Some ex-Students of Circus Maniacs
Below are just a few of the students who have engaged with Circus Maniacs in the past 10 or so years, plus some pupils of Jackie Welbourne (nee Williams) taught in the UK prior to this.
Unfortunately we have lost touch with many of our past students, particularly those of you whom we taught before email and mobile phones became common place!
If you are an ex-Circus Maniacs student we would love to hear from you!
Please email us to let us know what you are up to!
Circus Maniacs Adults Courses:
- Jane Osborn 'VIVA' & 'Entwine' (aerialist, with Michele). 'Click Here' to read an interview with Jane.
- Michele Laine 'VIVA' & 'Entwine' (aerialist, with Jane). You may recognise both Jane & Michele from the BBC ident (see photo right). They often tour with 'Swamp Circus'.
- Tony Phipps 'Duel Impact' (artiste / agent)
- Shana Kennedy 'Air Play Trapeze' (currently runs her own Trapeze school in Philadelphia, USA)
- Anja Zuber 'Dottja'
- Jonathan Priest, currently teaching at 'Cirque Cirkor'
- Tanya Scully 'Reaching Seraphim' (aerialist - see photo right)
- Shaena Brandell 'Cirq-U' (aerialist, with Helen)
- Helen Finch'Cirq-U' (aerialist, with Shaena)
- Lyn Routledge 'Aerial Roots' - aerialist, currently touring with 'No Fit State Circus'
- Nix Barnaville, aerialist 'Malarky' & 'Cirque Idyllic'
- Susie Glatt, aerialist 'Malarky' & 'Cirque Idyllic'
- Drew Hewett (projects include 'Higher Motion', 'Plastique' & 'Vertigo Stilts' with Luci)
- Luci Daziel 'Vertigo Stilts'
- Maddy Humberside, aerialist (recently completed a one-year contract at the) Friedrichstadtpalast, Berlin
- Annabelle Holland 'Frenetic Engineering'
- Helena Hatstand 'Hatstand Circus' (artiste / agent)
- Donovan Jones 'Crazeehorse' (Rebecca's partner)
- Rebecca Peache 'Crazeehorse' (Donovan's partner) - see photo of their Acrobalance Act below:
- Martin Danziger (Associate Director of) 'Dundee Rep'; also 'Theatre Modo' (own company)
- Siw Pederson, theatre/circus performer & director 'Lucky Pants Productions' & 'Stella Pollaris'
- Tove Karoliussen,theatre/circus performer 'Lucky Pants Productions' & 'Stella Pollaris'
- Heidi Lia, theatre/circus performer 'Stella Pollaris'
- John Mead, Director 'Sardine Circus'
- Shaun Forde, runs 'Bezerkaz Circus'
- Emily Barrett, runs 'Firestar Circus Arts'
- Emily Deloge (being taught by Jackie Welbourne to walk the tight-wire 'en pointe' - see photo right)
- Billy Alwen, Director 'Cirque Bijou'
- Hazel Maddocks, aerialist, 'Zu Dance-Theatre'
- Clare Crook, aerialist, known as 'Mademoiselle Mango'
- Fluffy, circus performer 'Cirque Idyllic'
- Rob Thorburn 'Tepooka'
- Tree 'Tepooka'
- Hannah Nymalm, theatre/circus performer 'Stella Pollaris'
- Dagfinn Tutturen, theatre/circus performer 'Stella Pollaris'
- Tormod Carlsen, theatre/circus performer 'Stella Pollaris'
- Valeria Zurlo (teaching Trapeze in Naples & Rome)
- Felix Vandersluis (currently performing with) 'Stomp'
- Daniel Burston (performs with) 'No Fit State Circus'
- Haylee-Mai Edwards, Aerialist (currently performing at) 'Drayton Manor'
- Shayna Swanson
- Kristen White
Felicity Fyr le Fay (see photo right)- Ruth Powell 'Can Can Booty' at the 'Whoopee Club' & 'Lost Vagueness'
- Lucy Osborne (currently studying at Cambridge University).
