The 2015 Summer Circus Spectacular Comes Alive on Florida’s Gulf Coast

Sarasota, FL – The Summer Circus Spectacular is back and ready to impress with its ninth consecutive year of crowd pleasing performances! Once again, two legendary greats – The Circus Arts Conservatory’s Circus Sarasota and The Ringling – are teaming up to bring the most exciting and affordable family entertainment to Sarasota’s Historic Asolo Theater from Tuesday, June 16 to Saturday, August 1, 2015. This one-of-a-kind production has become a celebrated summertime event on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Back by popular demand as this summer’s ringmistress is the highly-regarded and locally recognized, 17 year-old, recent Sailor Circus Academy alumna, Bailey Yelding-Sloan. This leading lady is a 2015 Sarasota High School graduate and a 10th generation circus performer, with eight years of circus arts experience – including trapeze, high wire, cradle, Spanish web and ringmistress – under her belt. Her quick wit and natural charisma in the spotlight are guaranteed to keep you engaged!

Adding additional excitement to the performance line-up is the totally amazing juggling of 13-year-old, circus sensation, Sebastian St. Jules and the fun doesn’t stop there. Nationally acclaimed circus-arts superstar, Martin Alvarez, along with his flipping and flying family, will have audiences awestruck with astonishing teeterboard thrills. The entertaining style and encouraged audience participation of circus funny-man Kirk Marsh will keep the crowds in stitches. Other performance greats like the Anastasini Brothers, with their incredible Icarian human foot-juggling act, will keep the cheers coming too! And, no Circus Sarasota show is complete without world-famous aerialist and “Queen of the Air”, Dolly Jacobs soaring overhead with her unprecedented grace and poise. Daughter to the world-renowned clown, Lou Jacobs, Dolly followed his famed footsteps and rose to the top with Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus. There she earned the solo spot above the center ring of The Greatest Show on Earth. In 1997 Jacobs and her husband, Pedro Reis, founded The Circus Arts Conservatory, an organization dedicated to continuing Sarasota’s rich circus heritage through teaching the circus arts and providing high-quality circus performances.

“The Summer Circus Spectacular is a very affordable way for the entire family to enjoy an exciting, world-class circus performance and the air-conditioned comfort of the intimate Historic Asolo Theater provides the perfect arena too,” said Pedro Reis, Founder and CEO of Circus Sarasota. “The opportunity to enjoy an authentic circus performance on the grounds of the historic Ringling estate is something quite special and unique to Sarasota!”

Summer Circus Spectacular shows will be held Tuesday through Friday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 5 p.m. from June 16 to August 1, 2015. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for children 12 and under. For more information or to purchase tickets call the Historic Asolo Theater Box Office at 941-360-7399 or visit www.ringling.org

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Surprise Honor for ‘Queen of the Air’ Dolly Jacobs

Herald Tribune Article by Carrie Seidman

SARASOTA – About two weeks ago, Pedro Reis, CEO of the Circus Arts Conservatory, received a message that someone from the National Endowment for the Arts had called… MORE

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The Marvelous Miraculous Circus Machine

The Circus Arts Conservatory Presents Rube Goldberg Chain Reaction Machine

The Marvelous Miraculous Circus Machine

Sarasota, Fla. – The Circus Arts Conservatory (CAC) is proud to announce that the Sailor Circus Arena in Sarasota will be host to The Marvelous Miraculous Circus Machine May 7 and 8, 2015. The giant Rube Goldberg Chain Reaction Machine is being constructed by Sarasota High School’s elite engineering students enrolled in the MaST Program and was made possible through a generous grant by The American Honda Foundation. MaST is a program at Sarasota High School and is the School of Excellence in Math, Science and Technology.

Thirteen area elementary schools – more than 1,400 students – have also participated in the program supporting two productions of the “Machine” by learning the principals of physics following Circus Arts Conservatory curriculum and building their own machines in their classrooms. Seeing their calculations in action instead of on paper the 5th grade participants were afforded an unprecedented learning experience that brings together theoretical and applied learning.

