THE SHOW CIRCUS LINGO The Aerial Acrobatic Arts Festival - Denver Ace in the Hole: A man hired by the show owner or Frame a show: build a new show manager as a replacement for the boss of the show. was created using standards established in the Funny Ropes: extra ropes to keep up the tent in Circus Festival tradition and also with a circus Ace note: a dollar Bill a wind-storm. Each circus boss had their own system. spirit of innovation and discovery. Bag Man: ticket seller or short change man who made Take the Gaff: Take the hard knocks in life. change from a bag. The festival is a First-of-its-kind event, Gazoony: a young immature working man Bale Ring: Heavy metal ring which encircled the center showcasing leading semi-professional aerialists pole of the tent. Canvas would be laced to it, and aerial Half a slug: 50 cents in North America. rigging would be pulledup by men, horses, or elephants. Half a C: $50 Barker: a dog, not the person on a circus who A semi-professional aerialist is an artist who announced. Jack Pots: A circus troupers stories of his past escapades, is formally trained or self-taught, who has often exaggerated. Biblebacks: Sections of folding planks, 12 feet long performed for one time event or on a on which the grandstand chars are set. Jitney: 5 cents semi-regular basis. The Festival welcomes new artists who have a unique style and desire to work Blanket Game: a gambling game played on a blanket Mechanic: a safety belt for use in aerial acts or with outside show cars or on show grounds for show folks only. acrobatics on horses. in the field of circus arts and entertainment. Blues: the unreserved seats at each end of the big top. Mud Show: a circus traveling by horse drawn wagons between show dates. In order to reach the show competition, aerialists submitted videos for review Referred to this way because they were almost always painted blue. by a screening panel. Many talented artists applied from across the United States Sawbuck or Sawsky: $10 and Canada. Bug: a flashlight carried by a night watchman. To carry the Bug was to work as a night watchman with a flashlight. Short Cake: money made by short-changing The criteria for judging was based on standards of Aerial Festivals from around Car knocker: a railroad employee who repairs Cherry Pie: extra pay for overtime work. railroad cars. the world. One Finalist per discipline will be selected by the judges from the Friday Shooting Quarter Poles: inserting the tent quarter poles night show to perform for the final show Saturday night. Double: a $20 also called a double saw into holes in the canvas and sliding them into position to lift the peaks of the tent higher. Doniker: a toilet The Festival celebrates undiscovered talent and also welcomes audience participation Humbug: something fake that is packaged and advertised in selecting the Best of Festival. The Judges will select the Best Technical, Best Fin: $5 so cleverly that people think it is real. Artistic and Best Over-all Performance. First of May: a first season trouper, or a newcomer to Ballyhoo: the free show given outside the sideshow tent show business. for a few minutes, usually had sword swallowers or belly The Aerial Acrobatic Arts Festival will continue to evolve and foster community. dancers. Fixer: the legal adjuster on a show also called the patch. It is a platform for aerialists to experience the joy of performing, the excitement Geek: a performer who worked with snakes or frogs like of competition, and the inspiration of seeing what is possible. Flag or Flag’s up: The Flag on the cookhouse tent English Jack indicating that food was ready. Trouper: someone who had spent a season with the circus. Welcome to the First Aerial Acrobatic Arts Festival-Denver Floss: Cotton Candy Enjoy the Show! www.aerialartsfestdenver.com www.aerialartsfestdenver.com 2011 2011 THE PERFORMERS AfterShock - Miriam Telles and Erin Shredder Duo Rose Trapeze - Samuel & Sylvia Rose Miriam is a third generation native San Franciscan who grew up as a The passionate, romantic trapeze performance of Duo Rose combines competitive gymnast. Her circus life began with flying trapeze over ten unique dynamic elements with aerial contortion. Samuel and Sylvia years ago and since then she has trained on static trapeze, doubles trapeze, have worked together for 3 years to develop their act, combining their single point and swinging trapeze. In 2007, she performed with San backgrounds in aerial arts, gymnastics and contortion. Francisco’s Vau de Vire Society. When she is not performing, she is on staff at the San Francisco Circus Center where she teaches static trapeze. She also They developed their act independently without primary instruction works as a freelance documentary video editor, but she is never happier than from a circus school or having a dedicated trainer. They have performed when she is flying through