The delightful Genevieve Bessette made history when at 12 years old, her coach measured the length of her leg and manufactured for her a steel hoop to perform on. Today, this apparatus is known around the world as the aerial hoop, the cerceau, or lyra. This episode is all about innovating, who gets credit for it, and how to continue to be creative, even when you're an adult with bills to pay.

Please won’t you be a Patreon?: http://www.patreon.com/theartistathlete

This podcast is dedicated to CIRCUS. Aerialist, Shannon McKenna interviews guests from acrobats in Cirque du Soleil to circus therapists and everyone in between. Learn the backstage lives of those who flip, twist, sparkle, and shine under the big top.

Find her online: www.theartistathlete.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartistathlete/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_artist_athlete/ 

This interview occurred on the day all the gyms in Montreal shut down again, and Olaf Triebel did the long distance over the internet version of hold me and tell me it was all going to be ok. And he would know! He is an accomplished performer and works behind the scenes as a director and choreographer, and has a reputation for excellence in coaching hand balancing.

Please won’t you be a Patreon?: http://www.patreon.com/theartistathlete

This podcast is dedicated to CIRCUS. Aerialist, Shannon McKenna interviews guests from acrobats in Cirque du Soleil to circus therapists and everyone in between. Learn the backstage lives of those who flip, twist, sparkle, and shine under the big top.

Find her online: www.theartistathlete.com

Facebook: theartistathlete

Instagram: @the_artist_athlete

This episode contains mention of:

The 7 Fingers- a circus company in Montreal (listen to episodes 80 and 78)

The CHAMÄLEON Theater - a contemporary circus venue in Berlin (listen to episode 45)

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Sosina Wogayehu started funding her circus dreams at the age of 6, selling cigarettes on the streets of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. After a long international career as a contortionist and juggler, Sosina returned to Ethiopia to foster the rich traditions of Ethiopian circus and share them with the world.

Please won’t you be a Patreon?: http://www.patreon.com/theartistathlete

This podcast is dedicated to CIRCUS. Aerialist, Shannon McKenna interviews guests from acrobats in Cirque du Soleil to circus therapists and everyone in between. Learn the backstage lives of those who flip, twist, sparkle, and shine under the big top.

Find her online: www.theartistathlete.com

Facebook: theartistathlete

Instagram: @the_artist_athlete

Circus Ethiopia

http://www.circusethiopia.org

Sosina's Josephine Baker Inspired Act

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tXK6SvzELQ&feature=emb_logo

Sosina's Water Box Contortion Act:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri9sG6uiri4&feature=emb_logo

Michelle Francis Clarke and Yammel Rodriguez are internationally renowned circus artists who rose from challenging backgrounds to unlikely achievements. When COVID-19 hit Germany, they used their creativity and street smarts to develop a roving performance inspired by their cultures (Yammel from Mexico and Michele as an African American) selling freshly baked cookies.

Please won’t you be a Patreon?: http://www.patreon.com/theartistathlete

This podcast is dedicated to CIRCUS. Aerialist, Shannon McKenna interviews guests from acrobats in Cirque du Soleil to circus therapists and everyone in between. Learn the backstage lives of those who flip, twist, sparkle, and shine under the big top.

Find her online: www.theartistathlete.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theartistathlete

Instagram: @the_artist_athlete

Instagram: @krml_cookies

Marina Luna, a working aerialist at age 48, began her circus career at 30 years old. She was invited to perform with her partner Cameron McHenry at a circus festival in Moscow. However, during the festival there was a fall and the duo stopped working together. In this interview, Marina tells a story of resilience and redemption that helped her achieve her place back in the spotlight. 

Please won’t you be a Patreon?: http://www.patreon.com/theartistathlete

This podcast is dedicated to CIRCUS. Aerialist, Shannon McKenna interviews guests from acrobats in Cirque du Soleil to circus therapists and everyone in between. Learn the backstage lives of those who flip, twist, sparkle, and shine under the big top.

Find her online: www.theartistathlete.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theartistathlete

Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_artist_athlete/

Duo de Luna, rehearsal for Idol Festival: https://youtu.be/wmkWGnH8hos

Luna Girls in Weltweinachtscircus, Stuttgart: https://youtu.be/Flbg7bGVuGE

Jonathan Lee Iverson is on the mic! Ringling Brother and Barnum & Bailey's youngest, first New Yorker, and first African American ringmaster joins the podcast today to wax philosophic on raising children, singers as athletes, and the evolution of the circus industry.

Please won’t you be a Patreon?: http://www.patreon.com/theartistathlete

This podcast is dedicated to CIRCUS. Aerialist, Shannon McKenna interviews guests from acrobats in Cirque du Soleil to circus therapists and everyone in between. Learn the backstage lives of those who flip, twist, sparkle, and shine under the big top.

