Congratulations Briella! This action photo was taken with her coach @agus.afs at Vertical Fix in Tempe, Arizona. Briella defies all odds stacked against her with a spinal chord/nerve injury that paralyzed her arm at birth. This firecracker is working with synthetic nerves and works hard at strengthening so she can fulfill her dreams of being a part of Cirque du Soleil. 

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AYCO Youth Membership costs $35 per year and is for anyone 21 and under and college students who are passionate about circus arts. This is your chance to plug into the national circus community, network and show off  your circus pride.

Membership benefits include:

• Surprise swag mailed to your door three times a year
• Eligibility to perform in AYCO event showcases
• Discounts on events and merchandise
• Monthly email AYCOgram newsletter filled with circus opportunities, news, and videos just for you!

Want to join? Grab an adult and click the button below!

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. You’ll get engaging circus content and our favorite shares from our members. 

Be sure to tag us using #AmericanYouthCircusOrganization and use our new hashtags: #WeCircusBetterTogether and #TheFutureIsCircus (You can follow these hashtags too!)

Take a read at our latest blog post! And be sure to share with a circus friend!  

How the HUP Squaders spent their Summer!

Wow! The Hup Squad had a jam packed summer full of workshops, intensives, and more! Read on to find out more about all the different programs and places they traveled to Continue Reading…

Changing Your Mindset

Many of us in circus and sports communities in general struggle with feelings of self doubt and comparing ourselves with others. I found myself struggling with these feelings a lot this summer when I was in a circus intensive program. I’ve trained mainly in aerial, and I didn’t have the tumbling, dance, or hand balancing backgrounds that some of the other participants had. This led me, especially at the beginning, to have a lot of doubt about whether or not I deserved to be there and I worried  about my abilities. Continue Reading…

Join the American Circus Alliance for a two part virtual tent workshop! 

Part 1: Considerations before you buy a Circus Tent 

So you want to buy a circus tent?  Talk to the experts about what to consider before you buy. Also known as ‘don’t get surprised by all the incidentals’, budgeting for lots of stakes and sledge hammers, planning the initial set up, anticipating all the maintenance, etc.Led by Nat Brown – tent owner, and consultant for buyers and users.

When: September 19 (Monday), 12 – 1 pm Eastern

Part 2: Touring with a Tent aka Logistics

Before you buy a circus tent, understand the logistics of touring with it – trucks and trailers, permits, location scouting, seating, electricity, water, parking, and more. Led by Danny Rodriguez – Operations Director, UniverSoul Circus.

When: October 17 (Monday) 12 – 1 pm Eastern

Both are free for ACA members/ annual membership is only $25/year
Register at www.americancircusalliance.org

The THIRD ANNUAL CSAW Fundraiser is Here! Can you help CSAW raise $25,000 to continue providing grants for US Circus Artists of Color?
 
This year CSAW is raising $25K in order to:

Offer yet ANOTHER year of $1K microgrants to US Circus Artists of Color
Continue to provide resources for circus artists around the world
AND Ensure the sustainability of our organization by paying our staff for their work!
CSAW is a non-profit circus organization that works to increase accessibility of information and funding for circus artists of all backgrounds. By October 1st 2022, CSAW will have awarded $41,500 in grant funding to 30 different US Circus Artists of Color. Can you help them continue to provide these resources for BIPOC artists? CSAW is committed to continuing to take action against racism and they hope you will join them in these efforts.
 
CSAW will be raising $25,000 again this year to fund our Microgrant Program and to support more grant programming in 2023!  All grant awardees are chosen by paid selection committees composed entirely of established circus artists of color.
 
To date, more than 250 U.S. circus artists of color have applied for CSAW grants. CSAW knows that these long-term, sustainable, programs are crucial to our community. They need your help to continue them. Donate and learn more at: https://igg.me/at/csawgrants2022

Acting for Climate Scandinavia is thrilled to invite you to RIPPLES | THE SAILING CIRCUS PERFORMANCE which will be presented at Ofelia Plads, Copenhagen, in September 2022. 
 
The seed of Acting for Climate was planted in Norway in 2014, with a dream of using our profession as artists to inspire action for a sustainable future. Now, we are a company creating and touring our own performances, and a growing network of people, artists and activists that nurture collaboration for sustainability.
 
The sailing circus performance “Ripples” set sail across the Baltic sea to inspire people to act for a more sustainable future. Combining performing arts and environmental activism, we set sail for hope, for action and for change. Ripples will be played on decks, and high up in the rig and masts of the sail ship Swallow from 1926.
 
With extreme acrobatics all the way up to the top of the 20 meters high masts, the ship as stage, a world-class international team of artists, and a soundscape blending in voices of climate activists all around the world, Ripples is a one of a kind performance. We present a voyage into the future, into the hopes of a new generation who feels truly connected to nature and to what being an artist means. Artistic expression is a powerful tool to empower society, to embody ecological grief and hope for the future within the ship’s magnificent framework. 
“Ripples” reaches out to people and creates space to reflect. Join us!
 
The schedule can be found here: https://www.actingforclimate.com/ripples

You can now learn Pole and Rope Mallakhamb at your convenience from your space. 
 
