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The ZinZanni Institute for Circus Arts (ZICA) is dedicated to the preservation, development and enhancement of ancient and contemporary circus arts, including Juggling, Clowning, Magic and Acrobatics with an emphasis on all aspects of performance and production. Programs range from master classes taught by resident performers to technical or artistic apprenticeships and summer camps.
ZICA News
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Join us in Seattle or Medina at a Camp Fair this week!
Swing by our booth at the Bush School Thursday evening or the ParentMap CampFair at the St. Thomas School in Medina Saturday for information about our Summer 2010 camps.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
ZinZanniversary Deadline Extended
Join Ann Wilson, Kent Kent, Dolorèze Léonard El Vez, Christine Deaver, Francine Reed and the cast of Teatro ZinZanni's show Beaumount & Caswell on November 1 for our first–ever benefit gala in support of ZinZanni Institute for Circus Arts. Learn more and secure your invitation to this glittering and glamorous evening's program.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The ZinZanni Institute for Circus Arts proudly presents a Commedia dell'Arte Workshop Taught by Dolorèze Léonard
Original Teatro ZinZanni cast member, Head Coach of Camp ZinZanni, Master Clown and respected teacher Dolorèze Léonard returns to Teatro ZinZanni's spiegeltent this fall to teach a workshop on October 30. The class expands the reach and scope of the ZinZanni Institute for Circus Arts, the education program of Teatro ZinZanni, and is the first workshop designed for Adults ages 16 and older.
On Friday, October 30th from 11:00 to 3:00 p.m., Dolo will present a workshop about the Art of Commedia Dell'Arte. Limited to 20 participants, this workshop explores one of the oldest clowning traditions in the Western World. Commedia flourished in Italy during the Middle Ages, first surfacing in Rome in the 14th century, and continues today to be a highly influential comedic form for contemporary theater, character development, improvisational theatre and clowning. Dolo will introduce students to all of the distinct and clearly defined Commedia characters and their iconic physicality - Pantalone, Dottore, Harlequin, Pulcinella. The workshop culminates in a scene, or canovaccio, in masks and costumes.
With over two decades of performing experience to her credit, Montreal circus artist Dolorèze Léonard conducts buffoon workshops all over the world. She began her career as a guerilla street artist and was later one of the original members of Cirque du Soleil. Dolorèze toured for five years with Pomp, Duck & Circumstance, where she created her fiery tyrant character "Madame Zazou," An original Teatro ZinZanni cast member, Dolorèze has also directed our show and is the Head Coach of Camp ZinZanni.
This four-hour class is $150 per person. No prior clowning experience is necessary. To register, please email zica@onereel.org or call 206-816-6491.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Camp ZinZanni Announces Summer 2010 Dates
Seattle Managing Director Markus Kunz announced today the dates for Camp ZinZanni 2010. Join us in the spiegeltent between July 5 and August 15, 2010 for one of six sessions of circus camp.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Camp ZinZanni on KOMO 4 News
Eric Johnson of KOMO 4 News featured Camp ZinZanni in a recent edition of "Eric's Little Heroes," his sports segment featuring active Northwest youth. Watch the funny, energetic story here.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Camp ZinZanni 2009 Comes to a Close
After a wild summer of clowning, Camp ZinZanni came to a close on Saturday, August 8. The Seattle Times featured us on the front page the next day in an artical about Seattle arts organizations reaching out to younger audiences. Read the full article here. We're already making plans for 2010 so stay tuned to zica.zinzanni.org for details.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Just Added: Camp for 5-8 year olds
Due to feedback and demand, Teatro ZinZanni has decided to add a week for children ages 5-8. Sign up for the morning or afternoon session, or sign up for the full day and receive a discount. Get all the details on our Camps page.
