NACHO RICCI, ARGENTINA
Nacho Ricci (Nacho Rope) is one of the most important figures of the rope. He is a dreamer, a lover of impossible things. After finishing “La Arena” circus school in Argentina he moved to Barcelona, a point reference of rope.
He is well known for bringing rope back to contemporary circus festivals, like Cirque de Demain, where his act “Here, now” was the first rope solo to be presented in more than ten years.
At present Nacho travels around the world teaching rope and performing his new act “Part of me”, an exquisite solo with a brilliant technique that reminds us the importance of following one’s passion.
He is co-organizer of the Barcelona Rope Meeting, one of the largest gatherings of rope artists in the world.
More information about Barcelona Rope Meeting
SARAH BEBE HOLMES, USA
Sarah Bebe Holmes' aerial style is characterized by quality of movement, emotional narrative content, and original innovative choreography. Notable performance credits include: Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival, Manipulate Visual Theatre Festival, National Mallakhamb Championship (Mumbai, India), Treasure Island Music Festival (San Francisco), and Derry City of Culture (Ireland).
Sarah also co-founded Structural Integrity Project (SIP), an international aerial film project that challenged the concepts of what an aerial production could be; the SIP filmed aerial in unexpected rural and industrial locations, including aerial silks on a banyan tree outside an abandoned palace in Lebanon, aerial chain suspended from stationary cranes in Edinburgh, and the underside of the onramp to the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco. In 2010-2011 Sarah toured as aerialist and puppeteer with London-based threesixty Entertainment's 1300-seat pavilion production of Peter Pan. Sarah played Luce in This Twisted Tale, (U.S. Tour and Edinburgh Fringe Festival). Sarah is a choreographer and director for circus and aerial theatre productions including Sharashif (Beirut Lebanon), Two and a Half Sisters (Zagreb, Croatia), SnowQueen (Zagreb, Croatia) and RISE (Edinburgh Scotland).
She is co-founder and artist director of Paper Doll Militia, a premiere aerial company in the USA that includes a strong educational mission including teacher trainings and intensive retreats.
More information on Paper Doll Militia
Amy holds a B.S. in arts management from Ithaca College, an MA in “circus as a tool for social change, education, and creative expression” from NYU, and was a Fulbright Scholar to the UK researching contemporary circus culture in London. She is a circus instigator and educator who believes that circus can change the world.
Amy is Executive Director of American Youth Circus Organization (AYCO) and American Circus Educators Association (ACE) and specifically is assisting in programming the Youth Match of Luchadores del Rope
AMY COHEN, USA
A note from Amy --
The circus education community is growing in the USA – and around the world. There are over 250 circus schools in the USA at present, and we estimate 10 new programs open each year. Our organization [ACE and AYCO] – a network of circus schools, educators, and young artists – has grown from 40 to 400 members in the past 6 years. Circus schools teach circus arts to virtually every age group and have a variety of different missions – from using circus as a tool for social change, to encouraging fitness and healthy lifestyles, to training a next generation of circus artists, producers, and innovators who will usher the art form into the future.
