...

#22 CAC'S OWN - ALLIE HETHERINGTON...

#21 FOUNDER CIRCUSOUL - KERRY TICE...

Kelly was born to circus parents. Her Mother's family, The Campas are one of Mexico's largest & oldest circus families. Kelly grew up on travelling circuses, touring the United States & C...

Miguel Trejo Vargas is a fifth-generation circus performer. He has been a flying trapeze artist since he was 7 years old. Most recently, he worked as a performer in Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba an...

Jennifer is the Executive Vice President of The CAC, having been with the organization for 12 years. Her work experience has stretched to the corners of the nation. Previously she served as the E...

Jennifer Lemmer Posey is Tibbals Curator of Circus at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. With research interests focused on the relationship of the circus arts, mass media, and popular cu...

Grant is a Sailor Circus Alumni who was with the program for 12 years! He’s still a circus devotee who returns every January to help us with the “Marvelous Miraculous Circus Machine” – an arts in...

Jon Griggs has been with the circus his whole life! He attended the Ringling Bros. Clown College and then became a performer with the circus where he eventually worked his way up the ranks to bec...

Olga Coronas is a wife, mother & professional aerialist. She’s traveled the world on her circus artistry & now coaches silks at the Sailor Circus Arena. She joins us with two of her stude...

Today we shine the spotlight on Jared Walker. Jared has been involved in the theater as an actor, director, choreographer and designer, most recently as the Costume Manager and Summer Camp Direct...

As a child, Al Calienes would peer over a neighborhood fence in Brooklyn trying to view the Big Apple Circus as it setup. The excitement of those days stuck with him and at the age of 26 he decid...

Today we shine the light on Henry Barragan. Henry is a founding member of Circus Sarasota now The CAC. He began working with Pedro and Dolly in 1998 to help launch and support the very first perf...

Marcia loves all things Circus Arts Conservatory and has been volunteering with us for many years – even recruiting her daughters to work with us too! Every February when the Big Top goes up Marc...

A star of Bauer’s Circus Maximus and a 15th generation member of one of Switzerland's oldest circus families, Joseph Bauer has circus in his blood and is used to being in the spotlight. He will o...

We shine the light on CAC Co-Founder and Vice President Dolly Jacobs. Dolly was born into circus royalty – her father was Lou Jacobs, the legendary clown for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baile...

We turn the spotlight on Tegan Allen, a Sailor Circus Senior who has been with the program 7 years. Tegan specializes in being a Ringmistress and walks the high wire among other acts and is getti...

With a name like SaSa, you know she comes from a family of performers – circus performers that is! Listen as SaSa recounts her family history of travelling the world performing in different acts ...

Rikki Hettig-Rolfe Meaux wears many hats at the CAC and is a professional aerialist in her free time – if she can find any! We’ll shine the spotlight on her many talents as well as hearing about ...

Andres Leon Miller is a man of many talents. As a graduate of The Sailor Circus Academy, performance is in his blood. Andres has a passion for and understanding of the circus and shares his enthu...

Before joining the Circus Arts Conservatory to manage the Circus Arts in Healthcare program, Aaron Watkins was the Dean of Students at Ringling’s famed Clown College and served as the Resident Cl...

This week the spotlight shines on CAC Education Manager and Teaching Artist Karen Bell. Karen started her career as a clown with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and is the only ...

We shine the light on CAC Founder and President Pedro Reis. Hear about how he ran away and joined the circus as a teenager beginning his career as an international performer. Then we’ll explore w...