Sept. 1, 2017 (St. Louis, MO) – Today, two of Circus Harmony’s flying children actually take off. Chauncey Kroner and Maya Zuckerman are two of only twelve students accepted into the freshman class of America’s first circus college, Circadium, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Attending circus college gives new meaning to the term higher education!
Chauncey and Maya have both been members of Circus Harmony’s St. Louis Arches, the internationally renowned youth circus troupe that wowed crowds at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the Kennedy Center’s Millennium stage, this summer. Both are multi- talented performers. Chauncey specializes in acrobatics and Maya is a hula hoop artist. They have been thrilling people in the Circus Harmony ring at City Museum and at Circus Flora for years.
Circadium was cofounded by circus performers/educators/innovators, Greg and Shana Kennedy, who wanted to change the pattern of talented young circus artists leaving the country for higher training. Circadium will offer courses in circus and a wide-ranging array of seminars to help students learn what it takes to potentially start up their own traveling performance group.
“I’m so excited for this new opportunity for circus higher learning to be located in America!” said Circus Harmony director, Jessica Hentoff. “Our other graduates have had to go to Canada for this level of training. It’s great to have an actual circus college opening in this country and we are so proud to have so many students as part of their freshman class!” In addition to Maya and Chauncey, former Circus Harmony pre-professional student, Zak McCallister, from Texas and circus intern, Viola Dix from Germany will be attending. Circadium has also scored Circus Harmony’s long-time juggling coach Richard Kennison who looks forward to continuing coaching the gifted quartet of former Circus Harmony students who will make up a quarter of the inaugural class. Circadium is opening as an accredited vocational school but is looking towards becoming a fully accredited college.