The FSU Circus presents COSMIC 2023

As the FSU Circus performs in its 76th year, we reflect upon the history and tradition of the program which are woven into the fabric of Florida State University. Thousands of students have been able to take part in one of the most unique college activities in the United States. It is something distinct to FSU and is a part of what makes this campus such a special place.

THE EXPANSION PROJEC T

Since the program began in 1947, the campus has changed dramatically as have the students. The expectations of the students are higher and the standards of the University have been raised. The academic reputation of the University as well as its overall national rankings are ascending.

The circus too must strive to provide improved opportunities for students and support them to the best

of our ability. We need the tools to do so.

The primary need now is our facility, built in 1965. It is time to address the older building in a way that will not only meet our current needs, but account for the future growth of the program.

THE EXPANSION PROJEC T

A new and expanded circus facility would be an exciting feature for FSU and a hub of campus and community involvement. Situated in an exceptional location along the activity corridor, this building would speak to campus residents and visitors alike.

This would be a feature no other campus could boast and something all of the FSU family can call their own.

The FSU Circus has embarked on a capital campaign to expand its current facilities and ensure the Circus remains an enduring FSU tradition.

These new facilities will provide larger rehearsal spaces, storage for a growing equipment inventory, public amenities for our sold-out shows, dedicated locker rooms for student performers and so much more.

Renderings by Architects Lewis + Whitlock Photos by Bob Howard

We need your help to continue the legacy of the FSU Flying High Circus.

Please consider making a gift today.

To make a donation, visit

new.circus.fsu.edu

To learn more about ways to support this project, please contact Alanna Kibiloski, Director of Development for Student Affairs (850) 459-2384 or akibiloski@foundation.fsu.edu

THE EXPANSION PROJEC T

BOB & ELAINE WOODWARD AWARD

Gabby Hart RUSSIAN BAR DOUBLE TRAPEZE SPANISH WEB JUMP ROPE

member. I have found a passion for performing I never expected to have, and I have learned amazing skills and strength I did not know I was capable of. I am so grateful for the cast and crew for always pushing me to new heights!

I joined circus my freshman year looking to find ways to meet people and be involved on campus, but never imagined all the amazing things it could have brought into my life! I have made lifelong friends and found an amazing community that is so full of support and love for every

Circu

BOB & ELAINE WOODWARD AWARD

Saralynn Premer BALANCING TEETERBOARD

When I auditioned for the FSU Flying High Circus back in 2019, I never could have dreamed the impact that it would have on my life. When I was lucky enough to have been cast in the Circus, I was not only introduced to some incredibly cool party tricks, but I was thrown into a group of the most supportive and uniquely talented people I have ever met. I learned that nothing is impossible, and you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it.

I can’t explain in words how grateful I am for the experiences and connections I have made during my time here under the big top, and for the people who have become my family. The support, encouragement, and love that is in every corner of this tent is priceless and I am all the better for it. This community has taught me to always get back up, always strive to be unapologetically you, and to always reach for the stars.

us Awards

GIL ALDRIDGE AWARD

Sam Abel

be the same person I am today without the FSU Circus, and I am very grateful to all its staff and members.

JUGGLING QUARTET ADAGIO ROLA TEETERBOARD

PHOTOS BY BOB HOWARD, DAYNA LENK, & KAITLIN SIMPSON

It’s hard to put into words how much this program means to me. Throughout my college career, it’s helped me gain confidence to face new challenges, inspired me to think critically and artistically, and most importantly it’s introduced to me to some of my closest friends. I wouldn’t

HASKIN AWARD

Ethan Dhanarajan CLOWNING LOW CASTING DOUBLE TRAPEZE FLYING TRAPEZE

I’ve always been drawn to the stage and loved performing, I used to do a lot of theatre growing up, so circus was the obvious next step. I’ve joked about that before, but truthfully I’ve never been able to express myself better than when I’m performing in the tent. I feel like in these past years the circus has allowed me to grow so much as a person, and not just from constantly overcoming mental and physical challenges. I love what I do, but it’s the people that make me love circus, it’s a community that has welcomed me with open arms and has become a family I couldn’t live without. Any success I have in shows is just a credit to everyone else in the circus who has supported, stood by my side, and shown me a kindness like I’ve never experienced before. It’s hard to explain just how much joy the circus brings me, but when you see me on stage smiling from ear to ear as I take my final bow, I think you’ll understand.

