 Dan Butler, Founder and Executive Director. Dan walked into the Big Top of Sailor Circus in Sarasota, Florida, as a 15-year-old in 1974, and trained with world-renowned flyer Faye Alexander, Willie Edelston of the Ringling Brothers Circus and Gustino Loyal of the famous Loyal-Ripenski Troupe. He was with the Florida State University Circus from 1976-1980, while majoring in marketing and finance. Dan also coaches the Swinging Trapeze, Double & French Trapezes, Teeterboard, Adagio, and Shoot Thru Ladder acts at Circus Juventas. |
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Elizabeth "Betty" Butler, Founder and Artistic Director. Betty began her circus training in 1972, also with Sailor Circus, working with the famous Flying Wallenda Family on the high wire. Later, she performed with Florida State University’s Flying High Circus and graduated with a degree in International Business and Italian. Betty has been the creative force behind all of the summer productions - producing, writing and directing the shows, and coordinating all aspects of the productions, from costuming to music to makeup. |
 Zina Avgoustova
Side by Side, Globes, Hoops, Hand-Balance, and Adagio coach.
Zinaida Avgoustova is a graduate of the Belarus National Sport College in the USSR and the National Studio of Circus and Theatre Art in Moscow, Russia. Zina traveled and performed with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1997-1998. From there, Zina performed as an acrobat with the Big Moscow Circus on their World Tour. Zina received the 2nd place award for the International Festivval in Italy and 1st place in the USSR exhibition of New Circus acts. Zina came to Circus Smirkus in 1999 and has been the primary trainer of aerial and acrobatics. She also has worked with special summer camp for kids with Down syndrome and cancer. |
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Jason Burnstein, Clowning coach.
Jason Burnstein began to study mime, clowning, juggling, dance and drama at the University of California, Santa Barbara where he graduated with highest honors. He went on to earn his Master of Fine Arts degree. He has performed in festivals nationwide and with local theatre artists Theatre of Fools, Jon Fergusson and Theatre de la Jeune Lune. Off stage, he has co-founded and managed a music and theatre production company and his background in martial arts and theatre has allowed him to offer classes and workshops to both children and adults. He currently heads the movement and games program for the City of Lakes Waldorf School. |
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Tim Carlson, Flying Trapeze, Wire, and Russian Bar coach and CJ Head Rigger.  Tim Carlson began his circus career with the Sailor Circus in Sarasota, Florida (1987-1997) and then toured through Japan, performing on the flying trapeze and high wire. Tim is also a Guinness World Record holder with Wallenda Family Entertainment, performing the 4-tiered, 8-person pyramid on the high wire. Tim worked as the head rigger for Walt Disney World Entertainment and as an artistic show rigger for Cirque du Soleil’s “O” show at the Bellagio. |
Risa Cohen, Choreographer and silks instructor.
Risa was born in Calcutta, India. She grew up in Germany, the United States, and England where she studied dance at the Contemporary Dance School of London. After graduating from university, she moved to New York City where she spent five years performing with The Margolis Brown Company. Risa has won several awards for her choreography including the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Grant, The Minnesota State Arts Board’s Artist Initiative Grant, and was rewarded a Momentum: New Dance Works Commission. Her work has been presented numerous times at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Choreographer's Evening at the Walker Art Center and Red Eyes’ Isolated Acts Series. |
 "Chimgee" (pronounced "chim-gay") Haltarhuu, coaches Bungee Trapeze, Jump Rope, Double Cloud Swing, and Hoops, among others, and is the lead coach of our Toddler/Kinder program. Chimgee is a native of Mongolia where she attended school at the Mongolian Circus School and performed with the Mongolian State Circus. In 1991 she came to the USA to perform with Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus. Prior to coming to Circus Juventas in 2002, Chimgee performed with Yankee Doodle Circus in New York and taught at Circus Smirkus in Vermont. |
 Mostapha Hassouni, coaches Acrobatics, Hand-balance, Low Casting, Toddler/Kinders, and summer camp. Mostapha was born in Larache, Morocco. At a very young age he began acrobatics at circus school. Then he was 22, he started performing with the Moroccan folklore Circus, and at Hotel Zena in Spain. He has traveled and performed hundreds of shows. Finally, Mostapha joined Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey's circus where he got the opportunity to perform and travel across the USA. He enjoys teaching acrobatics and sharing his love of performing with children of all ages. |
Mark Kamas, Martial Arts coach.
