Circus Juventas facts for kids
Circus Juventas's logo
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| Formation | October 1994 |
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| Founders |
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| Type | Nonprofit corporation |
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Region
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Minneapolis–Saint Paul |
| Services | Circus arts |
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Formerly called
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Circus of the Star |
Circus Juventas is a special circus school for young people in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It used to be called Circus of the Star. This school teaches circus arts to kids and teens from ages 3 to 21. It helps young people in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area learn amazing circus skills.
The school was started in 1994 by Dan and Betty Butler. Their first show was at Saint Paul's Highland Fest in 1995. It was inspired by the famous Cirque du Soleil. More and more students joined, so the school raised money to build its own big circus tent. This special building opened in 2001. Since then, Circus Juventas has put on big summer shows every year with different themes. They also started holiday shows in December 2020.
These shows are very popular and get good reviews. People praise how professional and brave the young performers are. Students from Circus Juventas have performed and competed in many places, both locally and around the world. By 2014, Circus Juventas was the biggest youth circus school in North America!
Contents
The Circus Story
How Circus Juventas Began
The founders, Dan and Betty Butler, first met as teenagers at the Sailor Circus in Sarasota, Florida. Dan was a catcher on the flying trapeze, and Betty was an aerialist. They both loved circus arts! They later performed together at Florida State University's Flying High Circus.
After moving to Minnesota, Betty wondered if they could start a circus program there. In October 1994, they founded Circus Juventas as a non-profit group. It was first called Circus of the Star, named after Minnesota's nickname, "The North Star State."
The Butlers found a place to hold classes at the Hillcrest Recreation Center in Saint Paul. The city approved their program, and about 50 children joined the first year. Around 30 of these students performed in their first show at the 1995 Highland Fest. This show made the program even more popular. By 1997, about 200 students were on a waiting list to join!
Building a Big Top
Because so many kids wanted to join, the Butlers realized they needed a bigger space. They planned to build a large facility that could seat 1,500 people. They started raising money in 1998. By April 2000, they had raised $1.6 million for their new building.
They found the perfect spot on Montreal Avenue in Saint Paul. On August 25, 2000, they started building the new circus home. It took about a year to finish the big top. During this time, the school also changed its name to Circus Juventas. This name comes from Juventas, an ancient Roman goddess of youth. The whole project cost $2.1 million. Many parent volunteers help with everything from setting up equipment to selling snacks.
Growing and Learning
In 2010, the school had students from ages 6 to 21, plus about 150 younger kids as young as three. By 2013, over 800 students were enrolled! Circus Juventas also offers circus fitness classes for adults. The school is part of big circus organizations like the Outdoor Amusement Business Association. By 2014, it was known as the largest youth performing arts circus school in North America.
Circus Home and Safety
The Big Top Building
Circus Juventas's big top is in the Highland Park neighborhood of Saint Paul. It is 40 feet (about 12 meters) tall and has 21,000 square feet (about 1,950 square meters) of floor space. The building has a strong aluminum frame and a special vinyl-coated roof that looks like a tent.
The lobby, which is 1,000 square feet (about 93 square meters), was designed to make visitors feel like they are already in the circus world. The original seats could hold 1,200 audience members.
Bleacher Accident
On August 16, 2009, during the final show of Yulong, some bleachers (seats) collapsed. Seven people went to the hospital. An investigation showed that the bleachers had not been checked regularly, as required. The school was fined and temporarily closed. It reopened about a month later with new, safer bleachers.
Future Plans
In 2014, the Butlers announced plans to make their big top even bigger. They wanted to add 10,000 square feet (about 930 square meters) for dance studios, a costume shop, offices, and a gym. This expansion would help students who want to become professional circus performers.
However, the city's Parks and Recreation Department said the planned spot was not suitable for such a large building. So, the Butlers started thinking about building a new, even bigger facility in the western suburbs of Minneapolis–Saint Paul. This new building could be up to 50,000 square feet (about 4,645 square meters) and might cost $10 million. For now, the school is making a smaller expansion to its current Highland Park location.
Amazing Performances
Circus Juventas usually puts on three shows each year. There's a spring show for newer students, a big late-summer show for advanced students, and a December holiday show. The shows often tell a story, like those by Cirque du Soleil. Circus Juventas does not use animals in its shows.
Big Summer Shows
Each summer show has a unique theme:
- 2001: Mythos, based on Greek mythology.
- 2002: Cirque Napoleon, about the history of circus.
- 2003: Taroq, a story about nomads in Morocco.
- 2004: Swash, a pirate adventure.
- 2005: Dyrnwych, a mix of fairy tales.
- 2006: Pazzanni, a version of Cinderella set in Venice.
- 2007: Atlanticus, an underwater show with Poseidon.
- 2008: RavensManor, a haunted house-themed show.
- 2009: Yulong: The Jade Dragon, inspired by Chinese legends.
- 2010: Sawdust, celebrating old American circuses.
- 2011: Grimm—Happily Ever After!, based on Brothers Grimm fairy tales.
- 2012: Showdown, a Wild West adventure.
- 2013: Oz, based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
- 2014: Neverland, from the world of Peter Pan.
- 2015: 1001 Nights, a retelling of One Thousand and One Nights.
- 2016: Wonderland, an adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
- 2017: Nordrsaga, a hero's journey based on Norse mythology.
- 2018: Steam, a steampunk time travel story.
- 2019: Twisted, where fairy tale characters rewrite their own stories.
- 2020: No show due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2021: Galaxium, a space adventure.
- 2022: Confetti, celebrating circus history.
- 2023: Excalibur, retelling Arthurian legend.
- 2024: Jangala, a jungle adventure inspired by Tarzan of the Apes and The Jungle Book.
- 2025: Lumière, a tale of children traveling through time.
Big Holiday Shows
- 2020: A Hygge Holiday, narrated by Kevin Kling.
- 2021: Blizzard!, about mischievous elves at the North Pole.
- 2022: Solstice, about woodland characters saving winter.
- 2023: A Hygge Holiday, a repeat of the 2020 show.
- 2024: Blizzard!, a repeat of the 2021 show.
Other Performances
Circus Juventas students perform in many other places too! They have appeared at local events like the Saint Paul Winter Carnival and the Flint Hills International Children's Festival. They have also performed at the Mall of America, Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and the Minnesota Children's Museum.
Students have also been part of other shows, including a 2004 Minnesota Fringe Festival production and a 2005 show with the Minnesota Orchestra. They even performed in a stage version of Madeline and the Gypsies in 2008.
Circus Juventas performers have traveled internationally to compete. They won a gold medal at the Circus Ring of Friendship Festival in Norrköping, Sweden, for their triple trapeze act. In April 2015, a spinning cube team tied for first place at the Circus Waldoni Festival in Darmstadt, Germany. Students also performed at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., in June and July 2017.
Circus Music
Much of the music for the big summer shows was created by Peter Ostroushko. He was a local mandolin player famous for his work on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion. Peter's daughter joined Circus Juventas, and he became involved.
In 2005, the Butlers asked him to play a Celtic song for their show Dyrnwych. He loved the idea and played at all 18 performances! The next year, he wrote original music for the 2006 show, Pazzanni. His band grew to five members, playing instruments like mandolin, fiddle, piano, and guitar. Peter continued to create music for many more shows, including Atlanticus, RavensManor, Sawdust, Grimm, and Showdown. Music from his first four shows is on his album Peter Joins the Circus.
Images for kids
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Performers balancing atop globes
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A handbalancing act from Sawdust
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A student on aerial silks
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Youths performing triple trapeze
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Circus students walking the tightrope
