Lady Circus
Encyclopedia
Lady Circus is a performing arts
troupe in New York City
composed of eight ladies who perform solo, in small groups, or in a variety show setting in their entirety. The troupe was founded by Anya Sapozhnikova in New York in 2007.
Lady Circus, self-described as "an intoxicating cocktail of riot and glamour," considers themselves to be, "a mix of sideshow, brooklyn grit, and 1920's gilded decadence finished off with a modern edge." Their performances use circus arts
to entertain and address political and social issues. Members have been sighted using stilts
, hula hoop
s, fire fan
s, poi, aerial silk, lyra
, trapeze
, contortion
, glass walking, sword swallowing
, fire eating, rhythmic gymnastics
and combinations thereof across a variety of venues including warehouse parties, galas, benefits, parades, art openings, and private events presenting a diverse skill-set.
Lady Circus also participates in, and at times hosts, "circus skill share." Circus
skill share is a free community effort where performers gather in a public place with their performance tools and share their knowledge and skills with people of the community and with each other. Teaching circus to children and adults that otherwise may not have exposure or opportunity to experience circus arts and providing fun opportunities to improve body strength, coordination
, and balance
.
was rebuilt after a devastating fire in April 2008, their ability to create a full stage show came to fruition.
The members of Lady Circus are often hired to perform at sophisticated Manhattan nightclubs, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
, concerts, large summer festivals, and corporate events. They also performed in warehouse parties around Brooklyn.
In January 2009, Lady Circus completed its first full stage production for The Sky Box Aerial Theatre that operates at the new House of YES. The show was titled "Lady Circus and The Mickey Western Band Present: The Rusted Gun Saloon", and it was a tumultuous tale of love, jealousy, greed, and violence including live music and circus. The show was directed and produced as a collaborative piece between Lady Circus, Lauren Larken of Artistic Evolution, and The Mickey Western Band.
In May 2009, Lady Circus collaborated with FUCT to produce its second full stage production, "Cirque du Quoi?!?", a twisted tale with acrobatics and sexual humor. The show was directed by Jeff Glaser.
June 2009: Lady Circus joined the Bonnaroo Buskers in Manchester Tennessee for daily parades and a midnight variety show.
October 2009: Lady Circus teamed up with the creatrix of Desert Sin and the Mystery Bird Puppet Theatre to perform "Twitchers" A theatrical immersion of dance, puppetry, aerial, live music,
spectacle, and pure emotion. A tour of birds, dreams, and women who take flight.
November 2009: Members of Lady Circus entertained at the New York MoMA
Film Benefit : A tribute to Tim Burton
December 2009: House of Yes
Christmas Spectacular : Lady Circus and Friends. A festive, in-your-face holiday extravaganza! Overflowing with glitter, glamour, sex, comedy, matching costumes, synchronized dancing, and theatrics. Guest appearances include but not limited to Desert Sin Dance Company, The Love Show, Jenny Rocha and the Painted Ladies, Mike Richter,Graham Skipper of FUCT, Kayti Bunny, Pearl Pistol, and Band of Bicycles.
February 2010: Members of Lady Circus partook in "The Wonderneath" a magical circus theatre adventure written and produced by Ali Schmitz and featuring Jordann Baker, Claire de Luxe, Ellie Mio, and joined by Kai Altair and Ateles Aerial. Music was performed by Tin Pan.
May 2010: "The Horror Show"
October 2010: Kae Burke of Lady Circus wrote, produced, and starred in "The Circus of Circus" a dramatic comedy based on George Orwells "Animal Farm"
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...
troupe in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
composed of eight ladies who perform solo, in small groups, or in a variety show setting in their entirety. The troupe was founded by Anya Sapozhnikova in New York in 2007.
Lady Circus, self-described as "an intoxicating cocktail of riot and glamour," considers themselves to be, "a mix of sideshow, brooklyn grit, and 1920's gilded decadence finished off with a modern edge." Their performances use circus arts
Circus skills
Circus skills are a group of pursuits that have been performed as entertainment in circus, sideshow, busking or variety/vaudeville/music hall shows. Most circus skills are still being performed today. Many are also practiced by non-performers as a hobby....
to entertain and address political and social issues. Members have been sighted using stilts
Stilts
Stilts are poles, posts or pillars used to allow a person or structure to stand at a distance above the ground. Walking stilts are poles equipped with steps for the feet to stand on, or straps to attach them to the legs, for the purpose of walking while elevated above a normal height...
, hula hoop
Hula hoop
A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck.Although the exact origins of hula hoops are unknown, children and adults around the world have played with hoops, twirling, rolling and throwing them throughout history...
s, fire fan
Fire Fan
A fire fan is a fan, constructed out of welded metal and Kevlar wicking. They are used for fire dancing and performance.-Belly Dance:Fire fans are often used in belly dance, especially in tribal fusion belly dance styles...
s, poi, aerial silk, lyra
Aerial Hoop
The aerial hoop is a circular steel apparatus suspended from the ceiling, on which circus artists may perform aerial acrobatics. The hoop sometimes has a hand loop and a bar across the top...
, trapeze
Trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances...