- Vicky Steggles (currently performing with) 'Benchatheater' in Holland
- Nikki Jeffries (currently working as a tutor & rigger with) 'Expressive Feat'
- Andy Fane (currently in his first year studying at) 'Birmingham School of Acting'
- Gemma Mawson (studied at 'Circus Space', she's just received a Development Award) 'click here'
- Jo Wilding (took circus workshops to children experiencing war and poverty, now works extensively as a Human Rights campaigner)
- Marc Parrett (of 'Stuff & Nonsense Theatre Company' was a former student, but also the co-founder with Jackie Welbourne of Circus Maniacs Youth Circus company, before leaving to concentrate on a career in Puppetry).
Circus Maniacs Youth Circus:
- Russel Erwood - Magician & Escapologist, now known as Roslyn Walker you can also visit his shop.
A blast from the past (photo right) Here you can see Russel, one of our star Youth Circus Company jugglers aged 15 practising during one of our weekly Saturday Circus Club Sessions. - Nicole Pearson, (Nicky) was accepted directly into the 'Ecole Nationale du Cirque' in Canada (without an audition) on the strength of her CV gained through 'Circus Maniacs Youth Performance Company'. She now primarily works professionally as an Aerialist in both Europe & North America.
- Laura Kriefman, went on to work for 'Giffords Circus', 'Circus of the Streets' and 'Netherlands National Circus', before attending 'Guildford School of Acting' where she was awarded the 'Tim Combe's Bursary' on graduation. She is currently concentrating on acting & directing.
- Sasha Tilley (aerialist, acrobat, trampolinist, dancer, actress). A talented all-rounder, Sasha was booked through 'The Circus Maniacs Agency' as an acrobat & wire-walker to appear in adverts for 'Nike' trainers, & 'Norwich & Peterborough BS'. She also worked with another ex-student 'Emily Woolf' (see below) on TV series 1 of 'Daylight Robbery'. Sasha is currently concentrating on her acting career.
- Elena Carter
- Aaron Hill
- Leigh Wilkins, is studying Psychology at Durham University. She still unicyles, juggles and does aerial skills. She recently begun teaching trapeze & aerial skills part-time as well as circus skills and gets regular bookings, in particular teaching Trapeze to a youth group in Straford upon Avon.
- Dominic Hosler
- Ruben Hosler
The following ex-Circus Maniacs Youth Circus members won one or more medals (or equivalent trophies) representing the UK in various International Circus Festivals / Competitions:
- Nicky Pearson (aerialist, see 'Nicole' above)
- Ria Sullivan (see photo right)
- Elena Carter
- Marina Ledbury
- Lucy Hawkins
- Sophia Ortiz
- Michelle Harford
- Suzanne Scott
- Katie Smith
- Iara MacDonald
- Sasha Tilley (actress, see above)
- Kaleigh Grainger (currently studying 'Law')
Circus Maniacs Youth Circus - 1st year Students (1995/1996):
Other previous UK taught students of Jackie Welbourne (nee Williams):
- Tina Clay (aerialist - see photo right), successfully works not only for top corporate events & commercial shows such as 'Holiday on Ice'; but also stretches herself artistically working for companies such as 'Cirque Romanes' and 'Teatro del Silenco'.
- Sophie Griffiths (formerly working as an aerialist on 'Momentary Fusion' with Isabel)
- Isabel Rocamora, of 'Infinito' (aerialist, formerly of 'Momentary Fusion' with Sophie)
- Rod Laver, has been teaching at 'Circomedia' for the past 10+ years.
- Jon Durham, previously worked as aerialist with Anna (below) and had a juggling act with Rod (above). They collectively won a special prize at the 'Piste aux Espoirs' Festival in Belgium (1992?). He has since been working solo, for many years as a very successful Street Performer in Bath.
- Anna Mearns, former aerialist, now works as a school teacher.
- Paul Taylor, now works both as a circus skills tutor & science teacher, under the name 'ConFigureEight'
- Emily Woof (aerialist turned Actress, known well by us all for playing Gaz's ex-wife the film 'The Full Monty').
- Flick Ferdinando (Director 'Company FZ')
- Clare Anderson, known for her aerial act 'Gazzelle' is also an aerial tutor at 'Circus Space'.
If you are an ex Circus Maniacs student or were taught by Jackie Welbourne in the past, we would love to hear what you are up to!
So please up-date us & if you have a weblink we'll list it here!
Please do email us!
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