Dharmesh
Bhagat
Dharmesh Bhagat
started with Circ Esteem in July of 2003, and is training to apply
for an Assistant-Goof-Officer position. Besides goofing off, Dharmesh
likes to juggle. He juggles balls, clubs, and rings- as well as working
with diabolo, poi, cigar boxes, and devil sticks. Recently he has
explored fire breathing and fire juggling, and he teaches everything
he does. (With the exception of fire breathing and possibly fire juggling.)
Dharmesh started performing in the summer of '03 with Vaudeville Underground-
and earned himself a picture in the center of the Daily Herald's time
out section. Besides choreographing and performing 4 completely different
juggling routines for his Vaudeville performances, Dharmesh has also
performed with Pro-Clown, the Harper Juggling Club, and the Toss Up
Juggling Club. He loves working with CircEsteem because of the friendly,
talented crew that he teaches with, and because the kids are truly
amazing.
Patrick Blanton
Patrick Blanton began tumbling at the age of 9 with the Jesse White
Tumbling Team. He travelled all over the U.S. to entertain audiences
at NBA basketball games and other events that attracted huge crowds.
Patrick Blanton performed with the Jesse White Tumbling Team for 15
years. Patrick joined the Ringling Brother and Barnum and Bailey Circus
and performed in the tumbling acts. His acts consisted of: the jump
rope act, the trampoline act, and jumping over 5 elephants. Patrick
currently coaches tumbling for CircEsteem classes across Chicago and
is learning juggling and the finer points of clowning.
Lena
Brodersen
Lena Brodersen
is an instructor for CircEsteem. She enjoys teaching young children
juggling, clowning and how to work together. Lena studied acting and
directing at Bard College in New York and is currently pursuing a
Teachers Certification in Illinois. Lena first came to Chicago performing
as a clog dancing chicken with a troupe of street performers. Though
she no longer dances as a chicken, her skills as an appalachian clog
dancer continue to grace the Chicago stage.
Amy Chen
Amy is very happy
to be working at CircEsteem with the best kids on the planet! A newcomer
to the world of circus, she began taking circus-arts lessons in January
2003 with Tony and Sylvia Hernandez. A lifelong student of ballet,
Amy can often be found taking classes and performing with various
choreographers at the Joel Hall Dance Center. In her spare time, Amy
attends Chicago-Kent College of Law where she is specializing in intellectual
property issues and will graduate in May 2004.
Ben Dicke
Brian P. Dailey
Brian P. Dailey
has been a juggling enthusiast and performer for over ten years. Most
of his performances have taken place at Six Flags Great America, where
he performed and produced shows for seven years. Brian also performed
with presidential candidate Bill Bradley, the musical group Incubus
and the Midnight Circus. In 2001, Brian earned an honors degree in
Art from Cornell College with a concentration in Multicultural Education.
He believes that juggling is good for people.
Ariele
Ebacher
Ariele Ebacher was born
and raised in the seacoast town of Newburyport, MA. She has been training,
working, and teaching as a performer since the age of eight. She is
a summa cum laude graduate of Umass Amherst, where she studied dance.
She has been working as a professional tight wire dancer for 6 years.
Companies she has worked with in that time include Circus Smirkus,
Much Ado Circus, Midnight Circus, the Bindlestiff Family Circus, and
Seaworld. In addition, she has coached in various youth circuses including
Circus Smirkus, the Great Y Circus, the Neidersachsen Youth Circus,
and Chicago's own Circesteem.
Forest
Gregg
Forest Gregg
learned to juggle from Ingrid Johnson while they went to high school
in Maryville, TN. At the University of Chicago, he co-founded the
Le Vorris and Vox Circus after organizing a class on the American
circus. Now in its fourth year, Forest is proud to see Le Vorris and
Vox continue, independently as a campus institution and great circus.
Forest has taught a variety of circus course, from schools to workshops
and camps and co-taught with many master teachers.
