| Last updated on November 3, 2008 |
The Mission of Circus Center is to inspire passion for circus arts through training, performance, and community outreach programs.
Description:
Circus Center is the only circus arts organization in the country that provides professional students, recreational students and youth with performance and training opportunities. Founded in 1984 as a special project of the Pickle Family Circus, Circus Center has grown through the artistic influences and talents of its instructors and the broader circus community. It has been dubbed as “America’s premiere center for the arts of the circus,” by Spectacle—A Quarterly Journal of Circus Arts. What began as a class with 16 children has become a thriving nonprofit that trains more than 1000 youth and adults, and reaches over 100,000 people through performances each year.
History:
Circus Center has a rich and complex history. The Pickle Family Circus was founded in 1974 by Peggy Snider and Larry Pisoni. Ten years later, Wendy Parkman and Judy Finelli founded the San Francisco School for Circus Arts. The school began as a special project of the Pickle Family Circus with a class of 16 students on Potrero Hill. It slowly grew in both students and staff. In 1990, Judy hired master trainer Lu Yi from the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe in the People’s Republic of China along with several other artists from his troupe. The school continued to grow and finally became an incorporated nonprofit in 1993. With this shift, the school also moved into its current location at the former Polytech High School gymnasium near Golden Gate Park.
In 1996, Lu Yi started a new program at the school to provide young students with performing opportunities. Initially known as the San Francisco Youth Circus, the program has evolved into what is now known as the San Francisco Circus. In 2000, the school purchased the New Pickle Circus and the Clown Conservatory was born with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The next year, the organization changed its name a year later to Circus Center to fully reflect the array of programs and performance opportunities. In 2006, Elena Panova designed the Professional Aerial Program for the training of aerial arts students who wish to pursue a professional circus career.
Contact people:
Main office number: (415) 759-8123
Office fax number: (415) 759-8644
Address:
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755 Frederick Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.circuscenter.org
Directions:
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From Downtown/Union Square
-Take Geary Street, heading west
-After about 20 blocks, you will pass Divisadero Street. At this point get into the right lane. (The left lanes will go into a tunnel shortly, you do not want the tunnel). . . (more) |
Miscellaneous Information
| Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency? |
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Mandarin, Russian
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| What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency? |
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18
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| Is your agency wheelchair accessible? |
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No
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| Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10? |
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Yes
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| Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20? |
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Yes
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