Circus Juventas
Encyclopedia
Circus Juventas is a youth performing arts
circus
school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota
and serving youth
throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The organization was founded in 1994 by Dan and Betty Butler, and offers circus arts training to children ages 3-21.
Emulating the style of Cirque du Soleil
, Circus Juventas has enjoyed popularity in the Twin Cities. Launched at St. Paul
's Highland Fest in 1995, Circus Juventas has since performed in venues including the Science Museum of Minnesota
, Target Center
, the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
, the Mall of America
, Roy Wilkins Auditorium
, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
.
during the mid-1970s. Dan was a catcher on the flying trapeze
, while Betty was an aerialist on the cloud swing
. They began dating at age sixteen and both of them went on to perform at Florida State University
's Flying High Circus
. Dan became a successful real estate broker in Atlanta, but eventually faced bakruptcy and chemical dependency. The couple came to reside in Minnesota
because Dan Butler was receiving alcohol and drug abuse rehabilitation at Hazelden
. After rehabilitation, Dan became a precious metals broker.
The Butlers founded Circus Juventas in 1994, citing a desire to give back to the community as one of the reasons for its creation. It was originally known as Circus of the Star, named for Minnesota's nickname, The North Star State. The newly opened Hillcrest Recreation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota provided the couple with inspiration for the circus program, and they asked the city if they could hold classes there. The Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Department approved the program, and assumed liability for approximately fifty children who enrolled the first year. About thirty of those students stayed with the program and performed in their first show at the 1995 Highland Fest, an annual family-oriented festival. After this performance, interest in the program increased. By 1996, around thirty more students were enrolled, and by 1997, an additional twenty-five had joined the program. The circus was still based out of the Hillcrest Recreation Center's gym, and had to work around the schedule of the other regular activities in the facility. In 1997, the waitlist for the program was around 200 students.
In 1996, Circus Juventas began a capital campaign to build a permanent home in St. Paul. A long-term lease was secured from the City of St. Paul and initial designs for the 21,000 square foot (2,000 m²) big top
were completed. With contributions from hundreds of families, supporters and area foundations, the campaign goal of US$
2.1 million was reached and the big top was built in 2001.
.
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
and serving youth
Youth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...
throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The organization was founded in 1994 by Dan and Betty Butler, and offers circus arts training to children ages 3-21.
Emulating the style of Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
, Circus Juventas has enjoyed popularity in the Twin Cities. Launched at St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
's Highland Fest in 1995, Circus Juventas has since performed in venues including the Science Museum of Minnesota
Science Museum of Minnesota
The Science Museum of Minnesota is an American museum focused on topics in technology, natural history, physical science and mathematics education. Founded in 1907 and located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the 501 nonprofit institution is staffed by over 500 employees and over 1,600 volunteers...
, Target Center
Target Center
The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites....
, the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is located in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota and hosts a variety of performing arts, such as touring Broadway musicals, orchestra, opera, and cultural performers. It serves as a home to several local arts organizations, including the Minnesota Opera, The Saint...
, the Mall of America
Mall of America
The Mall of America, also called MOA and the Megamall, is a shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, in the United States. It is located southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River and is across the...
, Roy Wilkins Auditorium
Roy Wilkins Auditorium
The Roy Wilkins Auditorium is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. Designed by renowned African American municipal architect Clarence W. Wigington, it was built in 1932 as the St. Paul Auditorium, and was renamed for Roy Wilkins in 1985...
, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is a fine art museum located in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, on a campus that covers nearly 8 acres , formerly Morrison Park...
.
History
Dan and Betty Butler met as teenagers at the Sailor Circus of SarasotaSarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
during the mid-1970s. Dan was a catcher on the flying trapeze
Flying Trapeze
The flying trapeze is a specific form of the trapeze in which a performer jumps from a platform with the trapeze so that gravity makes the trapeze swing....
, while Betty was an aerialist on the cloud swing
Cloud swing
The cloud swing is an aerial act that usually combines static and swinging trapeze skills, drops, holds and rebound lifts....
. They began dating at age sixteen and both of them went on to perform at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
's Flying High Circus
FSU Flying High Circus
Located in Tallahassee, Florida, the Florida State University "Flying High" Circus is an extra-curricular activity under FSU's Division of Student Affairs. It is one of two such collegite circuses in the United States along with Illinois State University's Gamma Phi Circus...
. Dan became a successful real estate broker in Atlanta, but eventually faced bakruptcy and chemical dependency. The couple came to reside in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
because Dan Butler was receiving alcohol and drug abuse rehabilitation at Hazelden
Hazelden
The Hazelden Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Center City, Minnesota. Hazelden has alcohol and drug treatment facilities in Minnesota ; Newberg, Oregon; Chicago, Illinois; Naples, Florida and New York City, New York...
. After rehabilitation, Dan became a precious metals broker.
The Butlers founded Circus Juventas in 1994, citing a desire to give back to the community as one of the reasons for its creation. It was originally known as Circus of the Star, named for Minnesota's nickname, The North Star State. The newly opened Hillcrest Recreation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota provided the couple with inspiration for the circus program, and they asked the city if they could hold classes there. The Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Department approved the program, and assumed liability for approximately fifty children who enrolled the first year. About thirty of those students stayed with the program and performed in their first show at the 1995 Highland Fest, an annual family-oriented festival. After this performance, interest in the program increased. By 1996, around thirty more students were enrolled, and by 1997, an additional twenty-five had joined the program. The circus was still based out of the Hillcrest Recreation Center's gym, and had to work around the schedule of the other regular activities in the facility. In 1997, the waitlist for the program was around 200 students.
In 1996, Circus Juventas began a capital campaign to build a permanent home in St. Paul. A long-term lease was secured from the City of St. Paul and initial designs for the 21,000 square foot (2,000 m²) big top
Big Top
Big Top may refer to:* Big top , the biggest tent in early-20th century circuses, where the circus itself took place* Big Top , a Transformers character* Big Top , a children's television series in the 1950s...
were completed. With contributions from hundreds of families, supporters and area foundations, the campaign goal of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2.1 million was reached and the big top was built in 2001.
Facilities
Circus Juventas's current big top is located in the Highland Park neighborhood of Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
.