Intermediate/Advanced students of My Nose Turns Red participate in a two-week intensive summer camp where they learned from visiting coaches Sam Sake and Copper Santiago. Gym wheel coach Sam Sake is originally from Ethiopia and moved to Chicago as a child. He found circus through CircEsteem and learned gym (German) wheel from Wolfgang Bientzle. We met Sam when he was 18, and he has been our guest wheel coach for many years. In 2019, we also brought in Copper Santiago, a student at Circadium School in Philadelphia, PA, who taught aerials. She is also a well-rounded circus artist and an excellent unicyclist. Jesse Alford, our head coach, brought his unicycle, partner acro, and juggling skills. Artistic director Steve Roenker teaches clowning, and Natalie is an assistant coach and camp manager. The annual Intermediate/Advanced Circus Camp features other coaches that expand their learning and experience different teaching styles and techniques they won’t learn anywhere else. At the end of these two-weeks, they perform their new skills on the gym (German) wheel, aerial silks, unicycles, new clown routines, and more for family and friends.

The board raises funds at the camp shows by selling concessions, auctioning items, and holding a raffle. Many of our families tell us it is their favorite performance of the year. Advanced members of My Nose Turns Red participate in a two-week intensive summer camp where they learn from visiting coaches from around the country. A master class for advanced students, the camp exposes them to skills, and techniques they won’t learn anywhere else. At the end of these two-weeks, they perform their newly learned skills on the gym (German) wheel, aerial silks, unicycle, and more for their family and friends. available for use. There will be a coach available at all times.

Circ-A-Thon is our annual friend and fundraising event held every year on the second weekend in December. The event showcases our gym (German) wheel and unicycle skills. And artistic director Steve Roenker amazes us all with his food juggling challenge.

Each student picks a circus skill they want to master by Circ-A-Thon, and just like a walk-a-thon, they raise money for their skills. The fundraising committee holds an auction and raffles off baskets of donated goods. Each participating student gets a bag of goodies.

Circ-A-Thon is also time to get new t-shirts and buy some swag. It’s a great way to end the Fall semester and ready ourselves for the spring Extravaganza. The best part is the sense of accomplishment the students demonstrate and the pride in their friends and family display.

The Youth Circus Extravaganza is My Nose Turns Red’s annual celebration of the accomplishments of our extraordinary circus students. Over 48 of our circus students from across the Cincinnati region come together to demonstrate their courage and tenacity, joy, and creativity in the Jarson-Kaplan Theater in the Aronoff Center for the Arts for audiences of over 700 people.

The youth circus performers and coaches demonstrate their circus skills on the unicycle, gym (German) wheel, and aerial silks. Other circus skills include juggling, hooping, stilt-walking, wire-walking. And, of course, the clowns delight all ages.