SANCA is hosting the American Youth Circus Organization (AYCO) Educator’s Conference over Labor Day Weekend. AYCO is a national group promoting participation of youth in circus arts.

We are offering a special ONE DAY PASS on Saturday, Sept. 1st. Learn about circus and meet leaders in circus education from across the country. The pass includes four 90-minute introductory circus workshops as well as lunch. This exciting opportunity is perfect for school teachers, physical therapists, after-school programmers or anyone with an interest in getting a taste of circus while exploring the latest in circus education. $120  

For information package click here

To register online go to: http://www.americanyouthcircus.org/
Questions? Contact Erica Rubinstein Erica@sancaseattle.org

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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, June 1, 2012
CONTACT Erica Rubinstein, Conference Coordinator erica@sancaseattle.org

Circus Educators from Across the Country Converge on Seattle

American Youth Circus Organization chooses SANCA as site for the 2012 national meeting

SEATTLE, WA June 1, 2012 — The School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts (SANCA) will host the 2012 American Youth Circus Organization (AYCO) Educators Conference in Seattle from August 30 to September 3. The educators’ conference is a unique, biennial opportunity for adults working in circus education and related fields to gather together and share best practices. This year workshops will focus on three main topics in addition to a variety of circus education related sessions.

Teaching tumbling and partner acrobatics

Designed and led by SANCA Program Director Chuck Johnson, and SANCA staffers Nick Harden and Erica Rubinstein, these workshops will provide participative experiences at a range of levels. Other coaches from across the country will also lead sessions. Workshops include will include spotting and skill-progression workshops, trampoline, tumbling and partner acrobatics.

Adaptive programming

Circus arts education is by its nature adaptive. Because of this, circus arts are perfectly positioned to serve youth with very wide-ranging needs from autism to ADD, and other physical and emotional challenges. Pioneering practitioners such as Jo Montgomery, SANCA’s co-founder and a Nurse Practitioner at the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, Jackie Davis of CircusLearning, Carrie Heller of Circus Arts Therapy, Jill Maglio of Holistic Circus Therapy, and others will lead roundtables sharing their experiences and offer participatory workshops in this rapidly developing field.

Creating a culture of safety in youth circus

AYCO member educators are committed to preserving the health and safety of children and programs. These workshops will address safety basics such as rigging and spotting, look at whole program safety through risk assessment, and examine how circuses across the United States can build a culture of safety in their programs. Speakers and workshop leaders include SANCA Program Director and AYCO Safety Committee Chair Chuck Johnson, Jonathan Deull of Zip Zap Circus, and Steven Santos of Simply Circus.

In addition to conference programming, SANCA will offer two 1.5-day pre-conference intensive trainings on August 30 and 31:

1. Teaching intermediate and advanced acrobatics.
2. Aerial rigging safety led by Jonathan Duell, Dante Leonardi, John Murphy, and others.

Throughout the conference there will be opportunities to experience new equipment and teaching styles from across the country. SANCA’s flying trapeze will be available for lessons, and a range of fun participatory programs and organized events will be held each evening, including a chance to see a performance by SANCA staff. A four-day conference pass including most meals is $375 for AYCO members, $425 for nonmembers. For those new to circus, a single-day Saturday pass will be available. For more conference and registration information, visit www.americanyouthcircus.org. The website will be updated with new information regularly.