Based upon the closure announced by the San Francisco Unified School District, as well as guidance from the California Department of Public Health, Circus Center will be closed effective Saturday, March 14, 2020 until at least March 29, 2020. No classes, private lessons, individual user training, or any other activities will take place during this time. (The last class on Friday before closure will be Elena's Hoop 1 class at 6:00 pm.)

The Board and leadership of Circus Center will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation, and will be in regular communication with our community in the days ahead.

Staff will remain available via phone and email – hours of availability will be announced soon.

As a non-profit organization, Circus Center relies on the support of our donors, students, and ticket buyers to help ensure that we can offer the highest quality circus experiences and make them accessible to as many people as possible. This starts with the extraordinary circus artists who teach our classes, perform in our shows, and bring our artform out into our city. The coronavirus situation is having a profound impact on them already, with many performance opportunities already lost. Like the spotters, catchers, and riggers, our community takes care of one another, and Circus Center is committed to paying our instructors and staff for as long as possible during the closure.

Someone will be in touch with you in the coming days to handle your class credits, tickets, and so on that can't be used because of the closure. In lieu of a refund, please consider making a donation to support the resilient Circus Center instructors and staff. Please keep supporting the people who keep Circus Center running.

DONATE

Thank you for taking care of yourselves and each other in these strange, unprecedented, and yes, stressful times. With love and compassion as our guides, we will be back, pursuing the beauty and artistry and truth of circus together.

Onwards,

Barry Kendall
Executive Director

Late in the day yesterday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed issued a directive prohibiting all mass (50+ people) gatherings in City buildings for the next two weeks, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Circus Center operates out of a City building, so it is with deep regret that we must inform you that, in compliance with Mayor Breed's order, the March 13 & 14 performances of the Circus Center Cabaret will not take place.

Next week, our team will assess the possibility of postponing this edition of the Cabaret to a later date. The box office will then be in touch with all current ticket holders to either reschedule or refund your tickets.

At this time, the Mayor's order only impacts large gatherings like performances. All Circus Center classes and other programming continue as usual for now, and we continue to take the heightened precautions outlined in our previous statement.

Our top priority is protecting the health and safety of our patrons, artists, students, and staff. Understandably, this unprecedented situation is very disappointing to all of us. We appreciate your patience as we navigate this challenging time.

We wish you and those close to you continued good health, and we will continue to take all necessary steps to safeguard the wellbeing of our community.

Thanks again for your understanding,
 
Barry Kendall
Executive Director

PS – If you are interested in reading the Mayor's press release, click here.

Dear Circus Center community,

A couple of community members have called our attention to this part of our policy around late cancellation for drop-ins:

If you have to late cancel (<24 hrs in advance or up to 1 week after the class has occurred) due to illness or injury, please submit a doctor's note to the Front Desk to have your credit reinstated. Credits will retain their original expiration date.

Not everybody has easy access to a doctor at all times. Requiring a doctor's note in order to keep a late-cancelled credit risks creating an incentive for people to attend class when sick. We don't want that!

So, effective immediately, if you need to late-cancel due to illness, you do not need to provide a doctor's note. Just contact the Front Desk as soon as possible (and no more than 1 week after the class has occurred), let them know that you are/were sick, and they will reinstate your credit with its original expiration date. (Please be patient when waiting for the Front Desk to confirm your credit has been reinstated – as always, they are hustling for you!)

This policy change is temporary, and it's a little scary for us. Late cancellations typically mean a spot in class going empty, so restoring your credit means losing revenue, which we obviously need to stay open. But in order to best protect everyone right now, this is the right thing to do, and we trust you to use this exception responsibly, and not abuse it by claiming illness when you're not really sick.

The way we get through this is by taking care of each other. That's what Circus Center has always been about.

With all best wishes,

Barry

Dear Circus Center community members,

I hope this message finds you in good health and good spirits. This message is to update you regarding how Circus Center is preparing for the potential impact of COVID-19, also referred to as the "coronavirus."

