Photo Flash: Step Right Up! City Parks Kicks Off 2015 SummerStage Circus Festival

Circus comes to New York City as part of City Parks Foundation's SummerStage Kids International Contemporary Circus Festival, with free performances in all five boroughs from today, June 26 - August 17, 2015. New Yorkers will be dazzled by Bollywood-style juggling, hoop diving and partner acrobatics shows specially designed to entertain all ages! The circus programs introduce New York City youth to contemporary circus, a growing genre that incorporates physical theater, dance and acrobatics. Scroll down for a sneak peek at some of the acts!

The 2015 season marks the third year of SummerStage Kids' focus on contemporary circus. Families will get the chance to see the best circus companies, from North America and beyond, make their mark in New York City as part of the International Contemporary Circus Festival. Brooklyn Bridge Park will again host two days of circus, this year with Swedish company Magmanus, while Harlem will see New England based Tinder & Ash for two nights in Marcus Garvey Park. For the first time, SummerStage Kids will also bring an evening circus program to the Bronx, with Brooklyn''s own Hybrid Movement Company and, from the state of Washington, The Incredible Incredible, performing for one night in Crotona Park. On Staten Island, Swedish company Claire Parsons Co. will perform Marmalade in Willowbrook Park.

For more information on SummerStage Kids International Contemporary Circus Festival events, visit www.cityparksfoundation.org/events/category/circus/.

June

Friday, June 26

CIRCUS: Hybrid Movement Company, The Incredible Incredible, IMPACT Repertory Theater

Crotona Park, BX

Crotona Park E. and Charlotte St.

7PM

Saturday, June 27

CIRCUS: Magmanus

Brooklyn Bridge Park, BK

334 Furman St

4PM & 7PM (two performances/day)

Sunday, June 28

CIRCUS: Magmanus

Brooklyn Bridge Park, BK

334 Furman St

4PM & 7PM (two performances/day)

July

Sunday, July 5

FAMILY DAY featuring Shine and the Moonbeams with the Noel Pointer Foundation Youth Orchestra, The Red Trouser Show, Batoto Yetu, Ziporah Roney & Collaborative Artists

Central Park, MN

Rumsey Playfield; E. 69th St. and East Dr.

3PM

Wednesday, July 8

Gizmo Guys

Seward Park, MN

East Broadway and Essex St.

10:30AM

Thursday, July 9

Gizmo Guys

Courtney Callender Playground, MN

West Side of Basketball Court; 5th Ave. between 130th St. and 131st St.

10:30AM

Monday, July 13

Gizmo Guys

Rochdale Park, QN

New York Blvd. and 134th Ave.

10:30AM

Wednesday, July 15

MindFlip Duo

Seward Park, MN

East Broadway and Essex St.

10:30AM

Thursday, July 16

MindFlip Duo

Tremont Park, BX

E. Tremont Ave. between Third Ave and Arthur Ave.

10:30AM

Thursday, July 23

Lucky Bob

Tremont Park, BX

E. Tremont Ave. between Third Ave and Arthur Ave.

10:30AM

Friday, July 24

Lucky Bob

Poe Park, BX

Next to the bandstand; Grand Concourse at E. 193rd St.

10:30AM

August

Wednesday, August 12

Hybrid Movement Company

Sunset Park, BK

Playground area; 44th St. and 6th Ave.

10:30AM

Thursday, August 13

Hybrid Movement Company

Van Cortlandt Park, BX

Southwest Playground; Van Cortlandt Park S. and Broadway

10:30AM

Friday, August 14

Hybrid Movement Company

Bloomingdale Park, SI

Richmond Pkwy., West Shore Expw., Lenevar Ave., and Ramona Ave.

