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 a traditional circus family, lived on the Ringling Brothers train and has been performing since she was 13. Antonio and Darren are former and current Cirque du Soleil performers without circus in their backgrounds. 

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 promises to be more similar to summer camps pre-pandemic and this unique program is a hit with both parents and campers!

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 school in South Africa. Today he is going to tell us about the new organization the American Circus Alliance, a new organization dedicated to advocating for the circus arts in the U.S. 

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 school in South Africa. Today he is going to tell us about the new organization the American Circus Alliance, a new organization dedicated to advocating for the circus arts in the U.S. 

Aaron Watkins

email: [email protected]

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 rings of the Greatest Show On Earth & is a proud recipient of the Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Award for his work at the Big Apple Circus & Paul Newman’s Hole-In-The-Wall Camp, where he served as Resident Clown Doctor. At The CAC he is The Circus Arts in Healthcare Program Manager. 

Antonio Moore

email: [email protected]

website: CircusArts.org     

Antonio is a new addition to The CAC staff. He grew up in Chicago competing in gymnastics & performing with the Triton Trooper Circus. He became a walk-on gymnast at the University of Illinois & has worked in many Cirque du Soleil shows! He most recently worked as a head coach & consultant for new projects for Cirque de Soleil. He also worked with Cirque Mechanics & as a stuntman in films & commercials.

Rikki Hettig-Rolfe Meaux, Education Associate, Program Manager and Coach at The Circus Arts Conservatory & Tonia Bichler, Training Programs Registrar

email: [email protected]

website: CircusArts.org

Rikki Hettig-Rolfe Meaux and Tonia Bichler both wear many hats at The CAC and are instrumental in the recreational offerings at The CAC. Today they’ll be discussing all of the class and camp opportunities that are currently available and what we can expect for the future.  

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 going to be talking about PREVAIL - A Contemporary Circus Benefit Show featuring many artists that have previously performed with Cirque du Soleil. This show will be live in the Sailor Circus Arena in Sarasota in early March and will also be available as a digital show that you can watch from your home. Here to tell us all about Prevail is Miguel Vargas and Darren Trull.

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 us safe and passing his knowledge on to the next generation. 18 year-old Tommy Johnson has been in the Sailor Circus program for 8 years and is one of Jon’s students.

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 of experience in their fields. Today we’ll hear about their takes on the upcoming Sailor Circus show - Season’s Greetings.