Orlene & Carlo Gentile – Artistic Directors
Carlo Gentile, has been teaching circus arts to children and adults since 1994. Before starting to teach, Carlo performed with the Royal Lichtenstein Circus as a clown, juggler, unicyclist and diabolo artist. Carlo is a charter member of the American Youth Circus Organization.
Singing and dancing since age 3, Orlene Gentile started her work as an educator by teaching Filipino folk dance in 1990. She cut her teeth as a variety entertainer on the streets of India, Vietnam and the back woods of Thailand. She has taught circus, gymnastics and dance since 1999. She is a Past-President and Festival Co-Director of the American Youth Circus Organization.
Together, Orlene & Carlo have been teaching and directing circus programs for the past thirteen years. In 2002, Carlo and Orlene founded Fool Time Circus, an ensemble of teachers/performing artists dedicated to building confidence and expanding life choices through recreational circus arts. Then, in 2005 they co-created 888 Monkeys, a performing arts camp that has been running strong for 8 years in San José, CA.
Both are graduates of Santa Clara University and the San Francisco Circus Center’s Clown Conservatory. But, it took multiple trips to China for the perfection of their signature foot juggling number. Since creating that act, they’ve toured the USA coast to coast on the Zoppé Family Circus multiple seasons, Switzerland’s Circus Monti in 2007, and, most recently, Krystallpalast Varieté.