10:30AM

Saturday, August 15

CIRCUS: Tinder & Ash, Ephrat Asherie Dance, Kiebpoli & Shine, Claire Parsons Co., Brooklyn United Marching Band

Marcus Garvey Park, MN

Richard Rogers Amphitheater; West 122nd St. and Mt. Morris Park West

7PM

Sunday, August 16

CIRCUS: Tinder & Ash, Ephrat Asherie Dance, Kiebpoli & Shine, Claire Parsons Co., Brooklyn United Marching Band

Marcus Garvey Park, MN

Richard Rogers Amphitheater; West 122nd St. and Mt. Morris Park West

7PM

Monday, August 17

Ephrat Asherie Dance

Morningside Park, MN

Near Basketball Courts; 123rd St. and Morningside Ave.

10:30AM

Claire Parsons Co.

Willowbrook Park, SI

In front of the Carousel for All Children; Eaton Pl. and Victory Blvd.

10:30AM

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Batoto Yetu

Júlio T. Leitão is a dancer, choreographer, and the Artistic Director of Batoto Yetu. Born in Angola, from which he was forced to flee when civil war erupted in 1975, Mr. Leitão grew up in Portugal and received his initial dance training at Conservatório Nacional de Dança de Lisboa. Julio has worked extensively as a choreographer in the U.S. and overseas. In 1990, Mr. Leitão founded Batoto Yetu in a Harlem playground. Within one month, the group performed on Staff Day at the United Nations, receiving a standing ovation. Since then, Batoto Yetu has served as an invaluable asset to New York City youth, sparking their interest in the arts while developing their leadership skills. The dance company''s outstanding accomplishments have included performances on Sesame Street, with Michael Jackson at Madison Square Garden, alongside Whitney Houston at the Apollo Theatre, and on international stages in Europe, South America, China, and Julio''s native Angola.

Brooklyn United Marching Band

The Brooklyn United Marching Band is a community-based organization that serves New York City youth. As an art form, marching band combines the elements of musicianship and pageantry and allows each student to participate in an all-encompassing and life changing activity. Brooklyn United is focused on the development of youth through Academic Support, Character Development, Skills Building and Performance Opportunities. It is through these pillars that they strive to build strong, well rounded, healthy, confident and capable young people.

Claire Parsons Co.

Marmalade is a dance and circus production by Swedish company Claire Parsons Co. Aimed at young children 2-6 years old, Marmalade is a delicious, sensory performance about meeting, mixing and blending. Mira and Viktor taste and feel in poetic movements and circus actions in an exquisite and visual experience where the audience is invited to join. Marmalade looks at the world through body, eye, feeling and taste in a room with fluffy skirts, soft circus and Fellini music. Swedish choreographer Claire Parsons and her company have created innovative and high quality performances for young audiences since 2005. Marmalade premiered in September 2013 and has since been performed over 250 times in Sweden and internationally.

Ephrat Asherie Dance

Founded in 2012, Ephrat Asherie Dance (EAD) has had their work presented at the Apollo Theater, the Ahmanson Theater, Jacob''s Pillow, New York Live Arts and Dixon Place, among other venues. Artistic Director Ephrat "Bounce" Asherie is a NYFA artist and has received various grants and awards to support her work including a Mondo Cane! commission from Dixon Place, a Swing Space and Workspace residency from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and a Travel and Study grant from the Jerome Foundation. Ephrat has performed and taught throughout the U.S. and Europe, as well as in Peru, South Africa and Israel. She has appeared on NBC, MTV, Comedy Central and at City Center, Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden. Ephrat holds a B.A. in Italian language from Barnard College and is a MFA candidate at the University of Wisconsin: Milwaukee. She is on faculty at Broadway Dance Center and the Joffrey Jazz and Contemporary Program and dances with her crew MAWU, a house dance collective.

Gizmo Guys

Simply put, the Gizmo Guys are a comedy juggling act. In actuality though, they are much more. Their act includes original routines, quick-witted verbal repartee and world class juggling skills in a very light-hearted approach to the art. Touring worldwide since 1987, the Gizmo Guys have appeared before well over a million people in more than 2500 live performances, and have performed for millions more on television. In addition to touring extensively in the U.S. and Canada, the Gizmo Guys have strutted their stuff in places as diverse as Saudi Arabia and Japan and have taught juggling at the renowned French and Canadian National Circus Schools.

