Sailor Circus Academy to Present Four Performances of Spring Show

April 19, 2024 – Sarasota

For 75 years, students involved with the Circus Arts Conservatory’s Sailor Circus Academy have wowed audiences with feats of physical strength, grace and courage that might initially seem well beyond the abilities of performers so young. In “Origins,” patrons of all ages, from near and far, will be enthralled as students involved in the Red Troupe of the youth training program flip, fly and soar to new heights during their spring show. Performances take place in the Sailor Circus Arena (2075 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota) at 2 and 7 p.m. on May 4 and at 1 and 5 p.m. on May 5.

This year’s show celebrates the creative power behind nature, art, human invention, and 75 years of Sailor Circus entertainment. From stardust to supernovas, from aerials to acrobatics, this show has it all! Nearly 50 students will be featured in acts including trampoline wall, acrobatic roller skating, bicycle for five, clowning, aerial acts such as silks, hammock, cloudswing, duo straps, and web, and – the traditional closing act – the flying trapeze. This show marks the first time the Sailor Circus will perform the thrilling and dynamic act, the Russian Swing, which will open the show.

Creative director Jared Walker notes that “Origins” is a more traditional circus show: while there is a theme, there’s no complicated plot line so that the focus can stay on the students. The show will take audiences from the Big Bang through ancient Greek civilization and the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to the age of dinosaurs, the Paleolithic age of early humans, the golden age of invention, the creative boom of art up through modern music, to a concluding supernova.

“We really hope that the community will come out to enjoy this show – it features our most advanced students and showcases the results of years of hard work and training,” said Walker. “We will feature our six seniors and, as always, proceeds from our 50/50 raffle will support scholarships for our graduating students.”

The program’s graduating seniors – Scotti Horowitz, Alex Hume, Kate McCracken, Cora Thayer, Emma Wilson Weber and Anjolie Zerbini, some of whom have studied with SCA for as many as nine years – will be featured in acts including aerial web, slack rope, cloudswing, acrobatic dance, and flying trapeze. Also being featured are two dance trapeze students, Anna Buchmeier and Emmi Tvenstrup, who recently performed at VivaFest 2024 in Las Vegas; the duo, coached by Olga Coronas, won 2nd place as an Aerial Duo in the Emerging Pro category.

Founded in 1949, the Sailor Circus Academy is the longest-running youth circus arts training program in the country, training students in Sarasota and Manatee counties. The program teaches students more than 30 disciplines of circus arts as well as helps participants to learn life management skills, gain self-discipline, bolster confidence, and make a commitment to achievement.

“For 75 years, our Sailor Circus Academy students have continued the proud tradition of training hard, developing their skills, and pushing the envelope in the circus arts,” said CAC co-founder Pedro Reis. “When first-time audience members enter the arena, they may expect something more akin to a school recital or a more casual after school program. What they see is much more polished and far more challenging and exciting: the culmination of 20-30 hours per week of rigorous training with world-renowned circus artists.”

Tickets for “Origins” are $20-$40 and can be purchased via circusarts.org, by calling the Box Office at 941-355-9805, or secured in person at the Box Office on Bahia Vista Street, adjacent to the Sailor Circus Arena. Box Office hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.