Douglas
Grew
Douglas Grew is a professional variety artist and
clown based in Chicago, IL. He has been an associate of CircEsteem/Chicago
Youth Circus since it inception. Douglas not only enjoys performing
but he loves to teach as well. He has directed a bilingual after school
circus arts program at Pros Arts Studio, which serves children in
Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood since 1994. Grew has taught Physical
Theater at the college level through the School of the Art Institute
of Chicago, and Commedia dell' Arte workshops at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison and at Rattle Snake High School/Chicago Improv Olympic
comedy theater. Douglas has performed as a core member of Chicago
circus/theater troupe, the Midnight Circus; and toured nationally
and internationally as a performance artist, most notably in the work
of the late Lawrence Steger. He performs regularly at corporate events,
conventions, and casinos in the Chicago area. Grew is a graduate of
the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown College.
Felicity Hesed
Felicity began working with CircEsteem in August 2004. Formerly an
actor in Chicago, Felicity discovered the joys of circus about 2 years
ago. Felicity currently trains with Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi
at the Actor's Gymnasium and Nourbol Miermanov and CircEsteem staff.
Felicity's areas of specialty are aerial arts (trapeze and silks)
and partner acrobatics. Felicity received her BA in Theatre
Arts from Kalamazoo College and is currently working towards her Masters
in Elementary Education at DePaul University. Felicity has taught
many disciplines (theatre, music, reading, math, circus, etc.) at
schools throughout Chicago. She is thrilled to be working with
such talented and excited kids!
Meghan
Holtan
Meghan Holtan
was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska where she started juggling
in junior high. She later learned to unicycle by dragging herself
back and forth along the fence on the sidewalk in front of the her
house (not by running from grizzly bears). She currently juggles with
JELLY (jugglers enriching lives like yours) at University of Chicago.
She has juggled and unicycled with Le Vorris and Vox circus at university
and this year is helping to organize a spring circus spectacular on
the Midway Plaisance following the theme of the 1893 World's Fair
Columbian Exposition. She has dreams and realities of starting a small
circus after she graduates with some of her best friends.
Drew
Hunzeker
Andrew Hunzeker
is extremely grateful to have the opportunity to work with some of
the best kids in Chicago. Drew has been taught by the likes of Master
Teacher Ronlin Foreman, the fools at 500 Clown, and CircEsteems's
own Paul Miller. Since coming to Chicago Drew has had the opportunity
to work with DOG/a theatre company as part of the PAC/Edge Fest, Tangerine
Arts Group, some of the Pro-clowns, and has graced the stages of The
Actors Gymnasium and the Vaudville Underground. After accompanying
the CircEsteem kids to the the American Youth Circus Festival in St.
Paul MN, Drew come to believe in the power of circus and the beauty
of CircEsteem's vision.
Ingrid
Johnson
Ingrid Johnson
has enjoyed a variety of different performance, and circus arts experiences.
From co-founding a Juggling Club at Maryville High School along with
Forest Gregg, organizing the Hootenanny Circus at Warren Wilson College
in western North Carolina (a project that continues after her graduation),
performing with an improvisation and sketch comedy group, training
with San Francisco Circus Center and other circus professionals, performing
with the "Jugglers of Death" at Six Flags Amusement Park, Le Vorris
and Vox Circus, and the Cycle Circus, to co-founding the "Tumbleweed
Tour" performing throughout the states and Mexico, training and performing
with Stella Polaris, in Jerusalem, and co-founding the "Cirque Yallah
Majnun" (the Let's Go Crazy Circus, in Arabic) comprised of people
from Palestine, Israel, United States, Japan, Spain, and other parts
of the world that provided performances and workshops throughout Israel
and Palestine; she loves to perform. Because she loves to perform
and values these skills, she also loves to share and teach.
Sarah Hymanson
Paul Lange
After majoring
in theater at New York University, Paul Lange bounced around the country
working for regional theaters onstage and behind the scenes. He turned
to circus to have fun and guarantee he would never have job security.
Diagnosed with circus ADD, studying juggling and aerial silks led
to his pursuit of as many circus skills as the laws of physics will
allow.