Hybrid Movement Company

The Hybrid Movement Company, a dance, acrobatic, and visual arts troupe, will present two works, Momentum and Are You the Dreamer? Momentum, a new piece, focuses on risk-taking perpetual movement driven by rhythms and flowing through melodies. It is performed in a powerful cohesion of Hybrid Movement, circus arts, classical and contemporary ballet, rhythmic gymnastics, bobbing, waving and popping. Are You the Dreamer? is a transubstantiated tale exploring beauty, ugliness, rejection, love, dreams, and fear through dancing and dynamic movement. The Hybrid Movement Company has been hailed by the New York Times as one of the most innovative Contemporary Circus Companies in the USA today!

The Incredible Incredible

The Incredible Incredible presents, 'Palindrome', the story of two characters, each the other's imaginary friend, meeting for the first time to unfold the intricacies of their tangled coexistence. Performances feature invisible string manipulation, shoe poi, impossible feats with silverware, sinus explorations, snail hats, and finger stunts all set to live music! The Incredible Incredible is a physical theatre duo formed by two friends inspired by mime, physical comedy, traditional American sideshow, European clowns, and street theatre. Matthew "Poki" McCorkle is a self-taught physical performer known internationally for his surreal hoop illusions, movement based manipulation, and unique and unusual presentations. Justin Therrien is an entertainer that challenges the audience's perception of what is real and what is illusion with his unique blend of movement and skill based manipulation. Accompanying them is composer and multi-instrumentalist Lucas Hicks on accordion, percussion, harmonica and ukulele.

IMPACT Repertory Theater

IMPACT Repertory Theatre Performance Company uses the performing arts and the dynamics of leadership training to inspire and empower youth. IMPACT believes that arts and education play a pivotal role in providing opportunities and transitions for the leaders of tomorrow. IMPACT is rooted in creative self-expression and anchored by a commitment to Safe Space, Outstanding Effort and Service to the Community (S.O.S.). IMPACT promotes the positive development of young people ages 12 to 19 by providing a learning environment that encourages, nurtures and challenges its students. IMPACT offers workshops, leadership programs and performance opportunities. The programs and curriculum encourage IMPACT members to have the imagination, skills and confidence to create their "special place in the world." A core IMPACT value is attending college and giving back through active community service. All of IMPACT''s classes and programs are free. IMPACT''s ongoing performance program, creative labs, and 12 weeks intensive artist and activist training program are tuition free.

Kiebpoli & Shine

Kiebpoli Calnek (Kiebpoli) and Shawana Kemp (Shine) attended the High School for the Performing Arts here in New York City. They are collaborating for the first time with this piece that will expand into a full production. They have come together to create a collage of sound and movement. Kiebpoli Calnek is an actress and aerialist. She is a graduate of CCNY, a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, and of the Actors'' Equity Association. Her works have received generous funding and support from Elizabeth Streb, Astrea Foundation, Asian Arts Initiative, and The New York Foundation for the Arts. Kiebpoli is also founder and artistic director of Black*Acrobat, a social enterprise that seeks to empower fringe communities through the vertical world of aerial acrobatics with devised theatrical performances. Their shows tackle provocative dark subjects and re-imagine stories of the black diaspora. Fusing arts & activism by depicting what seems impossible, Black*Acrobat's work inspires and educates while curating spaces for community (r)evolution and sustainment. Shawana Kemp is a native New Yorker and the founder of Shine and the Moonbeams. Shawana has appeared at Symphony Space, Carnegie Hall Kids, and the Getty Museum in LA, among other venues, singing her smart and original tunes to diverse audiences. With retro R&B music that both kids and adults love, Shine and the Moonbeams sing about subjects kids can relate to: standing up to bullies, surviving harried morning routines, and celebrating individuality. A five-time winner of Amateur Nights at the legendary Apollo Theater, lead singer Shawana Kemp''s evocative delivery is heartfelt, insightful, and emotional.