GET

ON

BOARD

AND FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS

AS

WE PREPARE FOR LIFTOFF! WE SET OFF ON A JOURNEY AMONGST

THE

STARS IN A WAY

ONLY THE CIRCUS CAN

IMAGINE.

A D V E N T U R E AWAITS CRUISE

AS

WE TO

DISTANT WORLDS AND FAR

GALAXIES FAR

AWAY.

For our performers, this journey began last August when our cast was first assembled. With a group of over 100 FSU students, we run a complete working circus operation.

WE TRAIN DAILY WE RIG OUR EQUIPMENT AND WE EVEN RAISE THE TENT Now, eight months later, through a concentrated and determined effort these students have put together a full-length circus production.

We are proud to present the 76th Annual Home Show Series, COSMIC!

ENJOY THE SHOW!

Space photos courtesy of NASA /JPL-Caltech

THE ACTS CLOWNING

Did you have trouble finding your seat? You’re not alone.

This unlikely pair of passengers find themselves fumbling at every stop, and our flight attendant can’t quite seem to keep them in check.

DANCE

This lovely team is here to entertain and inform you throughout our journey. Sit back, relax, and make sure to pay attention as they assist our captain in delivering our most important rules.

RINGMASTER

This courageous captain is here to safely guide you from galaxy to galaxy! With hair up to Saturn and a license to fly, you’re in good hands as she takes us from planet to planet even if we do have a few… unplanned stops along the way.

DOUBLE & TRIPLE TRAPEZE

From the far flung corners of the galaxy, we’d like to introduce to you a group of desert-faring aliens you will not soon forget.

JUMP ROPE

In the limitless expanses of space, it can be a bit overwhelming to know exactly where you are and what’s around you. But never fear, we have an intrepid team ready to storm the stars and light the path to safety.

SWINGING TRAPEZE

Attention Passengers, we are currently approaching an interplanetary toll booth run by the new and improved Nexus-9 androids. You may feel a slight tingling sensation as they scan over our ship and catalog our cargo. Keep your seatmates close and your contraband closer as we pass through the scanners of our cybernetic security guards!

THE ACTS

CLOUDSWING

From the academy to the galaxy these cosmic cadets march to infinity and beyond to defend the planet you call home. Give a salute to the few, the proud, the vanguard of the stars!

As we travel from plane some unexpected sites Soon these nebulas will clouds to form the stars night skies. But for now, take a moment to gaze marbled majesties!

BIKE & SKATING

CHINESE POL

Temperatures rise as we close in on our next destination. Our wheeled masters of magma thrive in this planet’s inhospitable terrain; while other species would perish, our volcanic virtuosos flourish!

Living high in the mount world, these creatures d mastery over both the p realms. Be rendered wit species performs in pair

WEB & DANCE

BALANCING

I am over the moon to announce that we have reached the next stop in our quasar quest! But beware! Do not allow yourself to be allured by the sirens awaiting you in the dark-matter-depths beyond.

We have a surprise app journey, as we’ve encou local legends; This specia solar system to purge th substances. Watch with together with tenacity.

TIGHT WIRE SLACK & ROLA

QUARTET

RUSSIAN BAR

In the northernmost part of the galaxy, these creatures live in an icy isolation. Only to awake from their slumber to perforate the permafrost, so that they may demonstrate their gifts to us trepidatious travelers.

LOW CASTING

It seems we’ve crossed paths with another craft in our phenomenal fleet. Commanded by two of the finest pilots we have employed in our enterprise, this ship is second to none in terms of speed and grace - aside from our own, of course.