What if I'm sick?
As a student at Circus Center, please don't come to train if you are sick. This is especially true if you are exhibiting a fever, cough, sore throat, or even minor cold symptoms. It may be a cold, but it may not be, and allowing yourself to rest will be important. Thank you for helping reduce the spread of illness within our community.

We have recently updated our policies to be more accommodating of students' health issues:

• Adult Class Drop-Ins
  • All drop-in class credits and packs have a 1-year expiration date – plenty of time to recover from even a serious illness or injury and come back to training.
  • If you early cancel (>24 hrs in advance of class), you always get your drop-in credit back.
  • [3/5/2020 edit] TEMPORARY POLICY CHANGE: If you have to late cancel (<24 hrs in advance or up to 1 week after the class has occurred) due to illness, we do not currently require a doctor's note. Just contact the Front Desk as soon as possible to have your credit reinstated. Credits will retain their original expiration date. (For more on this temporary policy change, read our blog post.)
• Session enrollments (adult & youth after-school)
  • Adult session enrollments come with a bonus class credit that you can use for any reason, including to make up for a class missed due to illness
  • Medical withdrawal: If a medical situation arises that will prevent you from participating for the rest of the session, Circus Center will credit 50% of the remaining pro-rated tuition to your account for future use. A medical doctor's note specifying the initial date of the illness/injury is required for medical withdrawal. 

Prevention
Under the leadership of our Facility Manager Jives, we are taking extra steps to clean and sanitize our facility. I have approved additional hours for cleaning staff, and our Board is assisting us with stocking up on the necessary supplies.

The most important prevention measures, however, are those that all of us can take as individuals. COVID-19 is in the family of viruses that cause the common cold, so symptoms and prevention measures are similar.

To help prevent the spread of germs:

• Wash hands frequently
• Do not touch eyes, nose, or mouth
• Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, using a tissue, sleeve, or facemask
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Get a flu shot (recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older)

(Please note, this is considered good general advice from the CDC, but please consult with a medical professional for advice that is specific to the needs of your family.)

Potential Closures
Circus Center occupies a San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) building through an agreement with the City & County of San Francisco. Therefore, SFUSD is our primary authority for determining whether and when we close as part of a general response to an emergent event, whether it's an earthquake, poor air quality due to wildfires, or preventing the spread of a disease like COVID-19. SFUSD, in turn, takes its direction from local, state, and federal authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Bottom line, if the schools close, we close.

The other closure scenario would not be general, but specific to Circus Center: if a COVID-19 case is detected that impacts us – for example, someone known to be sick with the disease has been in our facility. In such a case, we will follow SFUSD protocols to work directly with the San Francisco Department of Public Health to evaluate exposure risk and make decisions regarding quarantine/closure for the general health and safety of our entire community.

To learn more about what the City and SFUSD are doing to prepare, along with other helpful resources, please click: https://www.sfusd.edu/services/health-wellness/updates-regarding-covid-19

Circus Center takes the wellbeing of our students, staff, and community very seriously. We are monitoring this situation on a daily basis, and we will keep you posted if and when things change.

Sincerely,

Barry Kendall
Executive Director

AUDITION NOTICE

March 8, 2020

A Midsummer Night’s Dream…
An Immersive Circus Karaoke Spectacular!

Director and Stage Manager duo, Felicity Hesed and Thuan Lieu, are back again for the 2020 Summer Showcase and taking it in a wildly different direction. Shakespeare. But this isn’t your high school lit teacher’s Shakespeare. We are creating an immersive event filled with circus and comedy all set to a soundtrack of popular music that the audience can sing along to. Sound fun? It’s going to be a raucous good time!

Since the show will be quite different, the process for creating it will also be different. Beginning with auditions. We are not necessarily looking for finished acts to be slotted into this show. We are looking for people who have acts or can create acts that can be modified to fit into the story, structure, characters, and musical soundscape of this show. If you have a finished act but you’re willing to modify it, please audition! If you don’t have an act, but you have strong skills, sequences, and performance abilities, please audition!  If you are funny, we need you! If you want to be part of the ensemble, we need you too! If you want to help behind the scenes, you’re our hero!