Allison
Latta
Allison Latta
is a graduate of the theatre program at Virginia Tech and has studied
Commedia dell `Arte with Antonio Fava in Italy. In Chicago, she has
trained at the Audition Studio as well as the Actor's Gymnasium in
gymnastics and circus skills. She has worked with a number of theatre
companies in Chicago. Recently, she appeared in the title role of
A.R. Gurney's Sylvia with Buffalo Theatre Ensemble. She is a member
of TriArts, Inc. and performs regularly in their Commedia ensemble.
So far the group has created four original Commedia productions and
toured to the Winnipeg Fringe Festival where they received rave reviews.
In addition to her work with CircEsteem, she has taught Commedia in
workshops around Chicago and Virginia and has worked as a teaching
artist with Gallery 37's Connections Program as well as the Vittum
Theatre. Allison is also involved with the commercial and print industries.
She is a part time personal trainer as well. When she isn't performing,
Allison prefers to be rock climbing and camping.
Shawn
Lavoie
Shawn Lavoie
is formally trained as a ballroom dancer, a basketball small forward,
and a community organizer: it's obvious that he chose to do circus.
Turned onto circus at the University of Chicago, Shawn co-organized
and performed in the Le Vorris & Vox Circus for three years with
Meghan and Forest. Over the last year Shawn has trained intensively
in acrobatics, juggling, and clowning and performed all over Chicago
and New England. Shawn's greatest experiences have come working on
education and community building projects in Chicago, New England
and in South Africa, and he aims to infuse circus with his sense of
social commitment.
Tavares
Love
Tavares Love is
a relative newcomer to Chicago and the circus world. He is delighted
to have the oppotunity to help enrich the lives of the kids he works
with weekly. Tavares spent 5 years as a NCAA Division 1 cheerleader
and 1 year as an Assistant Coach of the Varisty Cheerleading Squad
at the College of Charleston. During those years, he performed numerous
times before NCAA basketball tournament crowds and competed at the
National Cheerleading Championships. After a brief break in the action
and a relocation to Chicago, he began and continues training under
the direction of Sylvia Hernandez.
Eden Reinstein
Eden Reinstein
grew up in the Pacific Northwest, studying and mentoring youth in
natural sciences. She became involved as a performer in and organizer
of Hootenanny Circus, and an improvization/skit show and continued
her involvement with circus arts during time spent abroad, co-founding
"Cirque Yallah Majnun," which taught workshops, performed and volunteered
at schools, refugee camps, community centers and circus schools in
Palestine and Israel. In addition to training in various circus arts
at Echo Theater in Portland, Oregon, Eden trained and performed with
the Norwegian Circus troupe, Stella Polaris. Eden hula-hooped successfully
for the first time when she was 18 and first cart-wheeled soon after,
two feats she had long thought personally impossible. She is enthusiastically
committed to sharing these joys and encouraging others to challenge
themselves and to pursue new perspectives on the world — perhaps
upside down or high atop a pair of stilts!
Dan Roberts
Dan Roberts is a thrilled to be a part of
the CircEsteem staff. Since starting in July of 2004, Dan has learned
so much from the organization and more importantly from the children
of CircEsteem. He’s been on stage since he was 5 years old and
has been drawn to the ring through this organization. Dan assistant
directed Roosevelt University’s Circus Project two years in
a row, and has performed through out the city’s vast theatre
scene. Dan has taught all over the city of Chicago with CircEsteem
at private and public schools, running workshops and performing at
venues ranging from community centers to the stage at the Joffrey
Ballet Gala and the Art Institute of Chicago. Dan has traveled the
world with CE to such places as; Michigan, San Francisco and Germany.
Dan graduated from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of
Performing Arts, Theatre Conservatory with a Bachelors of Fine Arts
in Theatre Performance and Acting. He looks forward to many years
of joy with this organization and can’t wait to see what the
future holds.