On a planet that has flo millennia, these swimme of a soggy situation. The been saving surfers and while demonstrating da displays.

LYRA

Traveling once every 50 is a rare sight to see the entities exploring the ou universe. Keep a close e idols as they spin throug

et to planet, there are outside of our ship. l combine their colorful s that we see in the , I encourage you to upon these marvelous

LE

tains of their home display the utmost physical and spiritual th awe as this social rs to defy gravity.

pearance on our untered some of our al team patrols our he stars of any toxic wonder as they work

ooded in the last ers have made the best ese strongmen have swimmers galore, all aring acts and dizzying

000 years to Earth, it ese extraterrestrial uter-reaches of our eye on these interstellar gh the starlight.

TEETERBOARD

If you look around the inside of our stellar ship, you’ll easily notice the enigmatic engineering that prevents any mechanical issues. However, if you find yourselves in need of space-side assistance, there is only one group for you to call upon; find yourselves astounded by the intelligence of this relentlessly crafty crew

JUGGLING

Be cautious and courageous, dear passengers!

Our sensors indicate that we have some uninvited guests aboard our luxury craft. This crew of bold buccaneers, armed with wily tricks, that aim to charm and disarm you.

FLYING TRAPEZE

In the northernmost part of the galaxy, these These ethereal entities will allure and astound you. Watch with wonder as they glide effortlessly through the cosmos, moving in tandem and with spectacular opulence.

FSU CIRCUS STAFF Chad Mathews - Director Charley Mason - Associate Director Nate Stapp - Associate Director Celina Dezzuto - Creative Director Allie Hetherington - Assistant Director Misha Souponitski - Guest Coach Sam Abel - Guest Coach A special thank you to the staff of the FSU Student Union, FSU Student Affairs, & the FSU Foundation for your support!

Since 1947 the FSU Circus has been a constant feature of Florida State University campus. The stor y of the circus is one of dedication, perseverance, trust and lifelong friendships. Multitudes of students spanning the decades have come together to make this special program what it is today.

When they began their circus involvement they may not have had any experience or any idea of what they were about to experience.

After months of training, rigging and learning, they were able to showcase their talents and skills to their fellow students, the community and even people in different countries.

The names of those people who participated in and created the foundation of this program and ensured its continuous success are too numerous to list. We are here today to honor the great tradition and memories of all those who came before us, those who allow us to fly high.

Thank you to all our FSU Circus Alumni!

We would not be here today without you.

A special thank you to the incredible generosity through their support of our program!

Angela Seymour Carol Ballantine Chuck & Donna Ross Douglas & Karen Ullman Elaine Tully & Bob Woodward Jayne Mittan Meghan & Morty Gudelsky The FSU Student Foundation Trish Kohler

I

SHOW CUE

ION

Center Ring

Outside Rings

CLOWNING DANCE

DOUBLE TRAPEZE

TRIPLE TRAPEZE JUMP ROPE CLOWNING

SWINGING TRAPEZE RUSSIAN BAR BIKE FOR FIVE

SKATING

WEB

DANCE

ROLA / SLACK

WIRE

INTERMISSION

INTERMISSION

INTERMISSION

INTERMISSION

LOW CASTING CLOUDSWING CHINESE POLE BALANCING QUARTET LYRA TEETERBOARD CLOWNING JUGGLING FLYING TRAPEZE

INTERM

TOP LEFT Row 1 - Katherine Smith, Grant Poston, Row 2 - Shelby Simmons, Lucas Wilson,

Saralynn Premer, Hayden Lenk, Connor Pierson, Connor Bishop, Gabby Hart, Austyn Gerhart, Christina Browder

Row 3 - Adriana Melendez, Ellie Koch,

Amanda Connor, Gianna Previte, Brooke Walter, Hannah Cooper

Row 4 - Madison Sarvis, Victoria Pagan,

Riley Williamson, Daly Santana, Gina Masterson

Not Pictured: Olivia Ogles

PHOTOS BY KAITLIN SIMPSON

Ricardo Patiño, Jillian Carta, Emilia Rodriguez

‘23

Seniors

Take a walk across campus to see our 75th anniversary, then & now banner series and catch a through-the-years view of our operation.