Sifu Kamas began his martial arts training at the age of 13; he has been a practitioner of the arts for over thirty years. He has been teaching for over fifteen years and started his own school in 1994. Currently he is the Head Instructor at Dragons Kung Fu, Director of Dragon Kung Fu Association, a member of the United States Martial Arts Alliance and a member of the World Black Belt Bureau. Sifu Kamas has studied under several masters in the arts of Kung Fu, Kenpo, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kali, Escrima, and Boxing. In 2004 Sifu Kamas was inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame and has acheived the following: Chinese Martial Artist of the Year; Kung Fu Instructor of the Year. In 2007 Sifu Kamas was inducted into the Cosmopolitan Hall of Fame Martial Arts Brotherhood as International Master Instructor of the Year. |
Jeff Kasper, juggling coach.
Jeff is our very own World Champion Dew Drop Juggler (1996). With his former performance trio known as the Dew Drop Jugglers, Jeff is the master of the Diablo. |
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Charley Mason, Assistant Rigger and coach.
Charley started circus as a camper at Callaway Gardens, the summer home of the Florida State University Flying High Circus. He eventually attended Florida State University and became a member of the Flying High Circus himself. While earning a degree in criminology, Charley performed and coached and received Flying High's Jack Haskin award for the most significant overall contribution to the program. While in school, Charley also worked as a professional rigger. |
 Batbaatar Nyangar, coaches Acrobatics, Adagio, Vault-Mini and regular Trampoline, Toddler/Kinders, and summer camp.
Bat was born in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to a family of Mongolian traditional performing artists. At the age of six, he studied gymnastics and acrobatics, winning awards at Mongolian State Children's Acrobatic contests. At the age of eight, he was performing in the Mongolian Traditional Circus’ New Year’s Show. In 1975, at the age of 11, he was performing with the Children's Wing of Hope Circus in Mongolia. Bat received numerous awards including the Special Award at the International Children's Festival held in the Soviet Union in 1979. He won a full scholarship at Moscow Circus School from 1983-1987, and received a Master of Sport in several disciplines including a degree in Aerial Gymnastics. |
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LiLi Rancone, dance coach.
LiLi Rancone is a native of Chile, where she began dancing at the age of nine. She was a professional dancer in Valparaiso, Chile while studying at the University of Valparaiso for elementary teaching. LiLi has danced and taught professionally in the United States for many years. She has been choreographing for Circus Juventas since 1995. |
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Amy Sackett, dance coach.
Amy Sackett has a diverse dance background covering the spectrum from classical ballet and modern to hip-hop and breakin’. Amy’s love of movement led her to the University of Minnesota where she graduated with a F.F.A. in dance. In addition, Amy also studied at Tisch School of the Arts in NYC. |
Sun Yan Hong Dehn, coaches Bike, Hand-balance, Teeterboard, Triple Trapeze & summer camps.
A native of China, Sun was a gymnast on the “Gymnastic Team of Physical School” in Kunming, China, and later performed with the elite “Flag Circus” of China. She won gold medals for Teeterboard and Ballet on Lamps in the National Acrobatic Competition of Vietnam. Prior to joining Circus Juventas in 2004, she toured with Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion show, performing as an acrobat and teeterboard flyer. |
Zhang Xu, Chinese Poles, Flag, Hoops Diving, Pas De Deux, Straps, and Acrobatics coach.
Zhang Xu is a graduate of the Art Academy of People's Republic Army of China. Since 1990 he has won 8 gold medals for both acrobatics and circus arts, winning gold for his Pas De Deux act in both the 5th National Circus Competition of China and the International Circus Festival in October of 2001. More recently, Xu has toured with Cirque Du Soleil's Dralion show, performing in Bamboo, Hoop Diving, Lion-Dance and Jump Rope. Before arriving at Circus Juventas, Xu had been performing with the Flag Circus of China. |
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Associate Coaches: Rachel Butler, Sarah Butler, Marissa Dorschner, Zacc Fricke, Marni Ginther, Lena Gould, and Joey McEachern. |
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