Mallakhamb Federation USA (MFU) has created a Mallakhamb Marketplace ™ to support adoption of Mallakhamb globally. Top 5 features are:

• Learn Pole and Rope Mallakhamb in three stages – Recreational, Intermediate, and Advanced. Learn Pole and Rope Mallakhamb skills by categories – Mount, Dismount, Yoga, Intercepts and combinations. Videos are ~ 1 min.
• Collaboration with Mallakhamb enthusiasts. No fake users as user registration requires email and phone validation. 
• If you need more guidance contact us on mallakhambapp@gmail.com and we will allocate a coach to you for FREE.
• Rope and Pole Mallakhambs can be sourced through recommendations from Mallakhamb Federation USA (MFU).
• Learn history of Mallakhamb, apparatus required for learning, different forms of Mallakhamb, competitive Mallakhamb and many more.

Download the app now on iOS and Android.
 
For any suggestions, concerns please write an email to mallakhambapp@gmail.com.

The 10th Annual West Coast Aerial Arts Festival (WCAAF) is open for registration!
 
November 10 – 13, 2022
Aerial Dance Theater, Costa Mesa, California
Competition Dates: November 11 & 12, 2022
 
This aerial competition features categories ranging from 7-year-olds to seniors, novice to professional, various apparatuses, and group entries. Competitors receive participation medals, judges’ feedback, and swag bags. The premium competition package includes an audience ticket and free workshop taught by established educators. Top three winners receive cash prizes, a trophy or medal, social media exposure, and the opportunity to perform their winning piece in the award ceremony. Best of all, participants get to make new friends, choreograph pieces with fellow aerialists, and visit Southern California attractions like Disneyland and Hollywood!
 
Celebrating a decade of festivities, WCAAF provides community and competition that nurtures and inspires professional and non-professional aerialists. To learn more: www.westcoastaerialartsfestival.com.

Are You, Your Students or Your Kiddos Getting Ready to Audition for Circus Schools This Year? CSAW is Here to Help!
 
CSAW – Connecting Circus Students Around the World has released their 2022 Circus School Application Deadline Mastersheet! Click here: https://bit.ly/csawcircusschoolsheet
 
This spreadsheet includes:
• Circus schools
• Links to applications
• Application deadlines
• Audition dates
• The CSAW Ambassador for the school 
• How to contact that ambassador! 
• What is a CSAW Ambassador? 
 
A CSAW Ambassador is a current student of their international circus school. They are here to support you through applying, auditioning and attending circus school. If you have a question about a school just send the Ambassador an email or a DM and get an honest answer from a student of that school asap!
 
There are currently 16 CSAW Ambassadors to help future circus generations. You can find all of the current CSAW Ambassadors by clicking here: https://www.csawcircus.org/ambassadors

Circus Harmony previewed their Architecture and Acrobats program as the keynote at the Missouri History Museum’s Coloring STL exhibit about the architecture of St. Louis. Architecture and Acrobats tells the story of historically and architecturally significant sites in the St Louis through circus arts. 
 
For the American Circus Educators Conference, October 7-9, in Austin, Circus Harmony staff will be presenting workshops on Circus Class Infrastructure, Two Highs, and Academic/Circus Arts Integration plus serving as part of a Social Circus panel. Are you registered? https://www.americancircuseducators.org/edcon-2022/

Circus Up is proud to announce that their annual benefit will be on Saturday, October 15th. This year’s benefit will be at the beautiful Arts at the Armory in Somerville, MA and will feature an open bar, raffle, and a live performance. We will showcase our community troupe, Kirkos, as well as beloved local circus artists and dancers. This event is Circus Up’s major annual fundraiser and all funds raised from this event will go towards supporting their mission to use circus arts to overcome social barriers and build community with people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Purchase your ticket or donate here to show your support! 

Materials Needed: None!

How to play: Have everyone get into pairs. Explain to them that they are going to take
turns acting as the other’s mirror, trying to copy the movements of their
partner.
 
Level One:
Have the partners stand about 2 feet apart – tell them that there is a line exactly in the middle between the two of them, called their “center line.” Partner A will start. It’s partner B’s job to copy their every movement. It’s important to explain to the teams that:

• They must move slowly at first.
• The trick is to copy the movements at exactly the same time that they happen, exactly as they are observed.
• Try to have the partners always be equidistant from their center line.
• The partners are not allowed to touch.

Once partner A has had a chance to go for a few minutes, have the partners
switch roles.
 
Level Two:
Ask the partners to add more movement to their actions. Try mirroring each other as they move forward or backwards, use up and down levels, or move around in the room.

• Remind them that they must maintain their relationship to the center line at all times.

Level Three:
Tell them that this time, there is no specified leader. They have to try to be in sync with each other as they move, never fully knowing who is actually starting each movement.

Want to get discounts with these awesome Circus vendors? Discounts are just another awesome perk of being an ACE member.  Become a member today!

Like discounts like this? The more our members use them, the more leverage we have as an organization to encourage companies to provide discounts!

Interested in including your news or events relevant to the national circus community in AYCO/ACE’s newsletters? Send your submissions to communications@americanyouthcircus.org by the 2nd Friday of the month to be included in our monthly newsletter. Submissions should be no longer than 150 words, written in the third person, and include appropriate links and contact information if relevant. We cannot include PDFs or images, but we can link to them. Please also indicate if you would like your submission included in the AYCOgram (directed towards youth), ACE News (directed towards organizations and educators), or both.

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