QUICK CHANGE – THE FEMME FETALE
As a performing artist, choreographer and costume designer, Elena Brocade has worked internationally in the aerial arts and illusion magic for 20 years, with credits that range from The Magic Castle, The Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival, The Zoppè Family Circus, Circus Flora, Master’s of Illusion CW, The Go Big Show TBS, Italy’s Tù Sì Que Vales TELE5, and China’s 2008 Olympic festivities. Elena has innovated the circus arts with the creation of the first-ever Aerial Quick Change act on Spanish web and introduced the relationship of dance and acrobatics to the setters role. Her work centers around archetypal storytelling, where transformation plays a role both figuratively and literally.

CLOUDSWING – PATSY

While Jacy has been born and raised in Northern California, she spent most of her childhood traveling the world with her parents while they performed their duo trapeze act. This early exposure to different cultures and areas leads jacy to pursue her own life in circus. She started constructing her cloudswing act in late 2019 and has been improving upon it ever since.

BLAZE BIRGE AND DAVID JONES – THE PI AND THE FLY ON THE WALL

photo by Philllip Pavlinger
Daring Jones Duo is the team that runs the show.  They try their best.  Here’s a few of their awards.

• Tigerpalast 30th Jubilee,  Germany, 2018-2019
• Izhevsk Winners Show, Russia, 2018
• 1^st Place, VivaFest Pro serries, Las Vegas, 2017
• Silver, Wuhan Festival, China 2016
• Bronze Idol, Idol festival, Russia 2016
• Bronze, 15^th Wuqiao International Circus Festival, China 2015
• Silver, 7th International Circus Festival Izhevsk, Russia 2014
• Zapashny Bros Special Award, 38th Monte Carlo International Circus Festival 2014
• Bronze, Moscow International Circus Festival, Nikulin, Russia 2013
• Bronze, Festival Del Circo, Latina, Italy, 2012
• America’s Got Talent,  National TV syndicate, top 48, 2012
• Critic’s Choice Award, Festival Del Circo, Figueres, Spain, 2012

DUO UNCYCLE- BANQUINE

Nick & Wendy Harden met and married while teaching circus in Seattle. Wendy grew up in Sonoma County where she spent her childhood flipping and twisting as a competitive gymnast. Nick started training circus as a college student in the midwest. They have performed their unicycle act with circuses around the world. They met Blaze & David while touring together in 2013, and first joined Flynn Creek Circus in 2015. They returned to Flynn Creek Circus again in 2019, and they are thrilled to join the show again in 2024. When they are not on a unicycle Wendy & Nick coach and direct the youth performance troupes at the School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts in Seattle.

DUO ROPE
Doug graduated from the New England Center for Circus Arts. As a performer he has worked for Chicago’s Midnight Circus, AIDA Cruises, Circus Smirkus, Live305Entertainment, The Vampire Circus, Westchester Circus Arts, Cirque Dreams & Cirque Us. In 2023, Doug received a speciality prize at the NewComers Show in Germany for his Duo Straps act. Doug is the founder and director of Cirque Us and you can follow Doug’s adventures @doug_stewartt.

 DUO ROPE

Jeremy Cifonie is a Chicago-based circus artist who specializes in aerial rope, German wheel, and clown. His career began with the Gamma Phi Circus at Illinois State University, where he trained until graduating in 2020. He is the VIVA Fest 2023 Aerial Rope Emerging Pro champion, and most recently has performed with Cirque Us, Cirque Dreams, Westchester Circus Arts, All Wheel Sports, and The Vampire Circus. Away from work, Jeremy often spends his time making coffee and reading borrowed paperbacks.

LIGHTING & SOUND

David Wagar has the joy and pleasure of returning to Flynn Creek for his fifth year as Lighting Designer. When he is not working up with the lights, he enjoys movie nights, karaoke, and blacksmithing.
He has had the immense joy to work at the Gaylord of the Rockies as an actor, FeverUp as a performer and assistant, Phantom Circus as a lighting designer and performer, and Cedar Point as a technician.
He would like to thank his family and friends for all their support this past year and their continued support of this extravagant lifestyle..

BANQUINE ACROBAT- THE NEWSIES
Growing up in Yorktown, Virginia..at 6 years old I started my journey with gymnastics and competitive cheerleading. I’ve always known sports and teamwork was my passion and what I was best at. Wanting to continue down that path, I applied to the San Diego Circus Center Protrack program. When I was accepted…circus became my life. Coming in with my background and the guidance of my amazing coaches and friends, I was able to learn and transform it into many apparatus’s including, teeterboard, handstands, hand to hand, and banquine. And with the privilege of working with Flynn Creek Circus I get to continue my journey.

