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Sellam El Ouahabi has worked in the circus industry for 43 years – and counting. He began his career at the age of 13, when he received his first professional touring contract with an acrobatic troupe from his home city of Tangier, Morocco. He went on to perform as a member of various acrobatic troupes continuously until he was 19 years old, at which point, he pursued a career as a solo artist. El Ouahabi performed all variety of acts, including acrobatics, equestrian vaulting, human pyramids, hand balance, aerial straps, trapeze, the Wheel Of Death, aerial silks, hand-to-hand and adagio, as well as other performance styles, for the next 19 years. He traveled throughout Europe, South America and Asia, with frequent engagements in Sweden, Italy, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Switzerland. His performance portfolio includes work with over 20 different circuses, including Circus Knie, Circus Mondial, The Bouglione Circus, Darix Togni Circus, and the Billy Smart Circus. El Ouahabi was an original company member of the U.K. production, the Circus of Horrors, innovating a central character and performing straps, bungee, hand-to-hand and a trio hand balance act for the globe-trotting show. In addition to live performance, he regularly appeared in motion pictures and commercials during his performance career.
In 2006, Sellam began the transition from performance to full-time coaching. Throughout his performance career, El Ouahabi often acted as a ‘show coach’ – coaching other artists and troupe members on the show. He found that he not only had a facility for coaching, but that he deeply enjoyed teaching the technique he had perfected in his own work, as well as acting as a mentor for those seeking a life in the circus. In 2008, Circus Smirkus brought El Ouahabi to Greensboro, Vermont to coach their annual Big Top Tour show. El Ouahabi would return as Tour Coach at Smirkus for the next 8 years. In 2011, El Ouahabi also began to teach full time for the New England Center for Circus Arts, based in Brattleboro, Vermont, during the Fall and Winter months. El Ouahabi specialized in coaching NECCA’s pre-professional and pro-track level students, as well as the Advanced Youth troupe.
Many of El Ouahabi’s former students are now working around the world for companies such as Cirque Du Soleil, The Seven Fingers of the Hand, Carnival Cruise Lines, Girls On Trapeze, Cirque Us, and more. In 2015, El Ouahabi founded The Sellam Circus School, with a mission to bring circus training back into the big top, and to make elite level training accessible to all.
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Julia was born and raised in the Chicago IL performing arts community starting their circus journey at age 10. In 2014 they joined their first tour with Circus Smirkus at age 15. Julia graduated from the Aloft Circus Arts Chicago pro track program in 2016 and graduated from New England Center for Circus Arts’s inaugural 3-year pro-track program and tour in 2019. Julia then co-founded an Art Collective known as Third Eye Collective where artists in the New England area of many different disciplines came together to host shows and events. Julia then found their way to Denver CO to work with Frequent Flyers and Illuminar Aerial and Starry Night Productions. Julia is a strong and dynamic performer with a passion for Aerial, Hula Hooping, juggling, Dance, Hand Balancing, and acrobatics.
Follow on Instagram @julia.makes.art_
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Hayley was first introduced to aerial arts while getting her BA in dance at Oberlin College. Soon feeling more at home in the air than on the ground, she took the leap and moved to Chicago to pursue circus full-time in the Aloft Circus Arts professional training program. After the program she quickly became a coach and local live entertainment performer throughout the Midwest. As a member of Aloft's performing company, recent credits include duo trapeze and other ensemble disciplines at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the show "Brave Space", and she is resident aerialist for Chicago dinner show COPA Cabana at Carnivale. Her circus journey began with silks, but she has since branched out significantly with continued creative pursuits on Cyr Wheel, duo trapeze, juggling, dance, hand balancing and ensemble work. As a coach she loves to encourage students to think critically and engage in the theory of her own favorite disciplines; handstands, duo aerial and Cyr wheel.