Find her online: www.theartistathlete.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theartistathlete

Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_artist_athlete/

Jonathan Lee Iverson

Website: https://www.bigtopvoice.com/

Instagram: @lastringmaster

Steve Smith- episode 24

Harlem Boys Choir - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_Choir_of_Harlem

John Howard Griffin (journalist, author of Black Like Me)

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/black-like-me-50-years-later-74543463/

Markus Garvey (political activist)

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/marcus-garvey

Elijah Mohammad (NOI leader)

https://www.noi.org/honorable-elijah-muhammad/

John Henrik Clarke (professor- creator of African studies in US university system)

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/john-henrik-clarke-born/

Dr. Francis Cress Welsing (psychiatrist)

https://aalbc.com/authors/author.php?author_name=Frances+Cress+Welsing

Molefi Kete Asante (philosopher)

http://www.asante.net/biography/

James Welden Johnson (lawyer and poet)

https://www.naacp.org/naacp-history-james-weldon-johnson/

W.E.B. Du Bois (sociologist)

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dubois/ 

One of the original choreographers of aerial dance in the Bay Area, Joanna Haigood, talks about her influences growing up on the east coast and then moving to San Francisco (20:20). She expounds upon her fascination of architecture as an access point for telling the stories of place (24:00), highlighting the African American experience (31:00) and using her art as activism (37:20)

Please won’t you be a Patreon?: http://www.patreon.com/theartistathlete

This podcast is dedicated to CIRCUS. Aerialist, Shannon McKenna interviews guests from acrobats in Cirque du Soleil to circus therapists and everyone in between. Learn the backstage lives of those who flip, twist, sparkle, and shine under the big top.

Find her online: www.theartistathlete.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theartistathlete

Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_artist_athlete/

Joanna's Company:

http://www.zaccho.org/

instagram: @zacchosf

References:

Meredith Monk

https://www.meredithmonk.org/

Martha Graham

https://marthagraham.org

Trisha Brown

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/arts/dance/trisha-brown-dead-modern-dance-choreographer.html

W.E.B. Du Bois 

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dubois/

https://www.naacp.org/naacp-history-w-e-b-dubois/

Lisa Lottie is a one woman show who has traveled the world for over a decade with her hula hoops. In this interview, we dive into how she got her start at a traditional circus in India (9:36). She then goes on to share some important lessons she learned while attending circus schools in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (22:34) and London, England (25:25) that ALL those considering circus school should hear. Later in the interview, we dive into the art of street performing (31:16) and how capitalism and COVID-19 have changed the landscape of performance (50:29). Featuring a guest appearance from Lisa's foster cat. 

Please won’t you be a Patreon?: http://www.patreon.com/theartistathlete

This podcast is dedicated to CIRCUS. Aerialist, Shannon McKenna interviews guests from acrobats in Cirque du Soleil to circus therapists and everyone in between. Learn the backstage lives of those who flip, twist, sparkle, and shine under the big top.

Find her online: www.theartistathlete.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theartistathlete

Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_artist_athlete/

-------------------------------------------------

Website: https://lisalottie.com/

Insta: www.instagram.com/Lisa_Lottie/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/lisaxlottie

Learn to hula hoop with Lisa: http://www.Cirqo.co

Listeners of this episode may also enjoy the following episodes of The Artist Athlete Podcast:

Cate Great – Episode 37

Etienne and Leah – Episode 25 

Freyja Edney – Episode 50 

This week, the red-haired tornado herself joins the podcast to talk about how moving from her small town in Ireland to London, England sparked a revolution in the life of Chantal McCormick (8:42). She quickly became an aerial dancer with big dreams and bigger ideas to get funding (11:41). She visited the United States of America for the Aerial Dance Festival, and decided to found one of her own (22:00). She also speaks about creative projects (29:21) and the little things she does daily to make the big things so successful (40:59)

Please won’t you be a Patreon?: http://www.patreon.com/theartistathlete

This podcast is dedicated to CIRCUS. Aerialist, Shannon McKenna interviews guests from acrobats in Cirque du Soleil to circus therapists and everyone in between. Learn the backstage lives of those who flip, twist, sparkle, and shine under the big top.

Find her online: www.theartistathlete.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theartistathlete

Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_artist_athlete/

From a childhood history of designing costumes and "pratting about onstage" (7:05), Rebecca Truman began Skinning the Cat, one of the UK's first contemporary circus companies. In this interview, Becky talks about her creation methodology (16:02), mental health issues (35:37), writing her biography and publishing the book, Aerialist (48:02) , the current state of circus as an artform (54:23), and of course, answering the age old question- "what advice would you give to yourself, at the beginning of your career." (62:50)

Please won’t you be a Patreon?: http://www.patreon.com/theartistathlete

This podcast is dedicated to CIRCUS. Aerialist, Shannon McKenna interviews guests from acrobats in Cirque du Soleil to circus therapists and everyone in between. Learn the backstage lives of those who flip, twist, sparkle, and shine under the big top.

Find her online: www.theartistathlete.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theartistathlete

Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_artist_athlete/