Education Matters: Education Soars at the Circus Arts Conservatory

By Ryan G. Van Cleave 

When my oldest daughter was three, she admitted that trapeze artists were super cool, thanks to her countless hours of watching the stop-motion musical comedy show, JoJo’s Circus, I’m guessing. But we lived in small-town South Carolina, so that interest eventually gave way to other kid dreams because, honestly, what could we do about it?

Had we lived in Sarasota back then, things might’ve gone differently because of the Circus Arts Conservatory (CAC). Their mission says it all: “to engage and educate students using unique and innovative learning programs; to measurably improve the quality of life for individuals in care facilities; and to advance the extraordinary legacy and heritage of the circus.” To be clear—they offer classes for kids of all ages focusing on circus arts like aerial silks and the trapeze.

“I’ve flown a four-year-old boy and, just last year, an eighty-four-year-old woman,” says Head Training programs coach, Andres Leon, an alumnus of CAC’s Sailor Circus (1996-2003). “In general, I tell people that anyone from five to seventy-five can participate, though it all depends a bit on their physical ability and their willingness to give it a try.” He so fondly remembers his own time with the Sailor Circus that after going to school for nursing and learning how to be a teacher, he thought there’d be no better place to utilize those teaching skills than here at The CAC.

“My experiences in the circus taught me so many things about myself,” he explains. For one thing, confidence, which is a necessary component of any part of the circus arts. A second takeaway for him was being able to trust your peers.

Jennifer Mitchell, CAC’s Executive VP, explains that Leon’s experiences aren’t uncommon. Using circus arts does fit well into any self-improvement or fitness regimen. “Some give it a try because it’s a thrill or it’s on their bucket list. Others try it because they’ve heard from friends how much fun working out can be.”

There’s been an explosion of interest in the circus arts as a vital part of physical training lately. Much of that surge in popularity began with the start of Cirque du Soleil. But when the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus shut down, people worried that the end of that long-running organization signaled doom for all things circus.

“Not so,” says Mitchell. Exactly the opposite happened. “That new space allowed the rest of us to bubble up into a grassroots movement that’s grown throughout the world.” She’s exactly right. Today, it’s not at all unusual to find circus arts in afterschool programs and public recreation classes, as well as combined with other activities such as yoga, even in places without the undeniable circus heritage like we enjoy here. Leon adds that even Club Med has circus arts activities, it’s become such a normalized activity.

“But we intend to be in the forefront of it all,” Leon says. “We’ve got this state-of-the-art facility and the teachers to deliver the best instruction in the safest way.” Indeed, one of the concerns I’d have as a parent is safety. But Leon says participants are always hooked up to a safety device. When flying, they have safety lines and nets underneath. He adds that while some of the equipment has been the same for generations—like the basic pulley block, where today’s blocks are essentially the same as those from decades ago—the rigging is always being updated every five to ten years to increase safety. They also use technology like computers and video to help in training, like they do in other sports, like golf, football, and baseball.

About getting so high up in the big top or trying out a new activity, Leon admits, “There still can be some fear, but that’s a good thing. Figuring out how to overcome that is exciting and useful—it’s not your everyday run-of-the-mill thing. It keeps you on your toes.” He also says participants must cushion their ego because “it’s the trapeze, not checkers.” It takes serious physical work before you get good at it. Until then, you’re likely going to fall a few times, albeit into a net. And while wearing safety harnesses.

Right now, the year-round classes include flying trapeze (ages 6 to adult, with beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels), aerial silks (all ages, all levels), and a kid-oriented circus sampler (ages 3-5 and 6-10). Mitchell points out that because of their state-of-the-art renovated facility, they want to expand their offerings to include such classes as acrobatic trampoline, aerial yoga, hand balancing, juggling, and other circus arts activities. The demand and interest already exists, after all. Just ask my daughter, who’s now fourteen and still smiles when she hears the word “circus.”

“Everything in the circus has a correlation to strength and flexibility since we’re animating the body,” says Mitchell. “We have regulars who come to work on the trapeze, not to one day perform, but simply as part of their regular fitness routine. We also see groups who want to come in and try it together, like families or coworkers.”

The CAC is committed to making a difference through education. Teaching the circus arts through these classes is just one way. They also supplement K-12 teaching through engaged learning by sending circus-artists into area classrooms to demonstrate the principles of science, engineering, art, math, technology, communication, and theater—through using circus arts and themes. Additionally, their Circus Arts in Healthcare program helps improve the quality of life for those in care facilities by sending artists there to use comedy, magic, and music to energize people who truly need it most.

“One of the things that make Sarasota special is that, unlike so many other beachside Gulf cities,” says Mitchell, “we have this amazing legacy and tradition of the circus. The Circus Arts Conservatory is committed to recapturing the majesty of the circus and help keep that unique legacy alive. Having a strong and exciting education program is part of how we make that happen.”

With a pitch like that, I can envision a time where not only will my daughter come try out the circus arts in that amazing new space, but I just might join her, too.

For more information about the Circus Arts Conservatory, please visit circusarts.org or call 941.355.9335.