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.
Maribeth joined CircEsteem in 2004 for its 4th Spring Circus as a stage manager, photographer and costume maker. She toured North and South America doing wardrobe and make up for Blue Man Group and has worked as a costumer and photographer with the Hawaiian Islands Community Circus Unity Project. She has led CircEsteem on tours [...]
CircEsteem was blessed when 8-time Gym Wheel World Champion Wolfgang Bientzle asked to work for us. He has performed on the gym wheel with Cirque du Soleil’s show Mystere for three years in Las Vegas, and with the show Quidam in Amsterdam. He has appeared on The Late Show with Dave Letterman, America’s Got Talent [...]
Eric side-stepped into the circus world in the early days of CircEsteem. He started in 2001 with little more then a background in Fine Arts and some juggling skills. Now he can happily add walking on the rolling glob, poi, juggling, and teaching. Eric has almost as much fun learning these new skills [...]
Rachel joined CircEsteem in 2009 as an intern and spent six weeks learning why CircEsteem is so great, and how to juggle. She now works as the liaison to the many sites where CircEsteem offers circus programming. Originally from Maryland, Rachel rode an elephant when she was eight and decided right then, she should join [...]
Chris discovered CircEsteem in 2007, after studying at Dell Arte International. Since then he has preformed independently and with CircEsteem throughout Chicagoland and beyond. He trains with Wolfgang Bientzle on the gym wheel and in May 2009 he competed in the International Gym Wheel Competition in Switzerland and is ranked 16th in the world. Possessing [...]
Keland 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 [...]
Claire is a native of St. Louis, Missouri and a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College with a BA in Theatre Arts. Highlights of her training in performance include a year at the British American Drama Academy in London, and summer programs with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Northwestern University. Following graduation in 1999 [...]
Maren grew up in Germany. She started doing acrobatics when she was 3 years old and started training in gym wheel when she was 9. Maren not only coaches and performs on the gym wheel she also competed at the World Championship 2007 in Austria where she won a bronze, a silver and a gold [...]
Luisina came from Buenos Aires, Argentina to train on the gym wheel with CircEsteem in August of 2009. She started training at the age of 7, first as a gymnast and then at 15 she started training in circus at Espacio Zero Circus School. At that time she specialized in silks, floor acrobatics, [...]
Nich began his circus career with CircEsteem in spring of 2005. It was here that he first started to learn and perform the wonderful arts of Circus! He also trains under Wolfgang Bientzle on the gym wheel. Nich represented the United States at the International Gym Wheel World Championships in Switzerland in 2009. [...]