CIRCUS BELLA
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Mission Statement
Circus Bella’s mission is to produce and present high-quality Circus Arts entertainment, accessible to all audiences. The vision of Circus Bella is to be a classical circus attuned to the present. We pursue excellence in a modern one-ring circus, combining past traditions with forward-thinking sensibilities and flair. We honor universal human potential. In celebrating the beauty of circus art, we delight in unifying people with experiences that cross age, culture, and language barriers and are joyous and magical. We Value: * Excellence in Performance - we continually strive to create performances that are high quality, innovative, musical, and culturally relevant. We are proud to be a member of the multinational circus community. * Cooperation and Collaboration - We treat all artists and staff with respect. We provide a safe working environment for all, in the spirit of a unified performing company. We value the collaborative process of artistic creation and ensure that we maintain open channels of communication throughout the company. * Community Impact - We treasure our audiences and ensure they have the best possible experience. We treat our hosts, producers, and the communities with whom we engage respectfully and with consideration. We recognize that we are guests. * Equality and Representation - Circus Bella is aware of its role as an arts leader and is committed to creating work that celebrates diversity. We include all. * Transparency - We are proud to run a company that adheres to all local, state, and federal guidelines for 501(c)3 non-profit organizations and are happy to provide additional information upon request.
About This Cause
WHAT IS CIRCUS BELLA? Circus Bella is a one-ring circus that features professional-level acts set to a live band. The show is a full-force, non-stop kaleidoscope of thrilling feats of balance and strength, elegant acts of grace and poise, and outrageous humor of slapstick antics. The Circus showcases aerialists, acrobatics, a 9-person juggling act, contortion, foot juggling, original clowning and more. The music is originally composed and directed by the highly acclaimed musician Rob Reich and draws from French Waltz, New Orleans Jazz, Klezmer, and American Circus March. Audiences are bedazzled and lifted up as they join in the celebration of the heart of circus: community, joy, and achieving the impossible. The heartbeat of Circus Bella's productions is our original music, which is composed and directed by Rob Reich (Gaucho, Tin Hat Trio, Nice Guy Trio). Rob works directly with our artists to develop arrangements that complement the physicality and mood of each act. His compositions leave room for the musicians to improvise and follow the performers in their moment in the ring. Inspired by 1920's and New Orleans Jazz, Klezmer, French waltz, and American circus marches, Circus Bella’s music is more than just an aural backdrop to the action in the ring. The score and the musicians themselves are essential characters in the show, playing spontaneously and taking risks right along with the artists. WHY CIRCUS? Circus takes on many different shapes in contemporary art and culture. It has historically been a form of "popular entertainment," with an appeal that crosses socioeconomic and ethnic barriers. Circus Bella nods to its traditional European roots, and it stands on the shoulders of our predecessors, the Pickle Family Circus and Make*A*Circus. We are contributing to the new circus movement by keeping the traditional form alive in our one-ring format, yet breathing our own contemporary vision into each production. To celebrate San Francisco’s diversity and the beauty of what humans create together, our annual programming celebrates the magnificence of the Circus Art form. Circus in the Parks: Since 2008 we have been presenting a themed summer series of FREE performances in parks and open spaces in San Francisco, other Bay Area venues, and throughout California. Winter Big Top Show: In 2023 we debuted Kaleidoscope, an annual holiday-ticketed big-top tent production at the Crossing an East Cut. We plan to make this an annual tradition. HISTORY: Founded in 2008, our core programming is the free Circus in the Parks series: an anchor of Bay Area summer arts calendars. In 15 seasons, we presented 196 free performances in 37 locations to audiences of 95,000+. In 2023 and 2024 we expanded programming in downtown San Francisco with a ticketed, big-top tent show, Kaleidoscope. In 2017 we had the opportunity to represent San Francisco at the Circus-themed Smithsoion Folklife Festival in Washington DC. In 2023 and 2025 we were proud recipients of the NEA Arts Project grants for our Circus in the Parks Series. We deepen the recognition of Circus as an art form by advancing the professional work-life of our diverse company. In 2018 we converted the status of all performers to employees, thereby ensuring that artists receive competitive employment and venues to pursue their creative careers. We employ an ensemble cast of local artists for both our summer and winter shows. In 2022, moved our administrative office to the Flood Building in downtown SF and are proud to be part of the SF resurgence efforts. Circus Bella collaborates with Oakland-based youth development program Prescott Circus Theatre (PCT), providing professional circus experience and greater performance opportunities for PCT participants. For the last two seasons, members of PCT performed both in and out of the ring as part of the pre-show at most Circus in the Parks performances and we look forward to continuing and expanding this collaboration going forward.