Schedule:

• AUDITIONS – Sunday, March 8 from 5:00-8:30pm
• REHEARSALS - Sundays and some Saturdays from 5-8pm beginning March 15 (Performers will not be called for every rehearsal. A detailed rehearsal schedule will be available at the auditions. Please bring your calendars so you can write down your conflicts.)
• TECH – Performers and technicians called.
  • Saturday June 13 from 4-10pm
  • Sunday, June 14, from 2-10pm
  • Dress Rehearsal – Thursday, June 18 from 6-10pm
• PERFORMANCES
  • Friday, June 19 at 7:30pm
  • Saturday, June 20 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm
  • Sunday, June 21 at 2:00pm followed by Strike and Cast Party

Auditions:
We are holding group auditions for this show that will last one hour. The following slots are available:

• 5:00-6:00 – Theatre (only sign up for this time if you can do your act in the theatre)
• 6:10-7:10 – Gym
• 7:20-8:20 – Gym

During this time you will do the following:

• Present a prepared piece – this can be a finished act or a polished sequence. Please keep it between 1-3 minutes. Solos, duos, or groups are all welcome.
• Participate in group activities including learning a basic dance combination, singing in a group, and doing an acting/character exercise.

Interested in joining us on this wild adventure? Email auditions [AT] circuscenter [DOT] org to sign up to audition. Please include the following information in your email:

• Name and phone number
• Preferred audition slot
• Apparatus for your prepared piece
• Let us know if you are interested in being in the show but cannot be at the auditions

Questions? Contact Felicity and/or Thuan: felicity [AT] circuscenter [DOT] org and thuan [AT] circuscenter [DOT] org.

By popular demand, our discounted session enrollment bundles are back! 

For the Spring 2020 session, we are excited to offer you special discounts when you combine full session enrollment in a technique class with a strength or flexibility class.

How It Works

Between February 27 and March 9 (i.e., the Spring 2020 priority registration period):

The Fine Print

This offer is good for full session enrollments ONLY, for one person (discount cannot be shared by multiple people). Each enrollment in a technique class gets you one discounted enrollment in a conditioning/flexibility class. Purchases must be made at the same time to receive the discount. No refunds.

We are excited to announce two new adult classes being offered during the Winter 2020 session!

Ash Rexford is offering a new Contortion Dance class (Sundays 3-5p). This 2 hour dance class mixes hip-hop, modern, and contemporary urban dance with contortion and acrobatics. Each class begins with a warm-up of dance technique incorporating splits, back bends, and inversions. Choreography and sequencing repeats throughout the month so students can learn, build, and practice! Expect a new routine every 4 - 6 weeks. Students should be comfortable in splits, able to drop back into bridge and kick up to stand and forearm stand without a wall or spot. Students are expected to come at least 30-minutes early to warm up flexibility. Prerequisite: Approved for Advanced Stretch and higher or Instructor Approval.

Sean Heisler is joining the faculty and offering an exciting new upper-level class, Choreography for Tissu 2 (Tuesdays 7:45-9:15). While we have conditioning classes, and skill based classes - this series is looking to help round out the offering with explorations of how to use and vary skills already learned and set them to music with intention. In this class you will learn segments and entire songs worth of choreography progressing week to week (but if you miss a week you can still be caught up). While the intention of this class isn't to advance students to new repertoire, you'll likely be picking up some new skills and variations, and prioritizing how do you then think to perform them! Prerequisite: Approved for Tissu 2/3 or Instructor Approval.

For complete information about the Winter 2020 session, visit circuscenter.org/schedule.

Put yourself in the fast lane!

To realize your circus dreams, your training must tackle three areas:

1. Flexibility: Good flexibility makes technical skill more beautiful to the eye, and it can take the longest to achieve.
2. Strength: You need both power and stamina to train and perform at your best.
3. Technique: The skills themselves, learned in class and through independent practice. At Circus Center, we don’t just work a skill until you get it right – we work it until you can’t get it wrong. 

