ABOUT
hi
there!
Founded in 2014, the American
Circus Educators Association (ACE)
is a branch of the American Youth
Circus Organization (AYCO), a non-
profit organization that supports
the diversity of circus educators by
organizing festivals & conferences,
advocating for circus education,
generating and sharing resources
and information, and setting
guidelines for safety in circus
education and practice.
For information about events,
membership, or to get involved,
visit americancircuseducators.org
STAFF
Amy Cohen, Executive Director
Duncan Wall, Editor
Beth Turner, Assistant Editor
Isometric Studio, Graphic Design
BOARD
Jesse Alford, President
Jenn Cohen, Vice President
Maribeth Joy, Treasurer
Duncan Wall, Secretary
Adam Woolley, Member
Carlo Pellegrini, Member
Rick Davis, Member
Shana Kennedy, Member
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscriptions to ACE Magazine are a
benefit of ACE membership. Please
visit americancircuseducators.org
to become a member. We invite any
reader with a circus-related story,
opinion , review , poem , quote , or
artwork to submit.
KEEP IN TOUCH
T: 914.441.8834
E: [email protected]
W: americancircuseducators.org
Twitter: @ILoveAYCO
Like us on Facebook:
americanyouthcircusorganization
FROM THE
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR
Dear Community,
Welcome to our first-ever ACE Magazine double issue. I’m
thrilled to report that our American Circus Safety Program
is in full swing and half of this issue is dedicated to the
topic. This program is two years in the making. Adam Woolley
has been leading a committee comprised of Elsie Smith,
Jonathan Deull, and Beverly Sobelman who have been
working tirelessly to bring this important program to life.
I feel confident that their work will usher us into a period
of growth and development when it comes to safety
and risk management. I encourage you to get involved.
We have also included four reflections on the 2014 Circus
Educators Conference, which brought 175 circus educators
from 115 organizations and 10 countries together for a
powerful weekend of networking, workshops, and keynote
speakers. This year was our most successful EdCon to date,
with double the number of participants than in previous
years. I am sincerely grateful to the team at the National
Circus School in Montreal (ENC) who were an absolute
pleasure to work with. Their professionalism, passion, and
dedication to the event contributed to its success. We
hope to continue to collaborate with ENC in the future!
Also in this issue, some history on those mysterious Feiyue
shoes that everyone in the circus community seems to be
wearing, tips on facepainting, innovative juggling tips from
a professional, and lots more.
Enjoy!
Amy Cohen
Executive Director
02