CIRCUS
CENTER
By Kelsi Mathey
San Diego Circus Center (SDCC) is devoted to advancing circus training on
the west coast and enriching the lives of our community by teaching circus
disciplines, art and culture. We offer recreational and professional circus
training and performance opportunities for our youth and adults in a safe,
noncompetitive, socially enriching and nurturing environment. With our
progressive curriculum, we encourage and build on each individual’s strengths
and abilities to create a strong, unique foundation for excellence. In order
to establish community and growth through the art of circus, our mission is
to provide a strategic and curated pathway for our students to reach their
highest potential based on their individual needs and the standards of the
circus community.
Out of this concept to enhance athleticism and artistry in a unique way,
our developmental programs were born: Masters, Preparatory, Performers
Institute of Entertainers (PIE), etc. These programs aim to propel our students
into a higher level of circus education, provide them with the correct tools
to pursue circus professionally, and give them the structure they need to
become well-rounded circus artists.
It always begins with passion and a dream. When we first opened in 2012, our
location was just 1,200 square feet with 18 ft. ceilings. Six years later, due to
growth and expansion, we are currently in our third location, which is almost
nine times as large as the first with 10,000 square feet and 27 ft. ceilings! We’ve
found this expansion has only helped to grow our local circus community.
We’ve found local students flow towards the teachers and community they like
best, so each of the facilities in our local market attract the type of students
they need! Operating a circus school in America is still tricky due to a lack of
government subsidies—we cannot financially afford to be selective about our
students like schools in Canada or Europe can. We’ve found that balance for
ourselves by accepting all levels of students and creating programs to push
them in the direction of circus that is most suitable for them and their goals,
whether recreational or professional. Our Preparatory Program, for example,
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PHOTO CREDIT: LILSHOOTS
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