ACROBATICS

The 505 is an acrobatic trio that hails from New Mexico (by way of Philadelphia). The trio is composed of Z Farrell, Richie Alderete and Ilana Rose. Z started his acrobatic career as a bboy, dancing with his crew 3HC in the Santa Fe Plaza or battling throughout the southwest. Richie started flipping in his backyard at age fourteen, then joined his high school cheerleading team. Later he found circus through calisthenics and acroyoga. Ilana started wearing striped tights at age 23 and then found circus a few years later. The trio began training together at Pitch Catch Circus, an acrobatics intensive founded by Ilana as a way to continue her partner acro training after a brief stint at circus school in England. Together the trio moved to Philly to pursue more performance opportunities, performing their first show together the day after they finished their drive across the country. When not flipping, balancing, or juggling, Z makes music, Ilana makes food and Richie makes puns.

AERIALIST

Avery has been climbing things since before she could walk, so it’s no surprise she fell in love with aerial arts early on. She grew up in Oakland, CA, training and performing for several years with the Circus Spire program at Kinetic Arts Center. There she learned the basics of acrobatics, contortion, handbalancing, juggling, and physical theatre but never got over her love for being in the air. Through street fairs, gigs, and annual shows she was able to perform on a variety of conventional and invented apparatuses while specializing in solo and duo static trapeze.
For a few years this passion for heights was channeled into climbing; and she spent several beautiful seasons working as a multi-pitch climbing guide in Maine before climbing and camping her way back across the country. Her return to the west coast also marked a return to circus, where a stint training at Cirque Tumble Cheer in Capitola quickly led to teaching, performing, and a job with Flynn Creek Circus. Since then she has been in two winter seasons, as well as last summer’s tour and has performed for Viva Fest and Moisture Festival with her tippy hoop act. She is excited to be back on the road this summer and to help bring a new show to life!

RAVEN ALVAREZ – CIRCUS MENTORS APPRENTICE AWARDEE
Raven Alvarez grew up in the redwood forest, but she recently moved to the sonoran desert for school. She entered into the world of acrobatics when she was 5 months old. Her father would balance her on his hand in the grocery stores, foreshadowing her desire to defy gravity. At 9 years old, she began training in the aerial arts. By the age of 11, she joked about joining the circus. As she has gotten older, her love for the performing arts has continued to grow. Now, at 19, she is joining the Flynn Creek Circus as an apprentice. When she isn’t plotting to run away to the circus, Raven’s pursuits span a diverse array of interests, from navigating white water rapids to mastering archery, working with language revitalization endeavors, and training to become a ninja.

CIRCUS MENTORS APPRENTICE AWARDEE
Donna has been moving her body in some way or another since she can remember, it started with gymnastics then dance then contortion, jiu jitsu, rock climbing and eventually spending hours teaching herself how to hand-balance in her living room. there’s nothing she loves more than finding something to completely dedicate herself to and perfect. Donna grew up in Port Townsend Washington but moved around alot as a kid. She discovered aerial when she was 15 and fell in love with being in the air and the creative freedom of creating acts, she felt like it was a perfect balance of all the physical movements she already loved. She has been performing in the rogue valley of Oregon for a couple years and decided that she wants to take her love of circus and performing to the next level by apprenticing at Flynn Creek Circus .

SITE MANAGER

Jon has worked with some of the biggest names in circus including Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey and Cirque du Soleil, and is very excited to continue to expand his knowledge of show business. He returns to the Flynn Creek Circus for his 3rd tour. Originally from North Carolina, Jon has been traveling all his life which now fuels his sense for adventure. His passions include learning new skills and pushing himself to the limit. He takes great pride in overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles and keeping the wheels of the circus “turning”. When he’s not working with a show, you’ll find him cooking, playing guitar or going on nature excursions.

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Acrobat
Having retired from a noteworthy competitve career on the 3 Meter Springboard, Rylan joined a traveling high dive show where he played such infamous characters as Chili the penguin, Mr.Gibbs the pirate, and the Man in the audience. After a stint of international shows is Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. In 2019 he shifted gears to discover his true passion as a flyer on the Russian Swing so much so that in 2021 he bought his own swing. Recently, Rylan has been the captan of a Russian Swing act in conjunction with a high dive show where he also
dove from 80 feet. On the side, Rylan has been hosting and participating in Russian Swing training camps and hopes to assemble his own act. Now, with more than 10 years of show experience, Rylan is teaming up with Flynn Creek and is excited to buttress the Banquine act and too bestow upon the stage his unique character stylings.

Trapeze

Ava is a professional dance trapeze artist and is also proficient in many other aerial apparatuses, such as, silks, rope, sling, loops, lyra and other special creations. She is also a young engineer, and working on becoming a airplane pilot. Ava has performed in an array of different venues for a wide variety of companies. She is currently in San Diego Circus Center’s preparatory program. Ava has also spent many years coaching in a variety of styles levels and apparatuses.
Ava is the winner of the Flynn Creek Circus Professional Contract Award from the 2024 Vivafest World Circus Arts Championship in Las Vegas.