Seventy Sarasota MaST students are participating in the project having been given specific parameters to develop the circus machine. Each of the four classes (freshman through senior) was responsible for creating one portion of the Machine and their piece must successfully integrate with the next classes segment. Parameters included such elements as the size of the arena (20,000 sq. ft.), the dimensions of their portion, the amount of force and the weight and angle to be applied at the beginning of their section delivered to the next piece of the machine.

MaST classroom time was spent learning about the physics, engineering, art, rigging and skills of the circus arts (trapeze, aerial performance, juggling, etc.) and understanding the critical role of teamwork among all of these components. The MaST instructor and teaching artists provided the students with the framework and parameters of the assignment; however, the concept, design, construction and execution of the Machine is all student directed.

Once the enormous Machine has been assembled in the Sailor Circus Arena, circus performers will become part of it – providing connections between the machine’s four main parts by being flipped, flown and spun from one component to the next.

This program was spearheaded by the Circus Arts Conservatory’s Education Department who combine the worlds of engineering, sculpture and circus arts in the classroom. After developing the pilot program in Sarasota, the CAC hopes the lesson can be introduced to neighboring counties.

The CAC’s education department is led by Karen Bell, a professional clown who first performed with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1986. Bell has been a teaching artist since 2005 and received her teaching training through the Kennedy Center’s Artists as Educators seminars funded through the DANA Foundation. Joining Bell is Robin Eurich, professional clown, improviser and teacher who has been performing for 42 years. He has been with CAC since its first year performing as Ringmaster and has been teaching in the classroom for CAC since 2011.

“This is exciting on so many levels,” said teaching artist Karen Bell. “A Rube Goldberg machine has never been built on this scale. We are assembling it in the Sailor Circus Arena and taking advantage of the rigging and circus performers. Part of the challenge to the students was to incorporate circus into the Machine. We’re teaching these children teamwork, perseverance and the valuable experience of failure – they most likely won’t get everything right on the first try but working together and using the principals of physics and engineering, they will eventually get their machine to work.”

Robin Eurich added, “This project teaches collaborative and creative thinking – the heart and soul of the workplace of tomorrow. And we’ve found a way to inspire children to find science compelling and achievable. They’re learning physics! Physics is non-changing – everything starts with physics. Since we are in the circus we think creatively, practically, big and out of the box and we’re teaching the children to think that way as well.”

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Sailor Circus Academy 2015 Spring Performance

Sarasota, Fla. – The Sailor Circus kicks off its 66th season of incredible, family-friendly entertainment with its 2015 Spring Performance. This is the Country’s premier youth circus and each show includes more than 100 area students, in more than 25 incredible acts. The 2015 Greatest “Little” Show on Earth Performance runs on select dates from Friday, March 27th to Saturday, April 4th, 2015 and is the only place in Florida where you can find a youth circus production of this magnitude.

Sailor Circus Spring 2015Due to the overwhelming support of Sarasota locals and visitors, the legendary Sailor Circus is a major attraction on Florida’s Gulf Coast and has grown from a small high school gymnastics class, back in 1949, into a four-ring circus production of epic proportions. Today Sailor Circus is made up of students from throughout Sarasota and the surrounding counties, in grades 4 through 12, who are dedicated to carrying on the heritage of a city founded on the circus arts. This year’s Sailor Circus cast has 10 graduating seniors – some of whom aspire to become professional circus artists and others who will attend Ivy League colleges – the rest of the cast are high school, middle and elementary school students. These extremely committed youth performers train under the stewardship of world- renowned circus professionals, for 20 to 30 hours each week, 8 months out of the year, in order to prepare for the performance and carry on the legacy of what has been nationally-recognized as The Greatest “Little” Show on Earth.

Audiences will be awe-inspired as these young circus artists jump, bend, balance, flip, and fly with all the non-stop entertainment you’d expect to find in a professional circus production. The one-of-a-kind performance includes unicycle, juggling, tightrope, aerial silks, acrobatics, the flying trapeze and much, much more. With everything from circus gifts, buttery popcorn, fresh-spun cotton candy and an incredible display of magnificent circus arts, this spring performance is high-quality entertainment that will win the hearts of both young and old. As an added bonus, a live all volunteer circus band will add to the artistry by accompanying a selection of Sailor Circus acts with traditional circus favorites. Other acts will be accompanied by Top 40 hits giving everyone a chance to clap along to music they enjoy.