, contortion
Contortion
thumb|upright|Contortionist performingContortion is an unusual form of physical display which involves the dramatic bending and flexing of the human body. Contortion is often part of acrobatics and circus acts...
, glass walking, sword swallowing
Sword swallowing
Sword swallowing is an ancient performance art in which the performer passes a sword through the mouth and down the esophagus towards the stomach...
, fire eating, rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which individuals or teams of competitors manipulate one or two pieces of apparatus: rope, clubs, hoop, ball, ribbon and Free . An individual athlete only manipulates 1 apparatus at a time...
and combinations thereof across a variety of venues including warehouse parties, galas, benefits, parades, art openings, and private events presenting a diverse skill-set.
Lady Circus also participates in, and at times hosts, "circus skill share." 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...
skill share is a free community effort where performers gather in a public place with their performance tools and share their knowledge and skills with people of the community and with each other. Teaching circus to children and adults that otherwise may not have exposure or opportunity to experience circus arts and providing fun opportunities to improve body strength, coordination
Motor coordination
thumb|right|Motor coordination is shown in this animated sequence by [[Eadweard Muybridge]] of himself throwing a diskMotor coordination is the combination of body movements created with the kinematic and kinetic parameters that result in intended actions. Such movements usually smoothly and...
, and balance
Balance (ability)
In biomechanics, balance is an ability to maintain the center of gravity of a body within the base of support with minimal postural sway. When exercising the ability to balance, one is said to be balancing....
.
Performers
- Anya Sapozhnikova
- Jordann Baker
- Kae Burke
- Claire de Luxe
- Ali Schmitz aka Ali LuminescentAli LuminescentAli Luminescent , also known as Ali Schmitz, is a model, actress, and multi-media performance artist who produces large scale art, participatory art events, and circus spectacle theatre...
- Ellie Mio
- Cassandra Siegler
- Stephanie Radia
History
Lady Circus performed traditionally one gig at a time, tailoring their acts to each performance space and purpose. As their rehearsal space at the House of YESHouse of Yes (Brooklyn)
The House of YES is an artist collective with a performance venue and art space in Brooklyn, New York. It was founded in May 2007 in Ridgewood, Queens, as a work and play space, as well as home to some of its founders and participants. It had hosted numerous underground art and music shows, fashion...
was rebuilt after a devastating fire in April 2008, their ability to create a full stage show came to fruition.
The members of Lady Circus are often hired to perform at sophisticated Manhattan nightclubs, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
, concerts, large summer festivals, and corporate events. They also performed in warehouse parties around Brooklyn.
In January 2009, Lady Circus completed its first full stage production for The Sky Box Aerial Theatre that operates at the new House of YES. The show was titled "Lady Circus and The Mickey Western Band Present: The Rusted Gun Saloon", and it was a tumultuous tale of love, jealousy, greed, and violence including live music and circus. The show was directed and produced as a collaborative piece between Lady Circus, Lauren Larken of Artistic Evolution, and The Mickey Western Band.
In May 2009, Lady Circus collaborated with FUCT to produce its second full stage production, "Cirque du Quoi?!?", a twisted tale with acrobatics and sexual humor. The show was directed by Jeff Glaser.
June 2009: Lady Circus joined the Bonnaroo Buskers in Manchester Tennessee for daily parades and a midnight variety show.
October 2009: Lady Circus teamed up with the creatrix of Desert Sin and the Mystery Bird Puppet Theatre to perform "Twitchers" A theatrical immersion of dance, puppetry, aerial, live music,
spectacle, and pure emotion. A tour of birds, dreams, and women who take flight.
November 2009: Members of Lady Circus entertained at the New York MoMA
Moma
Moma may refer to:* Moma , an owlet moth genus* Moma Airport, a Russian public airport* Moma District, Nampula, Mozambique* Moma River, a right tributary of the Indigirka River* Google Moma, the Google corporate intranet...
Film Benefit : A tribute to Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
December 2009: House of Yes
House of Yes (Brooklyn)
The House of YES is an artist collective with a performance venue and art space in Brooklyn, New York. It was founded in May 2007 in Ridgewood, Queens, as a work and play space, as well as home to some of its founders and participants. It had hosted numerous underground art and music shows, fashion...
Christmas Spectacular : Lady Circus and Friends. A festive, in-your-face holiday extravaganza! Overflowing with glitter, glamour, sex, comedy, matching costumes, synchronized dancing, and theatrics. Guest appearances include but not limited to Desert Sin Dance Company, The Love Show, Jenny Rocha and the Painted Ladies, Mike Richter,Graham Skipper of FUCT, Kayti Bunny, Pearl Pistol, and Band of Bicycles.
February 2010: Members of Lady Circus partook in "The Wonderneath" a magical circus theatre adventure written and produced by Ali Schmitz and featuring Jordann Baker, Claire de Luxe, Ellie Mio, and joined by Kai Altair and Ateles Aerial. Music was performed by Tin Pan.
May 2010: "The Horror Show"
October 2010: Kae Burke of Lady Circus wrote, produced, and starred in "The Circus of Circus" a dramatic comedy based on George Orwells "Animal Farm"
Collaborators with Lady Circus
- Lauren Larken
- Justin Lange
- Aaron Goldsmith
- Justin Aubuchon
- Akim Funk Buddha
- Mickey Western