Follow Hayley on instagram @hayley.dynamo
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Doug Stewart is a professional circus artist as well as entrepreneur. Doug graduated from the New England Center for Circus Arts. As a performer he has worked for Circus Smirkus, Chicago’s Midnight Circus, Diamond Family Circus, AIDA Cruises and was a cast member in the first three Cirque Us tours. Doug holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business of Live and Performing Arts with a concentration in Touring Productions from Columbia College Chicago. At age 20, Doug founded Cirque Us. Doug is also a co-founder of the Upper Valley Circus Camp. Doug sat as the head circus coach for Circus Smirkus Camp and is the Artistic and Operations Director of Cirque Us. When not running Cirque Us, Doug stays busy touring with various companies throughout the U.S. and guest coaches at circus studios during his travels. When home in MA, he often visits Rhode Island Circus Space offering workshops and private lessons. He is an exceptionally versatile and highly skilled instructor with experience on all aerial apparatuses. You can follow Doug’s adventures on instagram @doug_stewartt
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Jeremy is a circus artist based in Chicago who specializes in aerial rope, German wheel, and clown. His circus career began when he connected with the Gamma Phi Circus at Illinois State University where he trained, performed, and graduated before starting work as a high school English teacher. He spent his nights and evenings working as a circus artist before leaving the school system to pursue circus full time. Most recently, Cifonie has worked and performed with Cirque Dreams, Cirque Us, Westchester Circus Arts, and The Vampire Circus. Away from work, Cifonie often spends his time listening to true crime podcasts, making coffee, playing video games, and wearing mismatched socks.
Follow Jeremy on instagram @jermichalecircus
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Becky is a self-professed nerd for all types of movement, but especially for dance and circus. After injuries put an end to hard landings in her artistic gymnastics career, Becky decided that stuck landings were overrated and made the natural pivot to aerial arts where hard landings are virtually non-existent.
Becky began teaching aerial- and ground-based circus arts in 2011, and has taught with Frequent Flyers, Aloft Circus Arts, Circus Harmony, and Circus Smirkus. Becky is a certified Gyrokinesis teacher, a certified personal trainer, and is currently working towards completing a Gyrotonic certification.
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After a childhood filled with competitive gymnastics, Jordan had all but left movement behind when she found and fell in love with flying trapeze as an adult. She followed her circus dreams to Vermont where she completed NECCA’s professional training program in 2016, specializing in ground acrobatics. She’s spent the last several years continuing to study, perform, and teach various circus disciplines including tumbling, partner acrobatics, trampoline, hand balancing, and flying trapeze. As a coach, she strives to create an environment where every student feels supported and can work in their own way to achieve their goals. She believes in creative problem solving, learning through failure, and laughing loudly whenever possible.
Jordan’s Instagram is @jordopc
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Maeve Beck is from Turners Falls, Massachusetts where she began her circus journey at nine years old at the New England Center for Circus Arts. Maeve has trained full time in NECCA’s ProTrack program and at The Sellam Circus School in the professional training program. She also specializes in hand to hand, contortion and hand balancing. She has traveled and performed throughout the country with companies including Live305 Entertainment, Santa’s Circus at SeaWorld San Diego, and has completed three tours with Cirque Us! Between performance contracts, Maeve instructs circus arts Circus Smirkus Camp in VT and at UVCC in NH.
Follow on Instagram @maeveccircus
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Cam Zweir started his circus career almost a decade ago when he joined the Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour as a trouper in 2014. With his background in gymnastics he toured three summers with the youth circus from Vermont. Upon turning 18 he was given the opportunity to join the 2017 National Tour of “Pippin” the Broadway show as an acrobat/ensemble member. He went on to work for the 2018 tour of Cirque Us’ “Starstruck.” Next he was contracted working for TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 3, a cruise line based out of Germany, as an acrobat/ensemble member in 2019. Upon completing the contract, he took a step back from circus arts to focus on getting a college degree.
This past year Cam has returned to the circus arts as a performer and coach. He has a background in floor acrobatics, hand to hand/adagio, banquine, pyramids, mini tramp, trampoline, cradle, hoop diving, and clowning. He has also dabbled in duo trapeze, straps, and juggling. He has coached at Circus Smirkus Camp, Upper Valley Circus, Ferox Ninja Gym, and Western Mass Gymnastics. As a coach, he likes to instill a good foundation and technique while also creating a fun and encouraging environment for developing skills.
Follow on Instagram @cam_zweir