main tutors
Jackie Welbourne (Aerial Acrobatics; Tightwire; Choreography)
Formerly the UK's top international award-winning circus performer, Jacqueline starred as an aerialist with the world famous Cirque Du Soleil, winning major prizes at both the Festival Mondial Du Cirque De Demain (Paris) and the Festival International Du Cirque De Monte-Carlo (the "Oscars of the circus world"!)
Jackie was an advisor to AETC some years ago, resetting NVQs for the arts and entertainment industry, and has since been active on several regional and national committees to support further development of circus in the UK.
A passionate believer in circus as an artform, these days she wears many hats, working as school director, agent, consultant, circus choreographer and international circus festival judge! Her teaching qualifications include: FAETC, Play-Worker, Gymnastic Coaching (General, Pre-School & Special Needs), and First Aid.
Tao Guo (Acrobatics)
After seven years of intensive training, Tao graduated from the Tianjin Art School (China) in 1998 with the Chinese equivalent of a degree in acrobatic performance. He went on to become a member of the Tianjin Acrobatic Troupe until 2003.
In 2001, Tao distinguished himself by winning a Golden Lion Award at the Whole Nation Acrobatics Festival Of China (the premiere festival for Chinese Acrobatics, held every four years).
Tao brings to Circus Maniacs a wealth of experience in Chinese acrobatics, and has enabled the school to offer new skills such as: Hoop Diving; Chinese Pole; Lion Dancing; and Aerial Straps. In exchange, Tao is keen to learn more about western styles of performance and choreography, and as a result, explorations into finding new stylistic approaches to presenting traditional Chinese skills are integrated into our training approach.
Over the past couple of years, Tao and Jackie have made several trips to China together to build relationships and open doors for cultural exchanges between the two countries. We are currently in negotiations with two schools in China who actively wish to exchange with us.
Gareth Bailey (Corde Lisse)
Whilst studying for his BA (Hons) in Drama & Theatre at Goldsmiths, Gareth simultaneously attended mime workshops with Nola Rae, Butoh classes, contemporary dance classes, and anything in which there was a really physical approach to performance, particularly non-western disciplines.
After being inspired by an aerial performance in the foyer of the National Theatre, Gareth signed up for a course at Circomedia, followed by his own extensive explorations on the Corde Lisse, developing new techniques and bringing together all his experiences to create his own distinct style.
Gareth's performances on the Corde Lisse include: the opening ceremony for Formula One in Shanghai; the Royal Variety Show in 2004; and the Variety Club Private Annual Dinner at Highgrove for Prince Charles.
Gareth's passion is the discovery of different performance disciplines and the challenge that comes from trying to find and master a way of expressing himself creatively. In his teaching he encourages students to explore and innovate, and to develop their own individual styles.
Lyn Routledge (Silks; Duo Corde Lisse)
Lyn has been a professional aerialist and teacher for over a decade. She spent four years (from 2004 to 2007) touring nationally and internationally with the award-winning circus NoFit State in the show ImMortal where she performed a solo swinging trapeze act and a rope duet with fellow Circus Maniacs tutor Gareth Bailey. She appeared as The Spirit Of The Vixen in Brydon's production of Janecheks "Cunning Little Vixen" at the Royal Opera House in 2003, and more recently she was aerial director of Hang Aerial Theatre's new show Get Knotted.
Lyn enjoys teaching students of all ages and abilities. Her teaching styles emphasises having fun whilst learning good technique.
Nicky Pearson (Aerial Hoop; Single Point Trapeze)
Nicole trained at the Ecole Nationale De Cirque in Montreal, and has performed with Circus Smirkus, Circus Flora, The Zoppe Family Circus and Pendulum Aerial Dance Theatre.
She is currently working as a freelance artist based in the UK, and as well as teaching aerial skills at Circus Maniacs, has recently been featured at such high-scale events as the 2007 Royal Variety Show, the Princess Diana Memorial concert, and the ARK charity fundraiser, amongst many others! You can check out her website here.
Lisa Truscott (Silks; Aerial Hoop; Doubles Trapeze)
Lisa has always loved performing and took her first steps on stage at the tender age of three with her local dance school. She continued dancing, acting and singing locally in Cornwall in a variety of musicals, pantomimes, plays and variety shows, culminating in her favourite role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret.
Lisa discovered circus at the age of 18 whilst working with Circus of the Kids in the USA on a gap year before studying Performing Arts at King Alfred's College, Winchester. She continued working with the circus in her summer holidays and also dedicated her dissertation to the effects of community circus with youth at risk. So the sawdust stayed in her veins and after gaining a first in her degree she went back to the circus, dividing her time between her love of all things aerial and travelling the world.
She then decided it was time to put her backpack away and develop her circus skills at Circus Maniacs in Bristol. She has since performed nationally and internationally on silks, aerial hoop and doubles trapeze.
Justine Squire (Corde Lisse, Chinese Pole, Silks, Aerial Hoop)
Having trained in Arts Crafts and Photography, Justine's travels to Nepal and India lead her to study for a degree in International Relations at Nottingham -- while fire-dancing, hula-hooping and making stilts for street performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2006. It was seeing nofitstate circus in Edinburgh that inspired her to pursue a dream of aerial arts.
The dream became a reality in 2008 when she joined Circus Maniacs to learn all things aerial. In the time since she has performed doubles on Chinese pole and silks, and solo acts on aerial hoop, corde lisse and aerial silks with nofitstate circus(!), Invisible Circus, Circus Ferrel, Compass Film Festival and various cabarets. She currently teaches adult and children’s circus workshops and classes at Circus Maniacs.
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