MARKETING RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Esther de Monteflores is an arts administrator and performing artist based in San Francisco, CA. As an arts administrator, Esther has worked with organizations in circus, theater, film, architecture, music, dance, and opera. This is her third season providing pre-tour support for Flynn Creek Circus.

AERIAL ROPE SUB
Shem grew up in a small town called Mendocino, tucked away in the redwoods on the coast of Northern California. From a young age Shem has always been a very active and artistic person.
At 10 years old he enrolled with CircusMeCCA, a nonprofit aerial arts school, where he began to take off in developing his physical skill set and new found passion for aerial silks.
As time went on and his passion for circus and performance arts grew stronger, he pursued opportunities to expand his knowledge and artistry.
Around the age of 13 he was accepted into a 2 week circus camp program at École Nationale De Cirque in Montreal, Canada; as well as another 2 week circus camp program at Le PeTiT CiRqUe in Los Angeles, CA.
Shortly after, he was hired on by Cirque De La Symphonie, where he was flown to various states across the USA to perform with live symphonies in epic cathedrals, and was pushed to expand beyond the silks and explore new territory on the aerial rope; which very quickly became his preferred apparatus.
He later joined Flynn Creek Circus as an apprentice when he was 15 and toured with them for 4 summers in a row becoming a Veteran at FCC. During his 4th summer with Flynn Creek Circus, he was able to expand his resume through the performance opportunity to recultivate a young childhood talent and bring his sleight of hand and card tricks to the stage; while also expanding his skills in stage magic, character work, acrobatics, tricking, teeter board, aerial rope and singing as he collaborated with the 2019 Flynn Creek Circus Band to write the opening song of the show.
Between tours with FCC, he was also accepted into VivaFest Pro-Fest Competition in Las Vegas, where he placed 2nd out of 13 international contestants in 2018.
In his most recent years, Shem has taken a step back from performing to focus on, pursue, and bring to fruition, a dream of his to integrate live music performance with acrobatic dance and aerial rope, creating a very modern, nontraditional, One Man Circus show.
After 5.5 years of self-taught cultivation in music, Shem is extremely excited to say that he is crossing the finish line with his very first production and will soon be ready to debut the very first run of his show, Medicine Music Movement.

HEAD ACROBATICS CONSULTANT- BANQUINE ACT

Jean-Luc performed with Pickle Family Circus, Circus Knie and two tours with Cirque du Soleil, where he specialized in Teeterboard: Exits and Korean plank, Hand Balancing,Chair Balancing, Hand-to-Hand Adagio, Acrobatics, Russian bar, Aerial Cradle, Group Bicycle, Group Juggling, Columns and Clown. He has trained with many masters in the circus industry including studying at Ecole Nationale de Cirque in Montreal.
Jean-Luc began his own teaching career very early on but formally began teaching circus arts in San Diego in 2008. He teaches a variety of circus disciplines but focuses largely on handstands, hand-to-hand, Teeterboard, Russian bar and is the program director. In 2011 Jean-Luc founded San Diego Circus Center in order to provide a high quality training center where he now employs over 25 teachers and the center has become respected internationally.

DIABLO – COMEDY (June-July)
Jan (“Yahn”) Damm has been touring in the U.S. and internationally as a circus artist for 17 years. Originally from Maine, he has worked street corners, big-tops, theaters and opera houses. He specializes in clown, juggling, acrobatics, balancing and eccentric skills. Jan enjoys collaboration and creating original work, but is also at home in classic spectacles inspired by the greats of vaudeville and circus. He has toured with ‘Clowns Without Borders’ to Haiti, Indonesia, Lebanon and Greece. Career highlights include Celebrity Cruises, Cirque Mechanics’ Pedal Punk, and Big Apple Circus’ 40th Anniversary Tour. Most recently Jan toured 30 cities as lead character and solo act in Ringling ’s 2023 revival of ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’. He lives in Brattleboro, Vermont with his wife Ariele and their two children.

TIGHTWIRE (June-July)
Ariele Ebacher has been a performing circus professional for 24 years. Coming of age in the traditions of dance and theater, she takes great joy and pride in fusing the spectacle and virtuosity of circus, with the poetry and storytelling of dance and theater. She has had the great pleasure of traveling the world performing in every context imaginable, from black box theaters to international festivals; small circus tents to cruise ships; and everywhere in between. Some of the circus companies she has worked with include The Midnight Circus, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, NoFit State Circus, Circus Flora, Cirque Mechanics, Flynn Creek Circus, Big Apple Circus, Venardos Circus, and Circus Bella. She is also a co-founder of the American Circus Alliance, which aims to unite and champion circus arts and circus workers across the nation.