Circus sisters

Circus Harmony from St. Louis and Circus Circuli from Stuttgart, Germany perform together both here and abroad

BY OLIVIA HOLLER

On July 12, a nine-person troupe of flying children from Circus Harmony presented their Celebratory Sister City Circus Send-Off show in the circus ring on the third floor of City Museum.

This is the group that first connected Circus Harmony in St. Louis with Circus Circuli in Stuttgart to create a video in celebration of the 60th anniversary of St. Louis and Stuttgart being sister cities in 2020.

On July 26, this intrepid group left to continue their Peace Through Pyramids partnership with Circus Circuli in Stuttgart, Germany, July 26 to Aug. 8.

Circus Harmony director, Jessica Hentoff, explained, “Peace Through Pyramids is the program Circus Harmony started to designate partnerships between different groups using circus as the bridge to connect the two. Since 2007, Circus Harmony has partnered with the Jewish/Arab Galilee Circus in Israel for 11 years, the National Circus School in Puerto Rico for two years, and arranged several local St. Louis partnerships between children in different neighborhoods of St. Louis. This will be our first time taking children to Germany! They range in age from 10-19 years old. For some, this will be their first time traveling to Europe and their first time traveling without their families. But the circus, itself, is a family and we are excited to meet and work with the Stuttgart branch of our circus family!”

The performers are very excited to be traveling and performing together in Germany. The members of Circus Harmony will stay at Circus Circuli tent and create a show with the Circuli students.

“It’s my first time out of the country, so I’m very excited,” exclaimed Eleanor Corrigan.

“I’m interested in learning what a circus is like in Germany,” added Lyla lawless.

“I’m looking forward to eating the sweet pretzels there,” opined West Welson.

Circus Harmony is a nonprofit social circus school that teaches the art of life through circus education. They are based at City Museum and offer numerous outreach classes throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. For more information about the partnership or to donate please visit www.CircusHarmony.org.