For the Winter 2020 session, we are excited to offer you special discounts when you combine full session enrollment in a technique class with a strength or flexibility class.

How It Works

Between November 19 and December 1 (i.e., the Winter 2020 priority registration period):

The Fine Print

This offer is good for full session enrollments ONLY, for one person (discount cannot be shared by multiple people). Each enrollment in a technique class gets you one discounted enrollment in a conditioning/flexibility class. Purchases must be made at the same time to receive the discount. No refunds.

Make 2020 the year you learn faster and go further with your circus dreams!

OPEN CALL FOR PERFORMERS, MUSICIANS, AND PRODUCTION TEAM

MAIN AUDITIONS: SEPTEMBER 15, 2019

Circus of Light

2019 Winter Show

Directed by Felicity Hesed

Light.  Light is ever present in our lives.  Lights in our homes, light on our cars, lights on the streets, lights on our phones, keys, toothbrushes even!  Why do we constantly surround ourselves in light?  Is it a fear of the dark?  Or a need to be constantly illuminated? At the darkest time of the year, Circus of Light will explore the way light reveals and exposes, the expression of our passions as light, the human longing for light, and the darkness that exists just a flick away. 

The Winter Show is a celebration and exhibition of our Circus Center community as artists and athletes.   The cast will include the many facets of our community – our youth groups, high-level adult rec students, flying trapeze, Clown Con students, professionals that train at our center, instructors, and alumni. 

Any and all acts will be considered for this show.  We are looking for a range of people and styles.  We are open to what the community has to offer.  We are also specifically looking for aerialists who play violin and people with circus acts who also play instruments.

Winter Show Schedule

We are fortunate to be able to have more rehearsal time than we have had for previous shows.  Rehearsals will be held every Sunday evening from 5-8pm starting September 22. 

In addition, for the first time in many years, the Winter Show will have a 4-show weekend! Since so much hard work goes into creating these shows, and they have a strong track record of attracting big crowds, it only makes sense to give our community more chances to perform and see performances!

Audition Schedule

• Youth Auditions: either September 13 or 16 during pre-pro training
• Sunday, September 15: Flying Trapeze Auditions from 1:30-2:30 pm
• Sunday, September 15: Act & Ensemble Auditions from 2:30-6:00 pm
• Additional Clown Con Auditions (if necessary): by appointment, week of September 16
• Can't make the date? Contact auditions@circuscenter.org about options for submitting a video or scheduling an alternate time for an in-person audition.

Rehearsal Schedule

• Every Sunday night from Sept 22 – Nov 24: Rehearsals 5:00-8:00 pm
• Sunday, December 1: Rehearsal and Designer Run from 2:00-8:00 pm
• Saturday, December 7: Tech Rehearsal from 4:00-9:00 pm
• Sunday, December 8: Tech Rehearsal from 2:00-8:00 pm
• Thursday, December 12:  Dress Rehearsal from 6-10 pm 

Performance Schedule

• Friday, December 13 at 7:30 pm, Call is 6:00 pm
• Saturday, December 14 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, Call is 12:00 pm
• Sunday, December 15 at 2:00 pm, Call is 12:00 pm followed by Strike and Cast Party 

Audition Information

Interested in being a part of this show?  We are looking for the following:

• Youth and Adult performers with solo, duo, or small group acts.  Please be ready to present as much of an act as you have.  Works in progress are acceptable.
• Aerialists who also play violin for a group act.  Prepare to show us about 1 min of aerial and about 1 min of violin.  Hoop is preferred.
• People who do circus and also play musical instruments.  Please bring your act and your instrument.  Prepare to play a song that’s about 1 minute at the audition.
• Flying trapeze performers with tricks out of lines who can return to the board.  Please be ready to show us your tricks out of line, with a catcher, returning to the board.
• Clowns and ground circus acts.  Show us what you have!
• Artists interested in being part of the ensemble.  Great if you can do one or more of the following: juggle, tumble, play an instrument, dance, do basic rigging.  Please be prepared to show us little snippets of what you can do.