The Sailor Circus Academy 2015 Spring Performance runs for 6 magic-filled days at the Sailor Circus Arena, located at 2075 Bahia Vista Street, Sarasota. Shows are at 7 P.M. on Friday, March 27th, 2 and 7 P.M. on Saturday, March 28th and Sunday, March 29th; at 7 P.M. on Thursday, April 2nd and Friday, April 3rd; and at 2 and 7 P.M. on Saturday, April 4th. The cost is $18 for adults and $12 for children 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased by calling The Circus Arts Conservatory Box Office at 941-355-9805, or online at www.SailorCircus.org.

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Circus Sarasota and Key Chorale Present Cirque des Voix 2015

SARASOTA, Fla. – Circus Sarasota proudly teams up with Key Chorale and the Cirque Orchestra to unveil Cirque des Voix™- a dynamic and supremely blended presentation of songful voices, dramatic orchestra music and awe-inspiring physical strength. The musical circus arts savoir-faire reaches far deeper than sights and sounds to provide a unique and bold presentation unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. This spectacular production regally intertwines live choral music, from classical and famous composers, and wondrously engaging circus arts entertainment, by world-renowned circus arts performers. Cirque des Voix™ runs for two shows only – Friday, March 13th and Saturday, March 14th, 2015 – at the Big Top in Nathan Benderson Park, directly behind The Mall at UTC.

Cirque des Voix 2015The musical compositions of Cirque des Voix™ embody great intensity and include a myriad of impressive pieces that range from classical to new age. There will also be illustrious pieces from the Silver Screen like the theme song from “Spider-Man,” “King Arthur” and “The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob.” The circus arts performances will be equally inspiring and include everything from the world-famous Nik Wallenda on the highwire, human- acrobatic foot-juggling by George Coronas Jr. and Miles Ashton and an aerial silks display from America’s most beloved and longest running youth circus, Sailor Circus. There will also be treasured classics like professional clowning by Karen Bell and Robin Eurich, impressive cube juggling from Vladimir Kim, the graceful poise of World-famous aerialist, Dolly Jacobs and feats of impeccable balance and super-human strength from Duo Romanesque!

The combination of majestic and distinctive art forms – live choral and orchestral music combined with the circus arts – will create an engaging entertainment experience that will grab the attention of both young and old. Cirque des Voix™ shows will be held on Friday, March 13th at 7:30 P.M. and Saturday, March 14th at 2 P.M. Prices range from $20 to $50 per ticket and can be purchased by calling The Circus Arts Conservatory Box Office at 941-355-9805, or on-line at www.CircusArts.org.

Click here to read a Sarasota Herald Tribune review of Cirque des Voix 2015.

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Thrills and laughs in Circus Sarasota’s intimate ‘Fearless’

For nearly two decades, Circus Sarasota keeps finding surprises for its annual winter shows. And this year’s title production “Fearless” suits a show that seems to prove there are countless people around the world who live for the thrill of performing dangerous stunts for audiences.

From the Fabulous Wallendas walking three people high across a wire, to a Romanian Russian barre act, there are plenty of thrills to be found, each one boisterously introduced by ringmaster Joseph Dominick Bauer Jr.

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Fearless Circus Sarasota 2015

Circus Sarasota is back with this year’s edition, titled Fearless, featuring The Flying Wallendas starring Nik Wallenda, “King of the High Wire.” Circus Sarasota, headed by Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs, re-incorporated as Circus Arts Conservatory two years ago, taking several other organizations and programs under its umbrella, including PAL Circus. Now, Circus Arts Conservatory offers expanded educational programs as well as various performances throughout the year, but the yearly edition of Circus Sarasota remains its center piece. This year they have chosen a new location, Nathan Benderson Park, adjacent to the new University Town Center Mall.

Read More.

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Circus Sarasota

Perhaps it’s the new location (Nathan Benderson Park), perhaps it’s the Wallenda family troupe featuring as headliners, or perhaps it’s just the overall lineup—at any rate, this year’s production of Circus Sarasota seemed to generate more energy from a packed crowd the night I saw it than usual.

