Circus school offers classes, camp — no clowning around

• Circus School of Arizona's open house offers demonstrations for those interested in camp or classes.
• Kids ages 7-13 learn the basics of aerial silks and rope%2C the trapeze%2C juggling%2C plate spinning%2C wire walking and more.
• The circus "is empowering. you're doing things that look impossible %u2014 gravity-defying%2C" says Rachel Stegman.

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In her early 20s, Rachel Stegman was on her way to becoming a civil-rights attorney. But something was nagging at her.

When she was 8, Stegman learned a few circus-performance skills on a Club Med vacation with her family. At 16, she spent the summer at French Woods Festival for the Performing Arts, taking more aerial circus classes.

Having grown up in Scottsdale, Stegman studied everything from dance to gymnastics and ice skating.

"Nothing hooked me or grabbed me like the circus did," says Stegman, who graduated from Scottsdale Community College and headed to Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass. "It was haunting me. I had dreams where (I would) see circus apparatus hanging from the sky, and when I got close to it, it would turn into playground swings."

Then, a defining phone call.

"My mom said, 'Stop talking about it and do it already.' She thought I would get it out of my system," Stegman recalled.

"My family (members) are not circus people," they're mostly physicians and educators, she said. "I didn't really think it was something that a Jewish girl from my upbringing could really do for my profession. ... Now, anybody can do it for fun, it doesn't have to become a profession."

Stegman owns both Circus School of Arizona and CSA Arts & Entertainment, its events and performance branch, in Scottsdale. She boasts hundreds of past and former students — many of whom see circus classes as a challenging fitness regiment with a bonus adrenaline rush. A few of her prize pupils have gone on to perform, including at Cirque du Soleil.

Both of Stegman's companies have grown tremendously since 2007, when she moved back to Scottsdale after nearly a decade in the Bay Area.

In San Francisco, she trained with Gregangelo Herrera of Velocity Arts & Entertainment. Herrera trained her to be an aerial rope and trapeze artist and an instructor. She also learned the business ropes.

"He's like a brother to me and my mentor," Stegman said. "How would I describe him? He's outrageous. Full of energy and life. A champion of the arts and supportive of artists. With Gregangelo, everything is possible. You can't say any negative words around him."

Stegman and her husband decided they wanted to be closer to family in Arizona when, "I suddenly got the baby bug." She is mom to 4-year-old Zev and 2-year-old Ayla, and both are already exhibiting some circus-performance chops.

Arizona also was an opportunity to introduce more people to the lure of the circus. (With deadpan seriousness, she said there was practically a circus school on every corner in San Francisco.)

"The more we bring it to the public, and the more people know the art form, the less mysterious it is; but the more they respect it, too, because they see how hard it really is," she said.

On Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7, Circus School of Arizona will host an open house with demonstrations for kids and parents interested in summer camp or regular classes. The school has more than doubled its space in the past month in a commercial building just north of Scottsdale Quarter.

Circus School is offering weeklong summer camps for kids ages 7 to 13. It also hosts private parties and regular circus skills classes in their rooms with 24-foot-high ceilings, with curtain-like aerial silks and circus apparatus dangling from them.

Many people who find their way to Circus School have backgrounds in dance or gymnastics — even competitive diving. But Stegman, who didn't consider herself an athlete growing up, insists there are so many skills, anyone can find a circus "talent." Circus, she insists, builds stamina, grace, self-expression, coordination and balance.

Kids who sign up for camp will learn basic skills on aerial silks and rope, the trapeze, juggling, plate spinning, wire walking, the rolling globe, mini trampoline and more.

"I think it's empowering. you're doing things that look impossible — gravity-defying," Stegman said. "You feel like a superhero."

Morrison covers the Kids and Families beat. Reach her at kara.morrison@arizonarepublic.com or follow her on Twitter at @azckids.