FringeArts and Circadium Will Host 6th Annual Hand to Hand Contemporary Circus Festival

FringeArts and Circadium School of Contemporary Circus will present the Hand to Hand circus festival from May 31 to June 2, 2024 in the FringeArts theatre. The sixth annual circus arts festival has become a staple in Philadelphia’s spring festival line-up. This year’s line-up will showcase the remarkable skill and artistry of local circus performers who will perform at thrilling events designed for the whole family. In Begin Again (May 31-June 1), audiences will encounter the country’s next generation of top talent in the circus arts. Students from the Circadium School of Contemporary Circus will perform an original work exploring the rhythms of time and the journey of the artist through juggling, aerials, acrobatics, clowning, and more. At Test Flights (June 2nd), audiences will see a variety of fresh acts and new ideas in the form of works-in-progress from some of Philadelphia’s favorite circus artists. All performances and events will take place at FringeArts, located at 140 N. Christopher Columbus Blvd. Tickets are on sale now at FringeArts dot com and by calling the FringeArts Box Office at 215-413-1318. Connect on social and follow @fringearts @circadiumschool.

“For this year’s Circadium End of Year Show, we have brought in Artistic Director Ty Vennewitz from Oregon, and he’s created an original work of circus-theatre based on the book Einstein’s Dreams," said Circadium Executive Director Shana Kennedy. "We’re continually looking to expand the possibilities of contemporary circus, and the Hand to Hand Festival is the perfect vehicle for these kinds of explorations.”

"We are thrilled to welcome some of the next generation of circus artists to the FringeArts stage this summer for the sixth edition of the Hand to Hand Circus Festival," said FringeArts Programming Manager & Artistic Producer Mikaela Boone.

"This festival is the perfect environment for audiences of all ages to experience the wonders of contemporary circus together."

Get ready for juggling, aerials, acrobatics, clowning and more during the sixth annual Hand to Hand circus festival coming May 31st to June 1st. The line-up for this year’s event include:

Begin Again

May 31st at 7:30pm
June 1st at 3:00pm
June 1st at 7:30pm
$25 general admission; $20 FringeArts members; $2 FringeACCESS members

When does the circus begin? When the acrobat takes the stage? When the lights dim? At the first rehearsal? The birth of the artist? Get ready to be enchanted by a group of multidisciplinary circus performers as they search for the elusive beginning. Join them on a journey backward through time that stops only to begin again.

The students of Circadium present an original work where gravity will be tested, kinespheres will be juggled, and perceptions will be upended. In this contemporary circus show, artists flip and fly as they explore the uncertainties and wonders of time. Share the thrill of confronting risk, being vulnerable, and discovering what happens next.

Circus artists and their apparatus to be featured will include: 

Artistic Director Ty Vennewitz
Thomas Miller, juggling
Four Dillon, contortion
Hailey Van Nyhuis, trapeze
Harley Quigley, aerial sling
Nyla Welsh, handbalancing
Bailey Luk, aerial straps
Ava Gowanloch, contortion
Mx Battles, acrobatics
Galus Hosford, acrobatics
Reagan Needham, lyra
Acacia Trimble-Carlson, acrobatics
Arianna Caiola, acrobatics
Maggie Marko, contortion

Test Flights

Sunday, June 2nd at 7:00pm
Pay what you can, RSVP required

Test Flights is Circadium’s works-in-progress series, showcasing brand-new contemporary circus creations. The artists in the show are all professional aerialists, acrobats, and jugglers.  These virtuosic performers experiment by blending circus disciplines with theatre, dance, music, spoken word, and performance art. Originally created by Ben Grinberg, the Test Flights series runs monthly at Circus Campus in West Mt. Airy, and brings the best-of-the-best to FringeArts for the Hand to Hand Festival.  

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