This past March in Chicago I sat down at a chai cafe with Acrobatic Conundrum’s  artistic director and co-founder, Terry Crane. The company is one of only a handful of contemporary circus companies regularly putting out touring shows from the United States. As they plan their 2017 and 2018 tour, Terry takes occasional side trips, like the one he did to visit Chicago to partake in the first Moment Festival and to pass on his love of circus arts. In addition to facilitating a rope intensive, he took part in Luchadores Del Rope, an epic and joyous rope battle between himself and rope master Emiliano Ron. Sitting in the cafe, we delved into his philosophy on how to balance a performing life with a directing one and what Acrobatic Conundrum hopes to accomplish in the next couple of years. Acrobatic Conundrum will be kicking off their tour in Portland, Oregon this fall.

  Can you share a little bit of your background and how you became involved with circus? I went to Oberlin College long ago and started doing circus there. From there I went to San Francisco’s Circus Center. I was there for a year and auditioned for École nationale de cirque  (ENC) on a whim—not thinking I was going to get in—I almost didn’t go. Since then, I’ve worked at Circus Starlight  and Circus Monte, Teatro ZinZanni, and ...