Since 1947, FSU students have taken a chance and joined our troupe, learning first hand that there really is something special about the circus. In curating these photos, we found that in 75 years of “Flying High”, the transformative experience of being a part of the circus

bridges all generations of FSU Circus performers. No matter when you graduated, the thrill of performance, the mastery of a skill, and the friendships made, mark being a member of our troupe and are hallmarks of the FSU Circus program

The then & now banner series was created in collaboration with the FSU Heritage Museum & Archives, University Relations, the FSU Museum of Fine Arts, the Division of Student Affairs, DSA Marketing, University Communications, and the FSU Foundation.

Photographs by the FSU Photo Lab, Bob Howard, Kaitlin Simpson, Maury Neipris, and Barry Mittan

2023 CAST & CREW

Addison Nance

AUBURN, AL

Business Management

Adriana Melendez

MELBOURNE, FL

Business Management.

Ais McFarland

JUPITER, FL

Nursing

Alex Herndon

HIGHLAND, MI

Public Relations

Alison Roush

PEPPERELL, MS

Intl. Affairs / Linguistics

Alyssa Lee

BOULDER, CO

Behavioral Neuroscience

Alyssa Migenes

ORLANDO, FL

Exploratory

Alysia Price

GAINESVILLE, FL

Music

Amanda Connor

WESTON, FL

Business Management

Amber Daniels

CONYERS, FL

Acting

Ana De Leon

PANAMA CITY, PA

Industrial Engineering

Annabelle Riha

CLEARWATER, FL

Marketing

Ariana Katsaras

JACKSONVILLE, FL

Biological Sciences

Ashley Jongerius

ORLANDO, FL

English / Intl. Affairs

Austyn Gerhart

PANAMA CITY, FL

Criminology

Ava Polly

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL

Exercise Physiology

Brian Friedlander

NORTH BELLMORE, NY

Computer Science

Brooke Walter

GULF BREEZE, FL

Public Health

Cait McCall

ST. PETE BEACH, FL

Nursing

Callie Skaggs

ORLANDO, FL

Biology

Carolena Arroyo

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL

Psychology

Christina Browder

DELRAY BEACH, FL

Criminology

Connor Bishop

ORLANDO, FL

Electrical Engineering

Connor Pierson

OMAHA, NE

International Affairs

Cooper Garrard

JACKSONVILLE, FL

Computational Science

Daly Santana

CLEARWATER, FL

Criminology M.S.

Eden Mateo

ST. PETERSBURG, FL

Interior Design

Elizabeth Stanton

NAPLES, FL

Hospitality & Tourism Mgmt.