Friday, February 10, 2009
Camp ZinZanni Registration Is Now Open
Registration for Camp ZinZanni 2009 is now officially open. This year Camp ZinZanni is offering three different tracks for ages 8-12 and 13-16. Download your camp application and get it in before the June 1 deadline.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
One Reel Receives Prestigious Wallace Excellence Award for Teatro ZinZanni’s ZinZanni Institute for Circus Arts
Four-Year Grant Seeds ZICA Education Program for Seattle Area Young People and Their Families
SEATTLE – M. Christine DeVita, President of The Wallace Foundation, announced today that One Reel’s ten-year old cirque cabaret Teatro ZinZanni is among the Seattle’s top nine recipients of a four-year grant from the Wallace Foundation. The Wallace Excellence Awards were created to support exemplary arts organizations to pioneer effective practices to engage more people in high-value arts activities.
With the generous support of The Wallace Foundation, One Reel is proud to push into new artistic territory aimed at bringing young adults into meaningful, enriching contact with the brilliant world of theater, music, and circus arts of Teatro ZinZanni. One Reel will be offering a full series of workshops for youth and young adults, designed to build skills and self-confidence through one-on-one interaction with members of the amazing, rotating international artistic cast of Teatro ZinZanni. Over time, the program will evolve and extend into master classes for college age audiences, internships and apprenticeships, all created to bring the rich, international, theatrical world of Teatro ZinZanni to a currently underserved audience of young adults. The program will include comedic performance, theater craft, costume arts, circus arts, character development, storytelling and other aspects of live performance, all designed to reach young people ages 8 - 25.
Last summer One Reel developed a simple pilot program aimed at testing the strength of the idea for a permanent ZinZanni Institute for Circus Arts (ZICA). The organization mounted a six-day “Camp ZinZanni,” and opened the doors in July to 35 campers ages 11 to 15. The campers learned the basics of Juggling and Character/Scene Development, with the added benefit of increased confidence and self-esteem. At the end of the session, they created a free revue-style performance for family and friends under Teatro ZinZanni’s antique red velvet spiegeltent. The one-week session was an amazing experience for all involved, and with the development funding offered by the Wallace Foundation, ZICA will now be a permanent part of the project, dedicated to the preservation, development and enhancement of ancient and contemporary circus arts, including Juggling, Clowning, Magic, and Acrobatics with an emphasis on all aspects of performance and production.
“The world we create each night at Teatro ZinZanni is deeply rooted in centuries of circus, theatre and music tradition. Most of our artists started their training as very young children and many of them are fourth or fifth generation circus artists,” said Norm Langill, CEO of One Reel and Artistic Director of Teatro ZinZanni. “Bringing along the next generation is the natural, expected thing. With the celebration of our tenth anniversary, we recognize the need to not only preserve these increasingly rare art forms and introduce them to young adults, but also to provide much-needed professional training opportunities for both artists and artisans to continue refining, defining and improving their craft.”
In July 2009, ZICA will expand its programming to include three summer camps and will offer each track twice – once for students ages 8 to 12 and once for students ages 13 to 16. The tracks include “AcroBalance + Clowning,” “Slapstick, Movement, Mime + Clowning,” and “Objects in Motion + Clowning.” Registration begins February 1, 2009.
One Reel is one of the Northwest’s oldest, largest and most unusual non-profit arts organizations. From humble beginnings as a traveling theatrical troupe in the early 1970’s, the organization has evolved into a diverse, innovative and dynamic arts group that strives to be a cultural driver for the region. One Reel’s constantly evolving program of arts and cultural events, performances and activities span the widest spectrum of disciplines, genres and perspectives, from punk rock to spoken word, Shakespeare to hip hop. From signature festivals and music events like Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival and the Summer Nights at the Pier concert series, to the zany theatrical pastiche of Teatro ZinZanni, the organization has created over 500 different projects that celebrate live performance, and presented its work to audiences that now number over 8 million.
“We are incredibly grateful to The Wallace Foundation for honoring One Reel with inclusion in this year’s Wallace Excellence Awards,” said Norm Langill, President of One Reel and Artistic Director of Teatro ZinZanni. “Through it, we look forward to making a meaningful and fun contribution to developing the cultural literacy and artistic experience of the next generation.”
