Circus Maniacs Tutors
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, and won major prizes at both the Festival Mondial Du Cirque De Demain (Paris), and a Clown at 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!
Ana Cerrato (Corde Lisse; Silks)
Ana joined the Circus Maniacs full time professional course in 2005, and specialised in aerial silks and corde lisse.
After a six-month tour of North India as an aerial performer, she is back in Bristol, where she teaches tissu to the full time students and develops new skills on the aerial hoop.
Also a professionally trained nurse, she is very much into hatha yoga, rock climbing and any kind of physical movement that involves strenghth and flexibility, and can look pretty and be good for you!
Tanya Scully (Corde Lisse; Tissu; Movement)
After securing an Art degree (BA Hons) at Dartington College Of Arts, Tanya co-founded Post Mortem, a dance and physical theatre company. Enrolment on a Circus Maniacs Summer School lead to Tanya's discovery of her passion for aerial dance, and she went on to complete a course in aerial and physical theatre with Circomedia. Since then, Tanya has toured both nationally and internationally as an aerialist.
In September 2005, Tanya appeared on a specially commissioned aerial dance film called Insomnia. This was directed by Isabel Rocamora as part of the Dance On Screen season.
Tanya's own work is moving away from the traditional aerial skills and exploring the potential of moving one's body in the air through its physicality, sensitivity and presence, using the mediums of aerial skills, dance, climbing, art and film.
Saara Gould-Haines (Aerial; Youth Circus; Theatre)
Saara hails from the far away land of Canada, where she completed a Bachelor Degree in Theatre (Hons) before moving into the world of street theatre and giant puppetry. Through the course of her degree and various studies, Saara has studied clowning, physical theatre, Commedia Dell'Arte and Improvisation.
While working for the Clay & Paper Theatre Company in Toronto, Saara learned how to stiltwalk and subsequently became a stiltdancer for the company, participating in three years' worth of parades and shows including the annual parade, Night Of Dread!
She then decided to try her hand at aerial skills and fell madly in love with the Aerial Hoop, training at the Toronto School Of Circus Arts, Nimble Arts in Vermont, and the full-time program at Circus Maniacs. She has since performed on her hoop in various festivals and events including the Ottawa Tulip Festival, Winterlude and numerous nightclubs in the Ottawa area.
Saara is now living and working in Bristol while coaching both children and adults at Circus Maniacs.
Pauline Paradise (Unicycling; Stiltwalking)
Pauline has been our unicycle instructor for over four years, and is a favourite with our youth groups, from the very youngest beginners to those at performance standard!
Prior to retiring, Pauline had over thirty years' experience in horse training, having once owned and run her own equestrian centre...
She also currently teaches yoga, relaxation and meditation to senior citizens.
Clive Gray (Unicycling; Stiltwalking)
Clive has been assisting Pauline in teaching our unicyclists for the past year. In his own words, "It's all about wheels, balance, and the gyroscopic effect".
Whether it's on- or off- road, Clive likes skills which involve wheels; his passion is motorcycling. He did short circuit racing for eight years, still rides now, and back in the 70s, used to teach young people to gain their first motorcycle license.
Even these days, Clive also teaches youngsters to ride quad bikes!
Jessie Walters (Hula-Hoop)
After training as a dancer initially, Jessie ran away to join Zippo's travelling circus school, where she learnt aerial skills. Refusing a place at the University Of Cambridge to study music, she continued to pursue her true love - circus - and joined The Circus Space specializing in trapeze. There she learnt hula-hoops and co-founded the hula-hoop company Hoop La La with friends Craig and Tiina, with whom she now performs in a variety of different fields within the performing arts, from circus to TV, cabaret to workshops. Jessie is currently expanding her aerial knowledge to encompass doubles trapeze, silks and aerial hoop.
Visiting Tutors
Juan Herrera (Juggling; General Circus; Physical Theatre)
Juan was born in Buenos Aires. He studied and trained in Drama and Circus Skills both at CCRR Circus School in Argentina, and in England where he has been based since 1996. Whilst studying at Circomedia, he specialized in physical theatre and manipulation skills. He has taught theatre and clowning in both countries, and is also qualified as a playworker.
In 2000, Juan co-founded the Miren Theatre Company, his wish being "to explore the fascinating depths of clowning, pushing the boundaries of physical expression and expanding its vocabulary in order to communicate stories, exposing people from all backgrounds to issues not commonly addressed, in a way that resonates with humour and truth"!
Juan is also a very keen fencer!
Barry Grantham (Commedia Del Arte; Eccentric Dance)
Barry trained as a dancer with Idzikowski of the Diaghilev Company, appearing with the Monte Carlo Ballet and in the famous film The Red Shoes.
He is also the author of the book Playing Commedia: A Training Guide To Commedia Techniques, a must-have reference for anyone interested in studying Commedia Del'Arte!
Barry's wealth of experience in dance, mime, music-hall and theatre means that he is sought after world-wide as a performer, advisor, director and teacher.
Kate Waters (Stage Fighting)
Kate works as an actress, fight director, choreographer, and also as a freelance stage-fighting teacher.
She trained at Middlesex University, graduating with a BA in Acting, and then went on to train as a fight director with Jonathan Howell. She is only the second woman ever to become an Equity-registered Fight Director.
Kate has worked in film, TV and on stage, including many Shakespearian productions, and teaches regularly at the Welsh College Of Music & Drama. She has coached many actors through the BADC Foundation and other BADC exams.
Drew Hewett (Aerial Bungies; Rigging)
Born in Libya and growing up between England and Africa, Drew has always had an interest in the air and flying. This eventually led to a general interest in gymnastics, trampoline, climbing trees and qualifying as a parachutist.
He co-founded Prometheus, a medium-scale circus, theatre, and fire company that performed at festivals and council events, and later went on to specializing in trapeze duo work with Higher Motion, best known for the popular and moving Tale Of The Cornish Mermaid that ran for three years at outdoor events around the country.
Following this, Streets Of The South West commissioned a crane performance for its Plymouth event after seeing the act in Brighton.
Not content with this, Drew invented a new version of bungees as Plastique. This double bungee act was created to give the maximum dynamic spectacle with simple setup requirements. The Bristol Harbourside Festival then commissioned The Sea Queen, which enabled more development of crane performance, using one of the dockside cranes!
In 2003, Drew created an oriental acrobatic- and wire- based martial arts performance for Tokyo Moon corporate parties at Circus Space. He has also worked for Opera North, Birmingham Rep and No Fit State Circus in acrobatic and aerial roles.
Skilled in trapeze, bungees and stilts, Drew is also an experienced rigger for aerial acts and loves designing new aerial ideas.
Haylee-Mai Edwards (Aerial Hoop; Corde Lisse)
From the age of two, Haylee-Mai has been a student of the Bowden School of Dancing, and has been stage-struck since her first public appearance at the age of five. She later discovered circus and developed a new-found love for aerial skills which is now her forté.
In addition to her breathtaking aerial displays, Haylee-Mai's skills also include a wide variety of dancing styles, from traditional ballet through modern jazz to freestyle street-dancing, and as an experienced choreographer, she is able to design her performances with great detail and masterful subtlety.
During the course of her career to date, Haylee-Mai has demonstrated her talents to audiences from an impressive range of productions, from performing with amateur operatics groups to working on promotional displays for leading corporate enterprises, and she continues to seek new ways to express her artistry to new and larger audiences.
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