Introducing this week in Circus An Online News Series
this week in Circus is another bright spot in a series of new circus media and productions popping up online as circus makers find new outlets for their creativity. What motivated Aaron Marquise (series creator) to begin the series and who is his audience?Â
The reality is that the CCIACÂ (Contemporary Circus and Immersive Arts Center) had our first year of programming lined up and we were very excited. We were presenting a young company at a local Boys and Girls Club for free to the students there in April, we had a month-long artist residency in place through our Artist First Program for June, and a return of our free Circus in the Park series in September. Of course, things changed quickly with COVID-19 both our April and June problems were canceled and September is still up in the air. But I’m a creative, I need to create and stay active so I started making these videos at home. I started with a few of my Clown in Quarantine and then did another video about who and what the CCIAC is, and I was getting good responses. Then it hit me! Why not make a news style show that wraps up some of the top stories in the circus industry. I’ve got the time and the equipment and some know-how. Our target audience is not only the circus community but people who are intrigued by the circus world but may not have the tools to sit down and find articles about what’s happening. People who may love the arts and are curious about what is happening in different parts of the arts community.
Related content: The Contemporary Circus and Immersive Arts Center in Troy, NY: An Example of Emerging Scenes for the Circus Arts in the US
Aaron Marquise was born and raised in Round Lake, New York. He grew up performing at the former New York State Theatre Institute in Troy, NY, where he also spent his senior year of high school as an intern. Continuing a career in theater, Aaron went on to study Musical Theatre with a minor in Playwriting at Marymount Manhattan College in NYC. After discovering the circus world, Aaron auditioned at the prestigious National Circus School in MontrĂ©al, Canada where he graduated in 2015. Since joining the circus world, Aaron has had the opportunity to perform in Quebec, France, Switzerland, and Germany. In 2019, Aaron founded the Contemporary Circus & Immersive Arts Center in Troy, NY where he currently serves as the Executive Director. In the fall of 2019, Aaron served as a Production Assistant to the Creative Team on the national tour of Disneyâs Frozen. Various directing credits include PB & J CafĂ©: Stuart Little, James and the Giant Peach, Jr., assistant director/circus consultant for Pippin and assistant director for Les MisĂ©rables all for the School of the Performing Arts at Proctors. He is currently the Arts Education Manager at the School of the Performing Arts at Proctors and theREP.
