TEACHING THE
Kasumi Kato is a circus artist and instructor in Ch alongside their circus skills . Kasumi grew up in Th performing with troupes across the southeast . He has incited a new academic interest in circus as a
HOW DID YOU BECOME A CIRCUS ARTIST ? I was part of a family circus in Atlanta run by Carrie Heller ( the social circus guru ). I began at age five but was exposed to circus since infancy . Our circus was very community and family oriented . We worked with a stunt team that was composed of kids from a homeless shelter from across town . We performed a lot for groups who otherwise might never have seen a circus .
WHAT MAKES YOU WANT TO REACH KIDS WITH CIRCUS ? I find that circus is incredibly accessible to everyone . At the AYCO EdCon last year , a speaker described circus as one big open door that lets everyone in and inside there are several smaller doors to places you can specialize in . In other words , bunny hops lead to somersaults , which lead to front handsprings . Also , circus is novel to most people , especially kids . Trying to spin a plate or juggle scarves is simple , but it also challenges expectations of what you can do — building up the habit of self-challenge . I find that refreshing , because in most sports there is an inclination to believe you have or don ’ t have a natural ability , but with circus it takes all kinds of sizes , skill levels , and ages . We need