James
Schubert
James Schubert
first became involved with the circus arts in 1998 at The Actor’s
Gymnasium in Evanston, where he became proficient in such skills as
trapeze, juggling, stilt walking, globe walking, tight-wire, Spanish
Web, teeterboard and more. In 2001, after completing the Actor’s
Gym Certification Program, he began specializing in flying trapeze
with Julio Gaona of the world renowned Flying Gaona’s, afterwards,
becoming an instructor at The Flying Gaona’s Gym. Additionally,
James is on the only 4-man U.S. Gymnastics Sports Acrobatics Team
in the Midwestern U.S., and is currently taking intense training with
Sports Acrobatics Coach, Nourbol Meirmanov. James holds his B.A. in
Germanic Studies from the University of Illinois as well as a BFA
in Film Production from San Francisco State University. James is also
the founder of The Acrofabulous Circus, and has also been in several
independent circus performances with Vaudeville Underground and for
The Flying Gaona’s.
Jeremy Seymour
Craig
Sjogerman
Craig Sjogerman
has been performing professionally since 1979. The Dr. Geshundheit
Clown Therapy Show mixes physical comedy, eccentric dance, comic juggling,
wisecracks & wordplay, acrobatics & ingenious audience participation.
In addition to his solo shows, Craig works with the Big Apple Circus
Clown Care Unit, performs at Navy Pier, and he teaches clowning, circus
skills, improvisation, and playwriting. He has performed with Make-A-Circus,
Picadilly Clown Troupe, New Vaudeville Festival, and the San Francisco
and Lyric Opera Companies. Craig has toured and taught throughout
the country and loves to smell things.
Shayna
Swanson
Shayna Swanson
brings her skill and expertise with the trapeze to our CircEsteem
kids. Acrobatics, gymnastics, dance, stilt-wakling, and trampoline
are among Shayna's many other skills. Audiences throughout the US
and UK have been entranced by her performances that are sometimes
subtle, stark and sensual, sometimes breathtaking, bawdy and hilarious
but always memorable.
Dave
Trachtenberg
Dave Trachtenberg
is an actor and improviser right here in the city of Chicago. He completed
The Second City's Conservatory program and performs regularly throughout
the city at places like Navy Pier, The Athenaeum, and The Cornservatory.
Dave recently joined up with Circesteem to contribute his unique brand
of wacky and is constantly wowed, amazed, razzled, and dazzled by
the incredibly talented intstructors and students that grace the program's
ranks.
Dave Wendelberger
Dave Wendelberger
is a Senior at The Theatre Conservatory of the Chicago College of
Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. He has worked with the circus
kids during the past year and has taught them juggling, stiltwalking,
clowning, the rolling globe all in an effort toward a show. He loves
to "play" with the kids and give them something at their age that
he never had the chance to do: Circus Arts! Dave is also our DJ extraordinaire
for our live shows.
Michael Weiser
Deemed "Chicago's
Variety King" by Chicago BuskerFest 2002, Michael's juggling, story
telling, audience participation, one-man-band music making, balloon
art, silly comic situations, and easy-going personality attracts large
and happy crowds.The Big Apple Circus selected him as one of the original
cast of entertainers appearing with the hospital performance troupe
based at the University of Chicago's Children's Hospital. Michael
is also a lead performer with the Rothschild Foundation sponsored
"Big Apple Circus Vaudeville Care-a-van", which specializes in entertainment
at nursing homes. A prize winner in talent competitions sponsored
by American Express, Budweiser, and his alma mater Northwestern University,
Michael performs regularly as a strolling entertainer at Navy Pier,
and has appeared as talent in trade shows, commercials, and training
videos.
Michael's circus teaching experience includes leading juggling and
music workshop sessions with the Illinois Juggling Institute, Triton
Circus, The Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit, and CircEsteem
Noel Williams
Noel Williams is a graduate of the Dell'Arte International
School of Physical Theatre and earned a BA in Theater from Virginia
Tech. Noel is also a graduate of the Second City Conservatory. She
has performed and taught with many companies including the Actor's
Gymnasium, Velvet Rope Circus, and TriArts, Inc.
Adam Zeisler
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Founder