the air or hanging off of her beloved trapeze for private events, festivals, and corporate functions as well as larger partner in crime, Shredder. productions, including the Swiss Christmas Show in Zurich, Switzerland, the Zoppe Family Circus, the Seattle Moisture Festival 2010 & 2011, Erin is a California native who grew up in the Santa Cruz Mountains between the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Circus Mojo and Dreamcast the giant redwoods and the beautiful waves of the Santa Cruz coastline. In Entertainment’s production “Taganai.” Beginning in 2010 they have 2004, she discovered hoop dancing and shortly thereafter circus arts became competed internationally. her new lifestyle. When she’s not on the trapeze, she can be seen spinning on the aerial lyra, deftly manipulating any number of hula hoops, sometimes In February 2010 they competed in the 3rd International Circus Festival of on fire. She is a core member of the Vau De Vire Society. Erin Shredder finds Albacete, Spain where they were invited to perform in the awards gala and inspiration through all whom she meets. She recognizes that each being is received the prestigious Critics’ Choice Award. In August 2010 they competed unique and has the ability to shine brightly. She feels incredibly lucky to have in the 9th International Circus Festival, CIRCUBA in Havana Cuba where Miriam as her partner. Together, they are AfterShock! they earned the Bronze medal. In March 2011 they competed in the 4th International Circus Festival of Bayeux, France earning the Bronze Medal. Shredder and Miriam found one another in 2007, at the Bohemian Carnival in San Francisco, where they were both performing solo acts. An instant spark of collaborative interest ignited the fire that fuses them together. While each are holding the other’s life in their hands, the two wild spirits remain connected like Tom Hill islands in the stream as their exciting trapeze adventures continue. With a diverse background in visual and performing arts, Tom incorporates it all into his sideshow, escapes, and circus routines. Tom has performed with Eka Boo Button various circus groups and theater companies throughout the Midwest and East coast. Tom received his BA in Art, Communication, and Theater from Eka.Boo.Button is a playful spirit who delights in the creative and bizarre Monmouth College. Tom is currently producing a show titled: The Carnival and has been enraptured with aerial arts since 2006. Eka can often be found of Curiosity & Chaos to premier in June 2011. enchanting an audience with her peculiarly embodied characters, quirky sense of style and kinetic dynamism. Whether perched atop peg stilts or suspended in silk, rope, or hoop, she is sure to deliver an ecstatic passion that is purely phantasmagorical. Eka.boo.button has performed with Zirk Ubu Visionary Simone Lazar Circus Collective, Dragon Knights Stilt Theatre, Lunacy Aerial Dance, and Circus Cruz. She currently resides in Oakland, Caifornia where she trains, Simone’s career as a performer began at the age of seven, when she begged creates, and pursues a Bachelor of Fine Arts in fashion design. her parents to sign her up for classes in circus arts and ballet. She spent the next eight years splitting her time outside of school between these disciplines, until she decided to stop dancing and focus more on her circus training. Allie Cooper In the following few years, she appeared in various productions, including Hephaestus:A Greek Mythology Circus Tale which premiered at Lookingglass Allie has been training rope for three years in Santa Cruz, California. Theatre in Chicago. After graduating from high school, she joined the Supplemented by a study of Axis Syllabus, she utilizes momentum and Professional Aerial Training Program at the San Francisco Circus Center, natural pathways and embraces functionality. Allie has performed with where she soon began studying aerial hoop under the instruction of Elena Panova. Simone is currently Lunacy Productions, the Invisible Circus, at Burning Man, and in Habitat, completing her third and final year in the program, after which she plans on mesmerizing audiences which previewed in April at the University of California Davis Edge Festival. around the world with the beautiful act she has created. She continues to be inspired by the constant innovations in the aerial arts worldwide. www.aerialartsfestdenver.com www.aerialartsfestdenver.com 2011 2011 THE PERFORMERS Kennedy Kabasares Ariel Schmidtke Kennedy grew up in San Francisco and now lives in Los Angeles, where he teaches aerial classes at Kinetic Theory Circus Arts. He is honored and happy Ariel grew up on one of the numerous islands in the Pacific Northwest. to be performing and meeting other fellow artists at the first Aerial Acrobatic She spent her early years tumbling and dancing and later decided to use Arts Festival.