Abigail Munn – Circus Bella Artistic and Executive Director 

(Interview begins at the 5:53 mark)

Since its inception, Abigail Munn has been directing, creating, and producing new work for Circus Bella. Along with the more conventional duties she has also served as the company's truck driver, catering service and laundress. An accomplished dancer, choreographer, and aerialist, Munn holds a BFA in Modern Dance from UC Santa Barbara. As a child, born and raised in SF, she appeared with the Pickle Family Circus, and with Zoppe Italian Family Circus, Lone Star Circus, the Moisture Festival, the New Pickle Circus, Cabaret Verdelet, Circus Cabaret, Tease-O-Rama, Va Voom Room, and The Velvet Hammer Burlesque. Munn was commended in the NY Times for her performance in Alma Esperanza Cunningham’s Princess. Munn co-directed the nouveau-vaudeville troupe Kitty Bang, an internationally recognized three-time “Best of the Bay” winner that is influential in the modern Burlesque resurgence.

Over the past few years Abigail has become increasingly involved in advocacy work for the Circus Arts. When transitioning Circus Bella performers to Employees, she became aware that the current workers compensation rates and policy descriptions in California were way out of step with the current reality of the Circus Industry. Munn embarked on a one-woman quest to help change this and after initiating a study from the Workers Comp Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB), rates were significant lowered (by 80%) for ALL Circus Companies in CA. In addition, she is a founding member and on the board of the American Circus Alliance.

https://www.circusbella.org/