Ellie Koch

WESTON, FL

Finance

Emelia Rodriguez

LIVE OAK, FL

Mechanical Engineering

Emily Shay

CROWNSVILLE, MD

Accounting

Ethan Dhanarajan

TALLAHASSEE, FL

Exercise Physiology

Faith Harris

FORT MYERS, FL

Social Science

Frederique Audet

BOCA RATON, FL

Neuroscience

Gabby Hart

CUMMING, GA

Biology

Gabie Manzo

TALLAHASSEE, FL

Public Health

Gia Pendleton

MIRAMAR, FL

Hospitality

Gianna Previte

BOYNTON BEACH, FL

Public Health

Gina Masterson

LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL

Social Science Education

Grace Hejmanowski

JACKSONVILLE, FL

Psychology / Criminology

Grace Lumpkin

SARASOTA, FL

Marketing / Hospitality

Grant Poston

BURLINGTON, VT

Computer Science / Creative Writing

Gwynne English

CLEARWATER, FL

Intl. Affairs / Spanish

Hana Grubb

ORLANDO, FL

Biochemistry / Biomedical Engineering

Hannah Cooper

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL

Chemical Engineering

Hayden Lenk

WAKULLA, FL

Civil Engineering

Izzy Jackson

NAPLES, FL

Civil Engineering

Jake Radtke

KNOXVILLE, TN

Psychology

James Grussing

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL

Biochemistry

Jameson Lombardy

INDIAN HARBOR BCH., FL

English

2023 CAST & CREW

Jeanni Castro

SARASOTA, FL

Cml. Entrepreneurship

Jillian Carta

SAFETY HARBOR, FL

Exercise Physiology

John Michael Shircliff

ORLANDO, FL

Criminology

Jonathan Hammond

COCONUT CREEK, FL

Finance

Jonathan Sullivan

SARASOTA, FL

International Affairs

Kaitlyn Givens

MIAMI, FL

Biology

Katherine Smith

ST. PETERSBURG, FL

Public Health

Katie Donnelly

ANNAPOLIS, MD

Business Accounting

Katie Jones

ATLANTA, GA

Hospitality & Tourism Mgmt.

Katie Limentato

CHAMPAIGN, IL

Motion Picture Arts Animation

Kayley Rodier

TALLAHASSEE, FL

Psychology

Kylie Gibson

TALLAHASSEE, FL

Social Work

Lauren Lazar

SARASOTA, FL

Accounting

Lexy Glor

TAMPA, FL

Criminology

Lindsey Gilmore

PENSACOLA, FL

Global Club Mgmt. & Leadership

Lindsey Like

BRIGHTON, CO

Crime Scene Investigation

Liv Ogles

BRADENTON, FL

Chemical Oceanography

Liza Francois

FORT MYERS, FL

Hospitality & Tourism Mgmt.

Lucas Wilson

PALM HARBOR, FL

Physics & Astrophysics

Madison Rist

PALM HARBOR, FL

Theater

Madison Sarvis

CRAWFORDVILLE, FL

Accounting

Maia Goldstone

ORLANDO, FL

Biology

Mairen Manning

GAINESVILLE, FL

Interior Design

Marcelo Felix

OVIEDO, FL

Anthropology

Matilda Varine

SEVERNA PARK, MD

Political Science / Economics

Maverick Haghighat Schiller DEERFIELD BEACH, FL

Computer Science

Mikayla Prushik

MATTHEWS, NC

Psychology

Nelly Santiago

KISSIMMEE, FL

Chemical Engineering

Nicolas Porcelli

DORAL, FL

Meteorology

Nyah Fisher

TAMPA, FL

Exercise Physiology

Paris Graham

LITHIA, FL

Business Mgmt. / Real Estate

Pearse Koch

WESTON, FL

Mgmt. Information Systems

Pierce Thomas

DADE CITY, FL

Motion Picture Arts Production

Preston Dilley

MILTON, GEORGIA

Exploratory

Rafe Ewert

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL

Computer Science

Remi Ventura

FANWOOD, NJ

Envir. Science / Criminology

Ricardo Patiño

PANAMA CITY, PA

Civil Engineering

Richie Gonzaga

PALMETTO BAY, FL

Nursing

Riley Williamson

HENDERSONVILLE, NC

Digital Media Production

Sarah DeVoe

MILTON, GA

Theatre / Biochemistry

Saralynn Premer

ST. PETE BEACH, FL

Meteorology

Shane Rober

MIAMI, FL

Mechanical Engineering

Shelby Simmons

WEBSTER, FL

Theatre / English

Sophia Barker

BOCA RATON

Management

Sydney Zambrana

PINELLAS PARK, FL

Studio Art

Tanya Pattison

COCOA BEACH, FL

Anthropology / Art History

Toby Sloan

TALLAHASSEE, FL

Industrial Engineering

Tricia Wilson

TALLAHASSEE, FL

Actuarial Science

Victoria Pagán

ORLANDO, FL

Political Science

Zack Gearhart-Robboy

PHILADELPHIA, PA

Electrical Engineering

1519 Capital Circles NE Tallahassee, FL printeryfamily.com (850) 877-6418

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2023