Staff Biographies

CircEsteem has grown to such an amazing program because of the countless hours and limitless energy given by circus professionals, curious volunteers, and excited educators, passing on what they know. Our staff has gone on to tour with circuses as acrobats and clowns, gone to public and private schools bringing circus to their classrooms and started outreach programs of their own.

Keland Scher – Clown, Circus Instructor

Keland HeadshotKeland has been teaching for 10 years and recently completed two years as a full time Assistant Professor in Theatre and Movement in Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. He has worked as a professional actor on Shakespeare, classical pieces, original devised ensemble creations and contemporary pieces, improvisational theatre, buffoon, and clown work for such companies as the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, The Alliance Theater (Atlanta), Out of Hand Theater (Atlanta),and the Big Apple Circus (New York), The Goodman Theater, and last summer for First Folio (Chicago), where he won an After Dark award for his role as Verges. He has taught for York University (Toronto), Cirque du Soleil (Atlanta and New York), Emory University (Atlanta), the Big Apple Circus (New York), Looking Glass Theater, Second City and CircEsteem (Chicago). Keland professionally coached, choreographed and directed theatre for the past 6 years. He received his MFA in acting as well as a diploma in the teaching of movement for actors from York University. He also has a certification in embodied developmental yoga from the School for Body-Mind Centering® (Amherst, MA). He has studied with such prominent artists as Bill Irwin, Avner Eisenberg (Celebration Barn), Kenny Raskin (Cirque du Soleil), Jeff Wirth, and Mike Kennard (Mump & Smoot).