Lucky Bob

Watch as Lucky Bob juggles boxes, spins balls, reads minds and turns a volunteer into a magician. This show is action-packed and full of crazy magic and cool juggling stunts, a show not to be missed.

Magmanus Company

Magmanus Company is a Swedish circus company founded in 2009 by the Franco-Norwegian duo Manu Tiger and Magnus Bjoru. With a vision to spread happiness and inspire audiences to follow their dreams, Magmanus combines impressive circus skills, humor and audience interaction to present a show you''ll never forget! In their current show, audiences will meet an angry, small but passionate acrobat and a foolish, gigantic yet so lovable juggler. Together they perform a show filled with jaw dropping skills and stomach turning comedy. Witness Bollywood juggling, unique teeterboard acrobatics, and a high-flying acrobatic grand finale.

MindFlip Duo

Mix Kid Ace's extraordinary magic with Paris the Hip-Hop Juggler's amazing stunts, and what do you have? MindFlip Duo: the hottest tandem to hit the scene! Mixing hip juggling with mind-blowing magical feats and comedy, MindFlip Duo, formerly known as The Renaissance League, create one fresh, exciting, full-length show with signature material that they've performed throughout the nation and abroad. Be careful not to blink. You might miss something!

The Red Trouser Show

The Red Trouser Show, David Graham and Tobin Renwick, are a high-energy acrobatic, fire juggling, and comedy duo. They have been performing in circuses, theaters, and busking all over America and internationally since 2000. After starting out in Circus Smirkus, an internationally acclaimed youth circus that gave them an in-depth training in multiple disciplines from world-renowned coaches, they are now sought after worldwide. They have been called "a spectacular and unique act" by the Midnight Circus, and "amazing acrobats" by ABC News.

Shine and the Moonbeams with the Noel Pointer Foundation Youth Orchestra

Shine and the Moonbeams were inspired to collaborate with talented youth after witnessing the enthusiasm elicited from audience participation. They have decided to use their platform to showcase up-and-coming young artists, and are very excited to be working with The Noel Pointer Foundation Youth Orchestra.

Tinder & Ash

Hailing from every corner of the U.S., five circus artists found themselves in the same place (the New England Center for Circus Arts) with the same vision (to create a show about personal loss and transformation using the virtuosity of circus and the artistry of theater). Amaya Alvarado, Anthony Oliva, Fe Fox, Lauren Feldman, and Megan Gendell had performed individually and together in festivals, shows, and cabarets from Philadelphia to San Francisco, Manhattan to Latvia. Through a residency with the circus-mecca TOHU in Montreal, these five diverse yet kindred-spirit artists created Tinder & Ash, a highly physical journey of losing and finding ourselves and each other. Through humor, fierceness, and tenderness, the theatrical craft of its storytelling, and the virtuosity of its circus arts (trapeze, hand-balancing, hoop diving, hand-to-hand, and partner acrobatics), Tinder & Ash illuminates the human experience - where it begins, where it ends, and the many arrivals and departures in between.

Ziporah Roney & Collaborative Artists

The Five of Us is a collaborative of world class New York City artists who have come together under Ziporah Roney to create a new work titled "Echoing Ipseity." Celebrating a time of choice, confidence, love, ourselves, other selves, and life that surrounds us, "Echoing Ipseity" is a connective and welcoming experience that looks to speak to our most pure selves. Interpreted through dance, acrobatics, and music, each one of us teaches another the unity in our independence. Ziporah Roney is part of Hybrid Movement Company's Core Creative Team. She is a performer, choreographer, and designer for the group.

City Parks Foundation (CPF) is the only independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to offer programs in parks throughout the five boroughs of New York City. We work in more than 350 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of programs in an effort to promote healthy and vibrant communities. Our programs and community building initiatives reach 425,000 people each year.

Images courtesy of City Parks Foundation.