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The 2014 Sahib Shrine Circus Is Here For One Spectacular Weekend!

SARASOTA, FL – For one weekend only, The Circus Arts Conservatory proudly presents the 2014 Sahib Shrine Circus. On Friday, October 3rd and Saturday, October 4th the Sailor Circus Arena, located at 2075 Bahia Vista Street in Sarasota, will be home to three performances that are guaranteed to entertain circus fans of all ages. This year, the Shrine Circus has double the amount of performing acts to bring Sarasota their biggest show yet. It’s filled with twice as much excitement, twice as many thrilling stunts and incredible human feats, and much, much more!

The action-packed show kicks off with a celebrated Ringmaster who is a 17th daredevil star of the Bauer’s Circus Maximus, Joseph Bauer, Jr. He will also join the dynamic performance line-up with his attention-grabbing Wheel of Destiny too! Other incredible acts will be performed by Noe España and his family, including mind-blowing contortion from daughter, Noemi, unbelievable head-balancing trapeze from his wife, Vivien, superior Chinese yo-yo from his son, Elan and thrilling motorbike stunts on an incline wire from Noe himself. There will be hilarious clowning from the Sahib Shiners, awe-inspiring aerial acrobatics from our hometown Sailor Circus students, and the fun doesn’t stop there! The nationally-acclaimed Jennifer Walker Herriott will continue the excitement with her talented steeds and amazing exotic animals. Neecha Braun provides tail-wagging entertainment as her prancing pups wag their way into your heart, and there will be masterful Risley balancing and maneuvering from Miles Ashton and George Coronas. Other greats like the fast-moving Elena Tsarkova, will provide astonishing quick change, and juggler-extraordinaire, Vladimir Tsarkov will keep the cheers coming. “It’s going to be a really awesome performance that everyone will enjoy,” promises Pedro Reis, Circus Arts Conservatory Co-Founder and CEO.

In Sahib Shrine Circus tradition, the scheduled shows will kick off with a complimentary performance put on for local school children throughout Bradenton, Sarasota and North Port and then follow with three additional ticketed shows, available for purchase, for the general public. “We are pleased to help a fellow non-profit organization and produce another fantastic circus arts performance for our community,” says Reis. “The Circus Arts Conservatory specializes in producing entertaining and professional circus shows and our presentation of the 2014 Sahib Shrine Circus will be a fun and affordable show for families to enjoy.”

Shows will be Friday, October 3rd $10 for children 12 and under. For more information or to purchase tickets visit CircusArts.org or call The Circus Arts Conservatory Box Office at 941-355-9805.

* The Circus Arts Conservatory, Sarasota is home to world-class performances, excellence in training the circus arts, and community based education and humor therapy outreach programs. The organization was born from decades of circus history and today serves as a legacy to those that have set the standards for international circus artistry and athleticism. The Circus Arts Conservatory is a 501(c) 3 non-profit performing arts educational organization, whose extraordinary mission underscores its commitment to sharing the entertainment, education and enrichment of the circus arts.

* It is the mission of Sahib Shriners to encourage and promote fun and fellowship for our Units and Clubs and provide the essential leadership that will guide them to accomplish the same. Our prime focus at all times will be our philanthropic mission to support Shriners Hospitals for Children, a world-class network of specialty hospitals.

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Review of the Summer Circus Spectacular 2014 at The Ringling; presented by The Circus Arts Conservatory of Sarasota

“Step right up, folks, to the “Greatest Show on Earth!”  What could be more entertaining on the very grounds of the Ringling estate itself than the Summer Circus Spectacular 2014.  Uniquely showcased in the Historic Asolo Theater, this production incorporates all the elements of the circus arts; a stunning ringmistress, astonishing displays of strength and stamina by a world-class hand-balancing act, a trained Chihuahua, an extraordinary juggling act, a world-famous aerialist soaring high overhead, amazing split-second costume change artists, and of course, a goofy but hilarious clown.  These performers delight and thrill the audience with their spectacular feats, but there is so much more to this story, folks.
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