A note about music…

We aim to create a cohesive musical soundscape for this show.  We are also working on having some live music, featuring string instruments. Please be aware that we may ask you to change your music so that it fits into the overall musical theme better.  If you are still choosing music, look for something without words and not too electronic.

A note about the theme…

You do NOT need to have an act that “fits” the theme.  However, if you have ideas for how to fit into the theme, we’d love to see it or hear it. We love creative artists!

Sign up to audition!

Performers, please email auditions@circuscenter.org to sign up for an audition slot or to inquire about submitting a video or scheduling an alternate time. If you have questions or are interested in being involved in a non-performance capacity, please email Felicity at felicity [AT] circuscenter [DOT] org.

Felicity Hesed is a performer and director. You’ve probably seen her hanging around Circus Center – teaching, training trapeze, or juggling babies. Felicity had an incredible time directing Circus Addiction over the summer. She is really excited to once again collaborate with the amazing students and teachers at Circus Center to create beautiful and inspiring circus! Learn more about Felicity at felicityhesed.com.

Announcement from the Executive Director

SUMMARY: In order to pay teachers more competitively and protect Circus Center’s financial health, we are changing our pricing structure and prices. The changes will simplify our structure, some things will get more expensive, and a few things will actually get cheaper. In order to keep our training program accessible, we are also expanding our need-based financial aid and work-trade programs. Plus, we’re running an Adult Rec Program sale for the next couple of weeks.

Over the last several months, the Board and I have been focused on securing Circus Center’s future. Our training programs are by far our largest programs, so getting those right is essential, and the #1 factor in our training programs’ continued success is recruiting and keeping high-quality teachers. We get a lot right in our training programs – classes are small, plenty of instructor attention and time on apparatus, attention to curriculum and progression, and so on. But the overall financial structure for our classes is not working well enough to support a competitive pay scale for our teachers or the financial health of the organization as a whole. 

Our goal, therefore, has been a new structure that will benefit both teachers and the whole organization. The following three announcements lay out how we are changing to create a sound, sustainable financial structure for our classes and teachers, while still maintaining and even expanding on our non-profit mission to make circus training as accessible as possible.

RAISING TEACHER PAY

This year, working with our Board of Directors, we are happy to be offering substantial raises to our teaching staff – 15-20% in many cases. We’ve also introduced opportunities for instructors to earn incentive pay for things like full classes, and we’re going to have to start keeping an eye on classes that have low enrollment. We want Circus Center to be an organization that takes care of its teaching staff, and we are grateful that our community shares this value.

CHANGING PRICING

The Board has approved changes to the prices and/or pricing structure of our adult rec, youth pre-pro, and youth after-school programs. These changes bring us more in line with our competitors and peer studios around the Bay Area, and I believe they reflect the true value of the high-quality services we offer, with smaller classes, longer classes, and better teachers. The changes will simplify our structure, some things will get more expensive, and a few things will actually get cheaper. 

STAYING ACCESSIBLE

How can we build a sound, sustainable financial structure for our classes while still honoring our mission as a non-profit to make circus training as accessible as possible? We are improving the accessibility of our training program in two ways: 1) increased financial aid, including offering (for the first time in many years/ever) need-based aid for adult rec students; and 2) enhanced work-trade opportunities. Initial support for these programs is baked into the budget, and they can expand over time through fundraising campaigns. 