ZICA In The News
"Here's a worthwhile way to clown around"
- Everett Herald (12-28-09)
Read Article
"Eric's Little Heroes: A 3-ring Circus"
- KOMO 4 News
Watch Segment
"Seattle arts groups get creative to attract younger generations"
- Seattle Times (8-9-09)
Read Article
"Camp ZinZanni lets kids step into the ring"
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer (8-13-08)
Read Article
"Teatro ZinZanni to run circus school under its big top"
- Puget Sound Business Journal (6-27-08)
Read Article
Coming Up
AcroBalance + Clowning
Ages 9-16 | Capacity: 40
camp
July 05 – July 10, 2010
Acrobalance + Clowning gives students ages 9-16 the chance to learn the basics of floor acrobatics and balance with clowning. Under the guidance of professional performers, the students will star with tumbling and then will explore rola bola, equilibristics, unicycle, rolling globe, aerial arts and more.
Get more info
AcroBalance + Clowning
Ages 9-16 | Capacity: 35
camp
July 05 – July 10, 2010
AcroBalance + Clowning gives students ages 9-16 the chance to learn the basics of floor acrobatics and balance with clowning. Under the guidance of professional performers, the students will start with tumbling and then will explore rola bola, tight wire, unicycle, rolling globe, aerial arts, and more.
Get more info
Objects in Motion + Clowning
Ages 9-16 | Capacity: 40
camp
July 12 – July 17, 2010
Objects in Motion + Clowning gives students ages 9-16 the chance to learn the basics of juggling, object manipulation and clowning. Under the guidance of professional performers, students will begin each morning with juggling sessions and then explore the manipulation of objects such as yoyo's, rings, ribbons, spinning plates, diabolo, cigar boxes, spinning clubs and hats.
Get more info
Watch Segment
"Seattle arts groups get creative to attract younger generations"
- Seattle Times (8-9-09)
Read Article
"Camp ZinZanni lets kids step into the ring"
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer (8-13-08)
Read Article
"Teatro ZinZanni to run circus school under its big top"
- Puget Sound Business Journal (6-27-08)
Read Article
Coming Up
AcroBalance + Clowning
Ages 9-16 | Capacity: 40
camp
July 05 – July 10, 2010
Acrobalance + Clowning gives students ages 9-16 the chance to learn the basics of floor acrobatics and balance with clowning. Under the guidance of professional performers, the students will star with tumbling and then will explore rola bola, equilibristics, unicycle, rolling globe, aerial arts and more.
Get more info
AcroBalance + Clowning
Ages 9-16 | Capacity: 35
camp
July 05 – July 10, 2010
AcroBalance + Clowning gives students ages 9-16 the chance to learn the basics of floor acrobatics and balance with clowning. Under the guidance of professional performers, the students will start with tumbling and then will explore rola bola, tight wire, unicycle, rolling globe, aerial arts, and more.
Get more info
Objects in Motion + Clowning
Ages 9-16 | Capacity: 40
camp
July 12 – July 17, 2010
Objects in Motion + Clowning gives students ages 9-16 the chance to learn the basics of juggling, object manipulation and clowning. Under the guidance of professional performers, students will begin each morning with juggling sessions and then explore the manipulation of objects such as yoyo's, rings, ribbons, spinning plates, diabolo, cigar boxes, spinning clubs and hats.
Get more info
Read Article
"Teatro ZinZanni to run circus school under its big top"
Read Article
AcroBalance + Clowning
Ages 9-16 | Capacity: 40
camp
July 05 – July 10, 2010
Acrobalance + Clowning gives students ages 9-16 the chance to learn the basics of floor acrobatics and balance with clowning. Under the guidance of professional performers, the students will star with tumbling and then will explore rola bola, equilibristics, unicycle, rolling globe, aerial arts and more.
Get more info
AcroBalance + Clowning
Ages 9-16 | Capacity: 35
camp
July 05 – July 10, 2010
AcroBalance + Clowning gives students ages 9-16 the chance to learn the basics of floor acrobatics and balance with clowning. Under the guidance of professional performers, the students will start with tumbling and then will explore rola bola, tight wire, unicycle, rolling globe, aerial arts, and more.