Education Staff

Karen Bell

Karen Bell has had a 36 year career as a Professional Circus clown. She is the only female clown with a solo ring gag on Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. As a ‘Producing’ Clown for Ringling, Karen created material to perform for herself and other clowns on the show. She has toured the world clowning with Ringing and the Department of Defense. In 2005, Ms. Bell moved to Florida to work as Outreach and Education Manager for The Circus Arts Conservatory and has been instrumental in expanding the Humor Therapy outreach program, to include “Memories…Lost and Found” a program to aid dementia and late stage Alzheimer patients. Additionally, she is responsible for the design, development and implementation of The CAC’s Education Program. Creating and teaching circus curriculum for elementary and middle school students. Along with her partner, Robin Eurich, Karen has presented at the National Science Teacher Association’s STEM conference for two years in a row. One of Ms. Bell’s proudest accomplishments has been being a part of an amazing team that has created circus curriculum for Sarasota High School’s Circus Arts Magnet program and Booker Middle Visual and Performing Arts Circus Magnet program.

Karen coaches clowns for the Sailor Circus Academy.

Rikki Hettig-Rolfe Meaux

Rikki Hettig-Rolfe Meaux is an educator and second generation professional circus artist from Sarasota, Florida. After spending her youth passionately training and performing with the Sailor Circus Academy, Rikki continued to learn and grow as a performer, through training and, in her opinion, one of the best ways, teaching. Rikki is a certified teacher in Florida and also has Montessori training and experience. She graduated from the University of South Florida and worked as an elementary school classroom teacher, reading specialist, and substitute for several years while also working as an aerial coach with the Sailor Circus Academy. Rikki continues to perform professionally and is so happy and proud to have a career combining her love of circus with her love for education and children!

Members:
National Science Teachers Association
Florida Association of Science Teachers

Awarded the 2016 Arts Leadership Award: Arts in Education by the Arts and Culture Alliance