*****

THE DETAILS

Information about youth after-school and pre-professional program tuition is coming soon – here’s the info about Adult Rec: except for a few Premium offerings (Flying Trapeze, Swinging Trapeze, and Premium Trampoline), all classes will be sold at a single set of tuition rates:

Classes

Single Drop-In: $38
5-Pack: $190 $180 ($36/class)
10-Pack: $380 $340 ($34/class)
20-Pack/Session: $760 $640 (or $32/class)

Premium Classes (Flying Trapeze, Swinging Trapeze, & Premium Trampoline)

Single Drop-In: $55
5-Pack: $275 $250 ($50/class)
10-Pack: $550 $450 ($45/class)
20-Pack/Session: $1,100 $800 (or $40/class)

A few new policies that should help keep things simple for everyone:

• Except for the New Student Pack, all packs will have an expiration date of one year, with no extensions or exceptions.
• For session enrollments, in place of one-time makeup credits, all session enrollments will include one bonus credit of the same type (regular/premium), which expires at the end of that session. You can use it if you miss a class, or just to try something new.
• If there is only one student in a class, instructors will shorten 90 or 75 minute classes to 60; and shorten 120 minute classes to 90.

What about my existing packs? For the rest of the summer, we will honor them as usual. You can still use your Tier A packs for what we called Tier A classes, Tier B packs for Tier B, and so on. Starting on September 3, 2019, we will make Tier A credits usable for any class, whether it used to be Tier A or B. And they all keep their original expiration dates, no extensions or exceptions.

To help ease the transition to this new pricing structure for everyone, now through Monday, July 29, we are running a SALE on Class Packs.

Classes (click red links to purchase)

• SALE Class 5 Pack: $170 (save $10)
• SALE Class 10 Pack: $320 (save $20)
• SALE Class 20 Pack: $600 (save $40)

Premium Classes (click red links to purchase)

• SALE Premium Class 5 Pack: $235 (save $15)
• SALE Premium Class 10 Pack: $420 (save $30)
• SALE Premium Class 20 Pack: $740 (save $60)

PLUS fall session enrollment will be discounted to $30/class for Classes and $37/class in Premium – offer good until the day that fall opens for drop-in registration.

For those who could use extra help in making sure that our classes remain accessible to them, here are the details on need-based Tuition Assistance and our Work-Trade Program.

TUITION ASSISTANCE

Circus Center provides need-based financial aid to families to help offset tuition fees for the following programs:

• Full Session Enrollment in Adult Recreational Classes (new!)
• Clown Conservatory
• Youth Pre-Professional Program
• Summer Camps
   

Awards are based on household income qualifications (see application for details). The total amount of tuition assistance available each year depends on our annual budget, and will grow with increased fundraising. To support this program with a tax-deductible donation, please click here.

WORK-TRADE PROGRAM

Circus Center is committed to providing affordable, accessible circus arts training to our community. We understand that circus training is a financial commitment. Our Work-Trade Program enables volunteers to earn credits toward free classes and other training opportunities with every shift.

We seek friendly, approachable and professional volunteers year-round to help support our front desk, events, and performances. We require commitment regularly to one shift per week, or alternating weeks.

Volunteer duties include: answering phone calls, signing in students for classes, administrative assistance, and maintenance upkeep.

The incentives of volunteering in the Work Trade Program are currently:

• Free Circus Classes

• Free Individual User status

• Discounts on apparel & merchandise

• Opportunities to take workshops

• Opportunities to see Circus Center performances

Incentives are subject to change, and based on space and availability.

*****

CONCLUSION, AND A REQUEST

It can be a tricky balance to take care of the needs of our teachers, our students, and the organization as a whole. We are putting these new structures and policies in place to try to improve as an employer, as a business, and as a charity. We have the best interests of ALL at heart, and we’ve worked very hard to think through all of these changes in a systematic way.

That said, there will be things we’ve overlooked or not gotten quite right, and it will take time for everyone in our community, including members of our team, to fully understand all of the changes. I ask you for your patience. If you have questions, concerns, or just need to talk it through, and you can’t get your need for that met with other staff members, please contact me directly. I’ll be happy to talk about it, and to find ways to keep improving this organization that all of us love so much. My direct line is 415-876-5034, please call anytime.

I’ll sign off as I usually do, and I believe it now more than ever –

Onwards and upwards,

Barry